The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1910-06-24
AN EVERGLADES HOMESTEAD
Some of the Immense Improvements
Being Made In Dade County

Editor Star: I am very glad to tell
you that my prospects are bright and
ensouraging as my homestead is
growing more valuable every day and
in a few months I will have il in shape
so that L can dispose of some of it at
a good price. Then I will be very
happy.
This part of Dade county is consid-
cred the best fruit growing country in
the state Mr.. 2. J. Wester, who is
connected with the agricultural de-
partment at Washington. D. c, told
me it was the best in the world and
has a cooperative experimental sta
tion established here, joining my es-
tate, which shows his belief in what
he says. For the present he is paying
special attention 10 the various apples.
such as the sugar apple. vase apple
and a great variety of tropical apples:
also guavas, the fine variety of ava
vado pears and mangoes. and has just
from Washington numerous
other plant fruits, plants and flowers.
Mr.. ". ]. Krone, the chief construc-
ton engineer of the F. f. c. r. r. on
whose place this experimental station
is located has just received notice
from Washington to erect a weather
bureau at this place. Mr.. Krone him
self has some of the finest places in
Dade county. He has about fifty acres
under cultivation, thirty-f1ve Of which
are devoted to a large bearing orange
grove, the remainder in nursery stock
and more than a hundred varieties of
tropical fruits. His pineapples and
bananas, of which he has several
thousand, are a great success. In fact,
everything he has planted is making
wonderful growth and Mr.. l.. r.
Nixon, who has the management of
this beautiful place, is a man of ex-
perience and ability and has lived in
Marion county. His daughter attend
ed the Ocala High School and has just
arrived home.
Every homestead has been taken up
with perhaps an exception of two or
three, many miles from the station. l
cannot tell you one-haIf the improve
mentS that have been made since /
came here three and Il half Years ago.
nor even what is being done at the
present, but one thing is evident. il
seems that all the people in Kansas
and Michigan are coming here. as we
have had lately about eighteen fam
lilies from Kansas and more expect
ing to come, and they are all good
people and are at work building homes
and putting out groves and buying
Glade lands for next years trucking.
Several thousand acres of Everglades
lands have been sold here recently.
The price of these lands at present is
$25 and $50 an acre. The homestead
ers who We're here first of course got
first choice and as they are the pion-
GERS they deserve it. But every home
stead is good and more good red clay
and rocks on every one of them than
any one man or woman will ever plant
or need. and as many are committing
or proving up. there are at liberty to
sell and the land is in great demand.
i have offers every week at IA good
price. ever above the average, as | am
so well located. my place being one
mile on the rock road leading from
Homestead to Miami Though I have
not committed and cannot even discuss
| the matter. yet it is very encoura gin g
to know that when / do commute
can sell in ten and twenty acre tracts
at my own price. I would not dispose
of my grove as that is my home and
a very beautiful place and several
new arrivals have told me that my
so many beautiful flowers and trees
had done more towards making the
new corners satisfied than anything
else they had seen; that if a woman
can do these things Well, a man
ought to do even better 1 doubt It.
But I am not the only woman doing
are women and have just as pretty
groves and homes I have and
one Of them is adding to her grove.
improvements are going on on all the
homesteads. You can't have any idea
of just what this country is like un-
less YOU could it, but it is on a
most substantial boom. New roads
are being opened up everywhere and
our district gets fifteen thousand dol
lars OF the $3.50. 900 bond issue of Dade
county for building rock roads, which
are said to be the best in the state
The rock is donated by the owners and
blasted out alongside the highways
When first blasted and taken from the
pits it is soft and spread on the road
smoothed and rolled down by the
steam roller. and soon hardens when
exposed to the atmosphere.
The tomato season this season was
very fine. Most every one in the bus
mess made money as we had three
packing houses running at full blast
where the growers could sell their to-
matOeS outright or COnSign them. This
| plan proved to be more satisfactory
| than shipping to any commission mer-
| chant, as+@in seasons past. The toma-
| toes are grown for spring shipment or
the Glade land and about 400 acres
were under cultivation the mast sea