The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1908-12-18

merely mud excavation. 1t is intend |
ed TO pierce the rim at several other |
points with canals whicS will connect |
with tidal rivers like New River, and |
the success We have attained war !
rants the undertaking. As the canals !
are dug the surface water in the vi |
cinity finds its way into them and
/ flows seward. so that already we
nave over 30o0 acres OF what mas been
4 submerged soil reclaimed and being
sold To the settler for cultivation
! Thus. Is The drainage proceeds. the
/ farmer will follow TO occupy the land.
Would Grow the Country's Sugar
Is ID worth while 10 make this re-
eion fiji for haLiatione II a9sDne|
SO questions. let him consider t,- a.
moment the benefit ii viii couf-r not
only TO the south. but upon the whole
country. from the fact thar there is
/ now imported into the United States
more imam 100000 tons OF fJrai-u
sugar. for which we pay IN duty and
TO the foreign producers more than
Sl5000o,000 yearly. Our total exports
per annum of the following articles:
Corn. wheat. -four beef and naval
stores combined. amounts TO but Sill
600. 600. In other words. we are pay
ing for foreign sugar in American
money. more than the people of for
eign countries pay the people Of the
United States for all Of the corn,
wheat -four beef and naval stores
shipped them from the United States.
There are in this submerged portion
+, of Florida 100000 acres of land suit
able for the cultivation of sugar
, cane. 100000 acres of which
; land is free Of trees and shrubs, con-
tanning only grass: 100000 acres of
; muck land varying in depth of muck
from , feet At the edges to 20 feet in
. TIE middle. \ small portion Of the
b territory. when reclaimed by private
, enterprise and cultivated some years
ago. actually produced C3 tons Of cane
to an acre of grOund-cane which
yielded 1860 pounds. If even 100000
acres of this soil were put into sugar
cane. it would yield more than the
b 100000 tons OF sugar now annually
/ imported from abroad.
In proof Of the assertion that south
ern Florida affords the site for an
other great industry. I will briefly re-
fer TO the opinion of Or. H. w. Wiley,
the head Of the United States bureau
of chemistry, who has analyzed sam
pies of sugar cane raised on land re
claimed from this section. Dr. Wiley
says: "AH OF these samples are of
over IS per cent. purity and are the
: most remarkable samples we have
t ever examined. They contain no glu-
t cose "a sign of inferiority) whatever
. when tested"
Mr. Claud Spreckles, the noted SUI
gar plantation owner and refner,
t writes as follows regarding his in
spection of these reclaimed sugar
/ lands: I take pleasure in saying that
4 during my recent trip to inspect your
2 sugar operations my surprise was
t great in finding such a country for the
B. growth of sugar cane. The soil is as
I rich as any that have ever seen and
r with proper cultivation the yield
e should be equal to that of any other
d country on the face Of the globe"
A Vast TiIlabIe Area
= What has been already done in the
J. raising OF fruit and vegetables on the
/. small areas Of soil which have been
It drained by private enterprise show
T. thar such work VIII be repaid many
II fold. Not only is this part of the
o state adequate for the production OF
9 every pound of the nations sugar. but
a it can be covered with fruit orchards
h and vegetable gardens. The 5.ooo.ool
u acres 10 which have referred, howey
$ er. represents only a small portion o.
1t the swamp land granted 10 Florida 10y
e the United States on which millions o.
y people might find homes and OCCupa
Il tions, if it were properly drained
II and which it is possible TO DO at ;
4 very small expense. considering The
d value of this land for settlement.