The Ordway new era., 1910-03-04
7HE EVERGLADES LAND
IT. Haigs in tho Opinion Of Ono Of
Ordvay Farmers.

essSsOs
have 10 excuse for this long silence
except absolute laziness. l fully ex.
pected to write you all about the trip
and other objects Of interest as so0n
as ! arrived 1t my destination and
keep my sacred word, but the flesh IL
weak. I have Just been basking in
seven weeks Of uninterrupted sunshine
loot even sh0wer) and the mercury
ranging from 10 10 80 degrees. For
three weeks after coming we had
what the "crackers" call a hard win.
ter-So to 10 degrees; two mornings
standing at il-but no frosts, Just
cool enough to burn few pine cones
and stick of this turpentine wood in
the fireplace mornings and evenings.
But most Of the days have been about
Is devrees-and such air! l cannot
describe II; not the turbld, sticky
kind In Mississippi valley summer,
but air seemingly as dry US In Colorado
and even fuller Of ozone. You sleep
with all doors aud windows fully open
and wear the same gauzy underwear
that you do In Ordway 10 July.
Florida winters as rule are very
dry, 90 that the truck man irrIRates
bis land where possible 10y pumps.)
Although the government reports
show from so to 60 inches annual rain.
fall, It comes entirely 10 summer
mouths. Some night In January Ur
Feo'uary you may listen to down.
pour Of rain all nights T., s inches OF
water falling-but you will 60 out on
the beautiful rock roads next morning
ana not discover mud puddle, even.
"a fio0d that would devastate Colo
RADIO land will only lay the dust on
the Florida rocks.
Spring has been with US for fort
night or more. The mango and lemon
have been In full blossom for weeks
and the grape fruit aud orange are
ready to begin. The leaves Of all
vegetation are polishing up for an-
other crop, aud their dark. glossy
color tells us the spring ia here. The
birds that are here In summer have
not returned yet from Central Amer.
icA snd the adjacent Islands, but our
northern robin, mncking bird, cat
bird, Jay, etc., are here spending the
winter. No, they are not singing
much-just q little chatter. They are
not giving their love songs. they do
that where they nest. 10 the north.
The mockinR bird has subdued muir
muir that he occasionally utters-
during moonlight nights generally.
The only bird music we have 10
abundance Is that of near neighbor'
fifty chickens. They are set like an
alarm clock and "wo OF" regularly at
every watch Of the night and warn
Ing crow or Two on the half hours; but
1t daylight such paodemonlum is
set up that battles all description
never have heard such notes Of hap
piness-nothing like the half frozen
sounds eminatinR from our Ofdway
chandeliers on a cold March or April
morning. (Eggs have gone from hfty
cents dozen to thirty.five cents since
we camel
Several Of our New Era readers have
written me asking about Florida lands
especially the much advertised
Everglades" drained land. We are
within four miles of that vast body OF
land to be drained-the home OF the
Seminole Indians. At present the
<u,, IN hn r1roiro1
covered with water from one to ten
feet deep. The state is pledged to
build the necessary canals to drain it
and is already working several large
dredge boats at different points; but
at present rate 1t will take three to
five years to complete 1t, but 1 think
the state will put on greater work.
ing force soon. 1t can all be drained
as the surface Of the water is twenty
feet higher than the ocean. A great
many speculatinR companies are in
the deal. They buy OF the state one
to two hundred thousand acres at d
time and sell 1t to northern "suckers"
attwenty dollars to tlfty dollars per
acre Estate gets two dollars per acre
for land on long time and low rate of
interest). This land is said to be very
rich when drained and ready for culti-
vatiun; being below frost line is to
produce any citrus fruits or sugar
cane. Such land is readily worth
from one hundred to five hundred
dollars per acre, but From five to
ten years must he spent first in fer
tiIizinR and sweetening of the soil