The Palatka news and advertiser. [volume] (Palatka, Fla.) 1908-19??, 1912-02-02
FLORIDA SANDH|LLS
CAN Be CULTIVATED.
INTERESTING EDITORIAL IN A
NORTHERN PAPER POINTS
OUT MANY FACTS.
is AMENDABLE TO TILLAGE
Writer In Manufacturers Record
Shows That Sand Hills Can Be
Made to Produce Crops.

Tallahassee.-Flori has a variety
of soils, some of mere sand, apparent
". vet all of it capable of cultivation,
we believe. That the so-called sand
hills" are amenable to tillage almost
as well as the more favored darker
soils will strike one who has read
the communication in recent issue
of the Manufacturers Record of Bal
timore by DIR. Sam D. Cox on sand
Hills He says they are "the best sec
ton of the United States" The writer
dwels at length of their healthful char
acter but what he says of their pro-
ductiveness under proper tillage is
what interests most in relation to So
called sandy soils elsewhere. 1t must
be promised that there is very little
sandy soil, properly speaking, in TINS
state. Take up handful of the soil
and examine it under strong mag
nifying glass. 1t will be seen to be
mostly finely ground shell. Mixed
with this are a number OF minute
black particles, which are the source
of it's fertility. The color, or tint, OF
the soil will depend upon the proper
ton of these particles. Where the
soil is loamy, particles of clay will
also be found. Sand is disintegrated
rock, not ground she'll
Mr.. Cox says of these sand hills:
"a few years ago it was considered
impossible to make profitable crop
on these lands, in consequence OF
which they could be bought for alb
surdly low prices. / availed myself
of the opportunity and bought several
thousand acres. During the past sea
son operated an experimental farm
under the supervision of a govern
ment farm demonstration agent, anc
obtained excellent results. The poor
est land was purposely selected fol
this use. Corn, under which less thar
80 worth of fertilizers were used, pro
duced about fifty bushels to the acre
besides an abundant crop of foddel
and peas, and this was accomplished
under diverse conditions OF plantlnE
seasons and peorly-cleared land.
Under this supervision Mr.. Cox pre-
duced excellent crops OF melons, to
: matoes and other vegetables. The sol
! was found to be especially adapted t
: both Irish and sweet potatoes, aspal
, agus and onions. Disease among pou
q try is practically unknown in tina
country. Mr.. Cox says he has take
i, a tract of 1000 acres and located on
. the government demonstration farr
= alluded to. Experience with thes
;. lands during the last few years, h
= saws. has demonstrated that they ar
. more certain to produce crops~Whe
= seasons are too wet or too dry tina
!. lower and sitter lands that have her
:. tofore been regarded as far more va
uable-all they need is scientific trea
ment.
The latter point is the most vail
n able for our purposes OF all that al
n made by Mr.. Cox. We can point
4 at least one farmer who has bougl
what his friends condemned as
q mere sand hill" and found, durlr
:, the recent drought, that he cou
n raise fine crops on IT, by scientii
~ treatment, while those of his nelg
bors. cultivating what they regards
- as better land, were stunted and pa
81 tial failures. Well MANFRED and CT
- tivated constantly to preserve Il
"A "dust mulch" his fields bore luxu
antly, with the aid of little or no col
mereial fertilizer.