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Show ou Ogden Citizens Return From Florida Inasmuch as we have just returned from a visit of inspection of various lands in Florida, about which much has been said and published, wo take this means of Informing those who have purchased these lands of conditions condi-tions as we saw theiu. We mado a thorough inspection ot the much abused and most remarkable remark-able tract of land In the country the Everglades. In the neighborhood of Lake Okeechobee Okee-chobee and the south canals we carefully care-fully Inspected an almost unlimited variety of crop demonstrations, some planted and cared for apparently bv persons of inexperience and covering a period of cultivation and growth running from two weeks to two or three years. Tho vegetation thereon shows remarkable rapidity of growth and hcalthfulness. Wo were shown orange and grape t'm it by the thousauds of all ages up t;i two or three years; also avacadoes, mangoes, paw-paws, figs, bananas, eucalyptus eu-calyptus and peach trees, with a growth, foliage and symmetry of form that, without doubt, proves the adaptability adapt-ability of these trees to tho soil and climate of the Everglades. We saw an almost unlimited variety of farm products and vegetables, such as corn, sugar cane, oats, barley, rice, flax, Irish and sweet potatoes, peanuts, pea-nuts, celery, onions, cauliflower, asparagus, as-paragus, lettuce, beans, peas, egg plant, beets, carrots, strawberries, alfalfa, al-falfa, red clover, white clover, Kentucky Ken-tucky blue grass, English blue grass, lawn grass and many other varieties of vegetation. There Is not longer any doubt as to the possibility and probability of the drainage of the Glades. The land Is already dry for over ten miles south of Lake Okeechobee. The unkind and untruthful attacks upon this rich tract of land are due somewhat to ignorance, but principally princi-pally to local and sectional political jealousies. The various land companies have nothing to do with the drainage project. pro-ject. This Is being done by tho state of Florida, with the permission of tho United States government to lower Lake Okeechobee. We also wont over a great portion of tho land In the vlclnty of West Palm Beach, known as tho Palm Beach Farm tract. This we found Is a level, quite uniform tract of land about thirty miles long and averaging three miles wide. From the first ap-pearanco ap-pearanco of this land ono would think It useless, because-of the sandy appearance ap-pearance ot tho soil, but to our perfect satisfaction we saw that all that Is required re-quired to mako it produce In great abundanco Is "The man with the hoe." The soil Is of a sandy nature, dark gray color for about eight Inches on the" top, and light sand below that for about six Inches, then a black subsoil as far down as we dug (some three and ono-half feet). Some ot the contract holders expecting ex-pecting the drawing to come off last fall, who had given up their positions and gono to West Palm Beach with the intention of working their gTOund last winter, wero disappointed by the postponement of tho drawing. To satisfy them tho company assigned them land In the various parts of the tract. Wo visited several of these new farms, and It Is almost Incredible to think of the crops and Income these Inexperienced truck gardeners have harvested since tho middle of last December. De-cember. Wo saw practically everything every-thing growing that Is mentioned In tho Everglades list, adding cucum-, bers, watermelons and cantaloupes. It is almost Inconceivable to think that land with tho remarkable p6ssl-billtlcs p6ssl-billtlcs this possesses has remained uncultivated until tho present The explanation Is simply this; Between tho East Coast railway and this ground Is a Cyprus swamp, and up to the tlmo the Palm Beach Farm company com-pany bought this land, this swamp was Impenetrable, except In boats. Xow rock roads have been built across the swamp, and canals have beon run from the tract Into tho swamp (where outlet Is the Atlantic ocean) to protect pro-tect tho land from excessive moisture during the rainy season of tho year. Then, again, this Is a comparatively comparative-ly new country, except for winter tourists tour-ists and health seekers. Tho whole population of Palm Beach county Is only about 10,000. The Increase in population In the state of Florida credited by tho government In 1910 covered a ten years' period, but it can be stated with accuracy that most of 1Mb inrrfn;n nf 42 npr nnnt onmo. within the past two years. Of the thousands of neu settlers going to Florida, few arc experienced farmers. The majority are clerks, artisans, merchants and laborers from vorlous nothern states; men and women who are tired of the old existence, exist-ence, and who have nerve and energy enough to start out anew lo work out for themselves a life of Independence In a land where pioneering Is no difficult diffi-cult or unpleasant task. In conclusion wo wish to say that the descriptive literature of thoFlori-da thoFlori-da Everglades Land company and tho Palm Beach Farm company has certainly cer-tainly not overestimated the value of these lands; In fact, If thoy had told all that we saw. It would have seemed too good to be truo so far away from whore this great opportunity exists. Even the old rcsldonts are ns much surprised as wo at what is being done on these lands. You have already mado money on your contracts. You will make more If you hold on to your londs, and even greater ft you develop them. JOHN C. CORLEW, JAMES D. DEAN'. S, H. HENDERSIIOT, A. A. WENGER, DR. WM. G. FREIDAY, DR. A. A. ROBINSON. B. F. SOOY,, J. A ROSTAN, JAMES CHASE. |