The St. Lucie County tribune. (Fort Pierce, St. Lucie County, Fla.) 1905-1920, 1910-06-10
THE HOME OF
4 SUGAR CANE:
FyergIades to Become Great
Sugar Belt of United States
GREAT DEVELOPMENT
system of Orange and Irrigation bitches
will Lessen Production Loss Future
of Florida Most Promising

For years it has been demonstrated
that the south portion of the East Coas
II Florida is natures own home fol
snoar cane and that it eventually vii
become the great sugar belt of the
United States.
The difficulty thar has been a success
ful bar to this enterprise has been the
yearly overflow of the Everglades, but
now the drainage of this vast territor,
il an assured face, there is no question
in regard to the future of the sugar in.
dustry here.
When the statement is made that the
southeast coast of Florida will become
the great sugar belt OF the United
States, it is founded largely upon the
type of the people who make up the
rank and file of citizenship in this great
country, men who have idle capital and
are always looking for safe and sane
investments. and so soon as it is prac-
tcally demonstrated that.this vast body
OF rich, alluvial lands will be drained
beyond the question of overflow, SO
soon will capital come pouring in to de-
velop the sugar industry.
There are certain conditions that are
absolutely necessary for the successful
growing of sugar cane and all these are
found in the southern section. With
out all these conditions failure to a
greater or lesser extent is sure to
follow.
One of the first is climate. There
- Of land xuith hin hn
bounds of the United States that are
suited to the growing of sugar cane
the soil of the right consistently, rich
and alluvial; but the climate conditions
forbid the planters from growing cane.
as in those sections there is a lack of
sunshine which is the great saccherine
developer in cane.
The climatic conditions on the south
east coast of Florida is ideal for grow
ing this crop. Here cane grows
throughout the entire year. blossoms
and natures, thus insuring the greatest
possible amount of sugar. Here cane
may be left in the field until grinding
time without frost danger sufficient
to destroy or damage. Further it has
been demonstrated by actual analysis
that sugar cane grown in this southern
portion of the East Coast of Florida
carries higher sugar content than
that grown in Cuba, Hawaii or other
cane growing portions of the world.
Another advantage the Everglades
section will have over all other cane
growing sections is, when the dreinage
system is completed, locks placed in
position and lateral canals dug, that
the whole immense tract will be prac-
tically sub.irrigated, which will insure
full crop each season. In Louisiana
this season it has been so dry that it is
said that at least fifty per cent. of this
years planting is failure and what
cane is left has made a poor growth.
The stuhble cane has withstOOd the
drouth much better. The sugar output
will be materially lessened by the con
tinued dr0uth and frost.
From experience it has been shown
that on drained muck lands the water
level should be kept from Is to "a inches
under the surface. Throughout the
drained Everglade district this can be
accomplished by clock" which will
hold the water to certain level, and
IN case of heavy rains the overflow can
be drawn off rapidly by opening the
locks, giving the water free opening
to the ocean.
1t Is evident that the cost of produc-
ing tor of cane in the Everglades of
Florida will be less that in any portion
olthe cane growing sections of the
world Hawaii has many of the finest
sugar plantations in the world, for in
stance the EVA" plantation, witha
Total acreage approximating 10000
acres, with two-thirds suitable for
growing cane. The plantation is who'll
y dependent upon irrigation. 1t has
~ twelve-inch artesian; wells and a
aozen pumping stations. In day of
twenty -four hours. 80, 500, 00O gallons
|oi water can be lifted. The pumping
pants represent 300 horsepower
Inc entire cost of the pumping system
y about $500. 0O0.0 On the planta.
tlon there are employed about $500
people. The output Of their mills is
IRON 200 to 300 tons of sugar per day.
when it is remembered that the sue
cess OF this great plantation depends
entlrely on irrigation and that all the
water must be pumped by costly mach
merry, which necessitates an expensive
Mechanical engineer, and contrast this
WIN the Everglade lands, irrigated ny
me canal system, without dollars
expense for pumping machinery or ex-
Reeslve engineers,it Is evident that the
everglades proposition is by far the
cueapest and the most feasible. :,
me irrigation of the Everglades VIII
y. pe comparatively of small cost when
sns state completes the 237 miles Of
S %ain canal and the locks which VIII