IN THE EVERGLADES 133 



Thus it has been proven that land that is not well drained is 

 much more subject to severe frosts than land which is thoroughly 

 drained. Again, a thorough irrigation just before a frost has 

 been found to drive it away, probably by reason of the greater 

 radiation taking place from the earth's pores. 



Interesting experiments have been made by the United States 

 Government in the cranberry region, and it has been found that 

 thorough under drainage of the land has had the effect of raising 

 the temperature from four to eight degrees. It has also been 

 noted in these regions that large areas of certain well-drained 

 fields were unhurt, while other fields lying adjacent, but not 

 drained, suffered serious injury. Thus we may expect more 

 damage from frost to those fields that are not properly drained. 



Again, when fields are thoroughly drained, nitrification sets 

 in and heat is at once produced, thus having a tendency by gen- 

 erating warmth and with the aeration derived therefrom of driv- 

 ing the frost upwards, showing that underground drainage has 

 an additional beneficial effect in furthering this decomposing or 

 nitrogenous action in the soil. 



Large applications of nitrogenous substances, such as arc 

 contained in compost or humus, also have a desirable effect. One 

 fact that must not be lost sight of in this connection is that while 

 these frosts are generally looked upon as disastrous to the country 

 in general, they have a beneficial effect in this way : If it should 

 destroy some of the fields in any locality, it will enhance the 

 market value of all products in fields remaining unhurt. The 

 profits in my experience have often doubled and trebled under 

 these conditions. I have experienced times when I was under 

 the impression that I had lost as much as 75 per cent of my 

 crop when really the gain on the remainder was such that it had 

 really increased the value of my entire output or what would 

 have been formerly my entire output by 100 per cent or more. 

 Hence, I would advise everyone who is confronted by this dilemma 

 to first make sure that it is not visionary and apply himself closely 

 to the remnants of his crop, giving it the best of culture and 

 supplying other conditions conducive to its growth, thereby in a 

 large measure making up in value and often really increasing 



