The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1934-09-18
cocoANUTs IN FLORIDA
Times-Union

The recent suggestion Of the AL Florida Com
nittee concerning the possibilities Of developing
eoeoznut industry IN taIs STATE having an annual
production Of 100000, 600 has brought interest
ing analyses and comments from some who have
given the idea consideration. The Birmingham
News sees IN the suggestion third important pos
sibility Tor tree cultivation in the South, pointing
out In this connection that the South Of late has
grown tremendously interested IA trees. This IN
ere2sing interest Is seen as favorable trend "for
trees Of one kind and another. hold mach promise
Of broadening the resources Of orr farmers and de-
veioping new industries with vast economic bene-
fits to this section
Widespread attention has been given in re-
cent years 70 the possibilities Of developing the
paper-naking industry in the South from pine
trees with the result that mills already have been
established for the manufacture Of heavy grades
Of kraft. Added impetus has been gained more re-
Gently b. the development by DR.. Charles Il. Herty
in his laboratories at Savannah Of a process for
making newzprfnt paper frorn the slash pine
Another important industry. the development
Of which has attracted much attention and capital
during recent years. is the manufacture Of oil from
the tung tree nut. This industry eenters in Flor
ida where considerable progress has been made in
raising tung trees which grow well throughout the
Gulf Coast area. In view * the fact that the
United States heretofore has imported ting OIL
great possibilities resulting from development Of
the industry here have been vizualized BY those in
cd IN 4gza
known, is principal ingredient Of paints and var
nishes and also has many other industrial uses
An oft-repeated statement Is that the tung oil
produced from the Florida nut is superior in
quality 10 the imported oil which comes chiefly
Erora China. As the result Of this fact and the
progress that has been made in tung tree cultiva-
ton in part Of the country the prediction has been
made BY specialists in such matters that eventually
the paint and varnish industry Of the United States
win be eentered in the South.
II these three posslbilities-paper from pine
trees, tBag oh, and cocoanut growing in Florida
especially a. this time although the Tampa Tr-
bune gees some merit in the suggestion. The Tr-
b0ne editor. in discussion Of the subject has this
70 say: "A few days ago we bought a cocoanut
in Tampa store for seven cents, which is at the
rate Of $40 a thousand. We know that grower
ia Honduras no9g gets sI2 thousand which is
Is cents apiece. The United States for some
years has levied an import duty Of S. thousand,
presumably to protect the Philippines. Porto Rico
and Hawaii. as there is no commercial eocoanut
growing in this country TO protect"
The Tribune suggests that it may be that a
Florida grower could average three cents a nut,
as the All Florida Committee suggests, bur OBJ
SERIES that 81 seems hardly worth while to go to
the effort Of picking up a cocoanut under tree,
and hnsking it, and conveying II 70 the buyer, all
for is cents Bat time was when the Honduras
growers got around $50 thousand. II a Florida
grower could get three cents each that would give
him an income Of $50 year from each acre. or
big enough to bear"
Coceanut palms viii grow in Florida, The Tri-
bune admits but raises the question whether suit
able land could be bought at a price that would
leave profit from a gross income Of $50 an acre
per year. Nevertheess it is for the idea express
ing the opinion that mo doubt cocoanuts can be
grown profitably on some Of Florida's coast, and
all for the idea, both to bring Florida pro-
fit. and to enhance Florida beauty with more Of
these most tropeal-looking palms."