Evening star., 1942-05-12
War Needs Threaten
Florida S Supply Of
Minerals for Farms
Copper Iron and Zinc
Among Soil Builders
Used in State
~ Wide World.

GAINESVILLE, Fla. May r.
Florida, winter market basket for
large part of the Nation, couldn't
produce enough fruits and vegeta-
bles for many of its farmers to
make a living If the war should cut
of supplies of half dozen chemi-
Gals now on the wartime critical
list.
Florida has built its vast agri
culture industry by scientific re-
construction of soil that for ages
has had its essential minerals
compounds of copper, iron, zinc,
manganese, magnesius and cobalt
washed away by tides and heavy
rainfall.
So far farm leaders have been
able to get Federal release of the
necessary chemicals.
without them production would
be enormously reduced" said Dr.
A. r. Camp of the State Agricul-
tural Experiment Station in a re-
port which has been sent to Wash
ington to support pleas for supplies
Of the chemicals.
Would Lower Quality.
The quality Of the products
available for shipment would be
lowered, and in many cases their
lack would result in such uneco-
nomical production that farmers
and growers would be unable to
stay in the field of agricultural pro-
duction and still make a living"
No other State has quite the same
problem. Virtually all need COM
mercial nitrates and phosphates for
their farmlands-and so does Florida
but Florida depends more than
any other on imported supplies OF
the metallic compounds which give
the soil life. Most other States al
ready have them in the earth.
The soils must be treated every
year or so to keep them productive.
In most OF the States great
orange and grapefruit producing
areas magnesium, copper and zinc
are absolute necessities. A total
lack of them would cut Florida
citrus production so per cent in two
or three years. II they were not
added to the soil there would be
less fruit, poorer fruit with less
vitamin content and greater cold
damage
Copper was the key to develop
ment of the rich Everglades muck
land as one of the Nations major
winter vegetable and sugar pro-
ducing sections. Without it there
could be practically no commercial
growth there. Agriculturists say
most crops would grow only knee
high, then wither if copper and
zinc were not added to otherwise
rich muck. Beans turn yellow in
the 'Glades If they aren't treated
with manganese.
Necessary for Potatoes.
Manganese also is essential to
production of potatoes in the lower
east coast area around Miami.
The States tung oil industry de-
pends on zinc to prevent a condi-
ton known as "bronzing" OF trees.
Pecan production In many areas
also requires zinc.
The beef cattle industry, now be-
coming one of the major money
makers for Florida farmers, didn't
amount to much until it was dis
covered that animols thrived on
some lands when iron and cobalt
were added to the salt ration, and
that minerals were needed to grow
nutritious feeds.
Sea island cotton would not grow
satisfactorily on some soil without
magnesium. Zinc is necessary to
prevent whitebud, disease of young
corn plants, IN most sections where
corn is grown. The celery industry
depends on boron to eliminate
cracked stems, which used to cause
total crop losses every few years.
Many of the States ornamental
plants which attract tourists must
have manganese to live.
Copper, in addition to its neces-
sary function as a food for Florida
plants, is the base of the only salts
factory fungicides known for COM
batting diseases on Florida truck
crops, citrus and tropical fruits.
Such diseases thrive in the warm,
moist climate If unchecked.
The minerals ordinarily are put