The Lakeland evening telegram., 1917-11-03
THIS STATE CAN PRODUCE
-ENouGH SUGAR TO SUPPLY
HALF THE PEOPLE OF v. s.

The following article from the
Punta Gorda Herald contains worth
while argument, and we commend u
to the careful consideration OF our
readers:
Editor Herald:-I note an import
ant news paragraph in a recent issue
of YOUR paper, and think it should
be reprinted and read again and
again, so that the truth it conveys
can have a chance to soak in:
1.-THE Ocala Star truthfully says:
Every Florida farmer can make his
own sugar if he will.-Tampa Trib-
une. Forty years ago, the present
editor of the Herald boarded with va
rious farmers in the northern part Of
Sumter county, and every one of them
made all the sugar required for his
family use. They used a process
similar to the old.fashioned ash-hop-
per which housewives years ago en-
ployed in making lye for the manu-
facture of cheap soap. These farm
ers made also an abundance of syrup,
sweet potatoes, corn, oats, peanuts
and pork. They lived at home and
boarded at the same place, and their
grandchildren, who now live in the
same locality, can do the same thing
that their grandparents did"
Florida is not among the sugar
producing states, yet high grade cane
can be easily grown in every county
Sugar is now higher priced than a
any time since the civil war. Condi
tions indicate that it will be higher
Florida is overlooking an opportunit.
to develop a great business. Partie
interested in this subject can find !
fully covered in document entitled
"The Sugar Industry in Florida" sen
free to applicants by DR.. r. E. Rose
State Chemist, Tallahassee.
The United States Bureau of Fol
eign and Domestic Commerce. in II
annual report for the year endin
June 30, 1917, shlNs that. in the ma
kets of continental United State
4,233,O5O tons of sugar were receives
which means an average per capt
, amount of 81 pounds. the largest I
any country. The amount availab
in 1916 was only 78 pounds per capi
| or 3,98O,181 tons. The domestic pr
duction was 1,111,626 tons. of whit
$4,000 was cane and 822,726 be
sugar Outside of the limits Of co
q tinental United States, the tOnna
t received was 3,736,364 tons. valued
q $347,674, 625. From foreign. countri
J. 2,532,426 tons were received al
g 1,20393S from insular possession
Q Cuba sent AS44,549 tons, South Ann
n ica 57,184 tons, japan 10,942 tol
II Hawaii 5S1, 1903 tons and Porto Ri
e 88,689 tons. The PHILIPPINES Sc
,r 1898 tons.
1t What do you think of this count
Is importing from the two little islam
of Hawaii and Porto Rico--the t
combined having one.fifth the area
Florida, but with more population
nt quantity of sugar equal to the ent
re production of the United States? c
te State Chemist, who has had practi
OF experience in making sugar in FL
I'd ida, says it can be made as cheal
ne in our state as anywhere in the woI
,lf How long are we going to contir
re paying tribute to the Japane
es Chinese. Cubans, Spaniards. POI
If. gese and others in this respect? "
re- not have sugar mills at Ocala, Tam
is Punta Gorda and other towns in F.
ul- ida? Sugar is human necess
lis Our people consume more of it Il
ic. any other, and yet we produce
is small proportion of it, Florida
on the other Gulf States could be m
est to supply American needs.
nd Very truly yours,
er. L. M. RHOADEs
of ---------
The school authorities of st.
eft