The Punta Gorda herald., 1919-06-26
FLORIDA TO solve
SUGAR PROBLEM

In ten short months the cam
paign inaugurated by the Times
Union, following the publication
of the Sugar Situation, by G.. Ly-
man Spencer, to place Florida be-
fore the world as a great sugar
cane growing section and the fu-
ture hope of the country as a
great sugar producing section, has
brought definite md delightful re-
suits.
Among the first results was a
splendidly increased interest in
the production of sugar cane and
from about $4,000 acres grown
last year the crop has increased
to about 10000 acres this year.
The next result was the establish
ing of at least half a dozen steam
syrup mills in the state, which
will utilize all of the surplus cane
grown above what is kept for
seed to increase the acreage next
year to at least 100000 acres. But
the most important result obtain
ed is national publicity and the
endorsement Of the industry by
the leading trade publication de-
voted to the sugar industry in
the United States.
In a letter addressed to the ed
itor of the Times Union, r. V. Kel-
Ter, managing editor of "Sugar"
the national magazine published
in New York, which reaches all
of the sugar manufacturers, re-
fneries, manufacturers of sugar
machinery and all those interest
ed in the industry, says: "ln view
of the interest shown by your pa
per in the sugar development in
Florida, take pleasure in send
ing you rough advance proof of
an article which will appear in the
June issue of Sugar. You are at
liberty to quote either part or the
whole of it, giving credit to our
magazine"
The article in question occupies
two and a quarter pages of the
magazine and is illustrated with
five photographs showing cane
growing on the east shore Of Lake
Okeechobee, in Monroe county, |
and near Pavilion Key, Fla. The
opening paragraphs of the article
will prove of interest to Florida |
people:
"During the past few weeks the
present boom in Florida sugar
lands has assumed a more definite I
aspect. From creating foster
ing general optimism in Florida
and its future sugar production,
the movement has crystalized into
three distinct projects; one in
volving generous spreading of
the sugar gospel throughout the
state and the erecting of many
small syrup and sugar mills
wherever the ground seems best
suited, which project has the back
ing of one influential and several
smaller newspapers in the state.
The second movement covers the
large tract of improved Ever
glades lands in Southwest Flori-
da, where cane has been grown
for twenty successive years and
the third concerns itself with a
future development of the east
and south district of Lake Okee-
chobee, where sugar cane has been
grown for the past eight years,
chiefly for use in making a high
grade syrup which has been sell
ing around sixty to eighty cents a
gallon recently. There cannot be
the slightest doubt in the minds
of the people familiar with the I
sugar industry that the present !
time of high prices and a world O
wide scarcity of sugar is about /
the most auspicious that could :
have been selected for the devel- .
1pment of Florida's sugar posi- \
Oilities along lines which promise
certain success. 1t is not now a
question of millions of dollars t
which have to be spent before c
,angible results can be obtained a
t is not even a question Of wait G