Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1918-03-20


oKEKcHokKK, FLA, March Q.
Dear Aanf Madoe and MsataGis:
Asian alone this afternoon, viii write
letter for the column. Probably some of you
will be surprised 70 hnd me in Florida, with
no hens, chickens. pigs or cows. We came
down to Lake Helen. Florida, in November,
and in January we began to read mp about
the castor beans which the government
wanted Florida to grow to help win the war.
They want these beans for the castor oil for
lubricating the Liberty motors of airplanes
We heard of nice muck land which didn't
need any fertilizer, down in the everglades
on Lake okeechokee This lake is called
forty miles wide, sixty miles long. The land
belongs to the government. The state OF
Florida is trying to get it, but when the
government and state were having the canal
put in to stop the overflow, the state lowered
the lake sixteen inches more than the gov
eminent wanted, so now ii is unsettled land.
There are lot of going on TO it to farm.
as the governor of Florida told MS it wouldn't
be fixed up for two years, If then, and prob
ably not until after the war.
So we are here. No taxes or rent to pay,
and we stand a chance to get the land cheap.
W
sloo to sa5o an acre. There are my daughter
and her husband, Lee and myself We have
100 acres, giving us forty acres each. We
have built two small houses right near Lake
okeechokee. Can see the boats go by,
also autos pass close to us. We are six miles
from town.
This towneis some three years old. They
have laid it out for large town, have a rail-
-. Il.
plant. Boats come right up the river 10 the
freight depot. There are three miles of con-
crete sidewalk, three hotels, bank, and NO
end OF stores, but It's nothing but sand, and
then some
Outside of the city you find some farms,
forty acres in a piece. as level as floor. just
now nearly everybody is putting in Irish
potatoes. The seed comes from Houlton,
Maine. The farmers here pay from 81 to g. 80
a sack for them, about $50 lbs in q sack. ]
think they have to have about ss5 worth Of
seed per acre, and they are in hopes to get
$40 al least for their potatoes.
In May we are. to work for Uncle Sa u, so
will only put in enough potatoes for our own
use now. but think in September we will
put in our fall potatoes. We may put in some
then. but we have contracted to put in eighty
acres OF castor beans. and think it will keep
the two men going.some.
MY daughter is out on the farm, but am In
the city yet. Shall go out this week, as my
house is about ready. 1t doesn't take much
of house, rs it's mostly warm weather. /
don't know one month from apother-it's all
summer down here, some hot now. / won
der what it will be in July and August. Blu,
there is one good thing, we have cool nights
and mornings. 1t is the hottest from Ii to :
in the day, but there is breeze most of the
time. There is ridge OF. land with trees on
it just little way from.the lake, and that Is
where we have our houses. There are houses
all along on this ridge, in among the trees,
mostly cypress trees. The pine trees grow up
very tall, and for some twenty to forty feet
have no limbs. Cattle run everywhere; so dc
hogs. Then we have what they call cabbage
trees. You can cut them down and cut out
the cabbage and cook it, same as any cabbage
and ie is fine. Some of the trees grow quite
tall and very straight. The yoaag trees have
the best eabbages.
At Lake Helen they have some pine tree.
which are sixty feet to the limbs. On the
oaks is what is called 'sir moss" II hangs
down and swings in the breeze. lot OF
these oaks covered with moss is a ragged
sight. AT Lake Helen they have pretty good
| water, but most of Florida water smells and
tastes Of sulphur. After it is pumped mp
and aired, it loses this smell and taste, but
often wish could have a drink from our
Maine well.
have sold out what had in Maine except
about thirty-eight acres OF land. Have q
good house lot, the rest pasture land which
we rent. We builtsa new .honse last summer,
but we sold it just before we came down here.
II we do we'll here we probably will be here
two or three years.
| II takes four months for castor beans to be
ready for market; then they keep on growing
until frost kills them. If we don't have any
killing frost, these castor trees will keep on
growing beans.
Well, / think / had better stop and write
again when I see how Uncle Sans beans
grow. He pays the bill for the beans. Now,
Aunt Madge, excuse my penciliand paper. as
\ 1t is all the paper have just now. It's been
some time since / wrote for the column, most
of the time / have been more than busy
Last winter had eight cows. 400 hens; this
| winter none. Last winter / was very i'll oil
the grip; so far, grip. Would like TO send
you mp Whit of this warm climate.
1 Kind regards to you all, as ever. MRS.
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