Fort Pierce news. (Fort Pierce, Fla.) 190?-1920, 1911-03-17
our BACK COUNTRY
Wealth Producing Section is
Yet Undeveloped.
immense Amount of Vegetable,
Citrus and Timber Lands Now
Ready for Homeseekers.

The ridge land lying on the bank OF
1,dian River on which are situated
M great pineapple fields of st. Lucie
county by reason of the railroad rum
rine through it, is well known, out
,bat part Of ST. Lucie county lying
vest of the pineapple ridge and ex-
tepding for 40 miles is less known, and
The greater portion is yet to be devel-
ooed, and will in the near fure produce
he wealth of St. Lucie county.
Il would be impossible, in an article
81 this kind, to cover in detail the many
sactions and varied industries already
opened and possible of development in
this section of the country. 80 we will
conflne the principal of this article
10 that section which is easily accessi'
bic to transportation.
Running west from the ridge paral-
Icing Indian River back Of the savan-
nah is another ridge about seven to ten
ieet lower than the pineapple ridge,
covered with rich yellow pine timber,
known as flatwoods land. This, for the
first. two miles, is Of sandy soil, the most
part capable, when absolutely drained
and the soil properly sweetened, OF
producing pineapples proftably' In
fact, on that portion lying near the
drainage canal at Fort Pierce, where
the drainage is good, you will find many
acres of most excellent pines and pay
Ing returns on the investment.
Among the Hatwoods are many ponds,
on which, when drained are grown all
kinds Of vegetables. and it is surprising
the amount of money that is being
made every winter, per acre, from this
land. It is common thing for a good
truck grover to make $500 TO $1,000
per acre in one season. AS the timber
10 these Aatwoods has never been boxed
there is vet wealth of money to be
made in the turpentine and millions OF
feet Of virgin timber.
Two and one.half miles west OF the
Indian River and paralleling the river
Is what is known as the Five Mile
Prairies, body of land Of about SO,OOO
acres which for part of the year for
centuries, has been submerged or COW
cred with water. About six years ago
the Florida East Coast Railway Com
pany decided to drain this land and a
canal was dug at Fort Pierce from In
dian River through the pineapple ridge
by way of Moore's creek west to the
prairie, distance of about Two and
one-half miles. A careful survey oy a
civil engineer shows a fall OF 10 l-lo
feet from the surface of the river 10
the bottom surface Of the prairie, or
more than enough to thoroughly drain
this territory. This is going TO be the
best wealth producing section OF the
State for here can be grown, at the
proper season, all of the farm crops OF
The North and West, all kinds OF truck
and vegetables and all kinds OF tropicai
and semi-tropical fruits,
The land varies from the gray, loamy
sand to fine rich black muck and black
rich hammock land underlaid below
the surface from 10 inches to three feet
With subsoil of yellow and blue clay
aud mari, capable Of holding the mols-
ture and fertilizer. On this land. man
experimental way, have been grown al
kinds Of vegetables. Irish potatoes tnaP
would weigh two pounds and produce
nity barrels TO the acre, which can 90
harvested from February to the mlooie
Of April, Bermuda and Spanish onions
celery, eggplant, peppers, okra' cao-
bsge, lettuce, beans, tomatoes, 10 'acV
all kinds Of vegetables, such field crops
as oats, corn, cane and all kinds OF hay
and grasses, IN fruits, strawberries
peaches, pears, oranges, lemons, lines,
grapefruit, kumquats, bananas ana all
kinds Of citrus fruits. watermelons, can
talOupes and cucumbers.
There is lots Of low cabbage, or pal
metto, and hardwood hammocks scat
tered over this land and all who are
familiar with this class Of land know
what it will produce. Land OF THIS
quality situated In this climate, where
We have no severe freezes and but lew
irosts. IS going 70 DO Of immense value