The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1919-03-19
Former Estimate Too High-Bes'
Weather Conditions Since Flood
Help T Reduce the
EVERGLADES CROPS ARE
SAVED BY MIAMI CANAL
Marketing Concerns Are Backing Up
Growers and Promising Them Sup
port For Bigger Crops Than
Ever Next Year
Miami Metropolis)

| Ddud6c uOuC W thc WWSA SSsS
coast tomato crop by the nine-inch
downpOur Friday is estimated today
at from so to go per cent, more
careful investigation Of the condition
of the fields showing that he estimat-
ed rs per cent. loss as given out Sat
urday was too high.
Favorable weather conditions fol-
lowing the rain have helped to reduce
the prospective damage, these being
practically ideal, growers said today.
with the exception of the hard east
wind which keeps the water backed
up in the prairies.
Although the monetary loss to
growers and shippers is exceptionally
heavy, they rejoice that the crop was
not entirely lost, and that nearly one
half will be yet marketed, probably
at much higher figure than would
have been realized if the food had
not taken place.
Growers and Shippers optomistic
The big marketing concerns inter-
ested in the tomato deal are optomis-
tic, and declare that they will stand
back of the growers to the limit. I'VE
intend to do everything We can for all
the growers interested with u.s." de-
clared Manager Joseph A. Trombetta
of the Standard Growers Exchange,
today. "And we will also back them
up for bigger crops than ever for next
season." The Standard Exchange is
handling the crop from about 1000
acres of tomatoes on this coast this
year, and was a heavy loser in the
storm, having several farms that were
almost complete loss
Value of the Everglades drainage
system was clearly shown by the
storm, some of the big troopers on
the Miami canal reporting that It
would have taken 10 more inches to
have drowned them out. The en-
larged Miami canal did great service,
situation admirably. Great tomato
fields on the farms of NJ Piowaty &
Son and D. L. Casa on the Miami ca
nal were not damage appreciably by
the storm, 1t was reported today Mr.
Casa declares that he played in great
luck, as his crop on the Florida City
prairie was likewise not damaged.
Heavy Loss North of Larkins
It was estimated at the office of the
Florida East Coast Growers Associa-
tion this morning that the loss from
Larkins south will not be over %
per cent, while the loss from Lar
kins north will be at least rs per cent,
and probably more.
Damage at Larkins is estimated at
about 95 per cent, at Kendall IS per
cent, at Benson so per cent, at Per-
rine 70 per cent, at Peters 25 per
cent at Goulds so per cent, at Naran-
ia so per cent, at Homsted and Flor
ida City 10 to 20 per cent, and at Roy
al Palm hammock 10 per cent, or less.
The great Peters crop of 1,400 acres
at Peters, Fla, is much less damaged
than at first thought, it being now es-
timated that the loss will not be more
than Is per cent. The George A.
Douglass crop of $50 acres at Tropico
; was uninjured, while the Louis A
. Allen and J. B. Leonard crop at Ben
. son was not seriously hurt. The Nc
Crimmon crop, owned by the Stand
, ard Growers Exchange, at Benson
. however, was almost a total loss.
Efficancy of canals during flood
times was also shown at Deerfeld
I where the loss was not nearly as
, heavy as at Colamatchee and DANA
where the prairies are not well
i drained. At Dania crops on the front
prairie were much less damaged than
those on the back prairies, The op
| posite conditions prevailed at Goulds
and Naranaia where the front prairies
were nearly entirely drowned out and
the back prairies much less hurt