2Q2 



FORESTRY AND IRRIGATION 



June 



policy of mere exploitation was pursued, 

 by which it was sought to harvest the 

 original crop of virgin timber as fast as 

 the demands of the market warranted, 

 and in a manner that would provide 

 the greatest revenue to the province. 



"Since it has been established that 

 it is possible to profitably grow succes- 

 sive crops of our most valuable trees on 

 our non-cultivable lands, the question 

 of the cheapest and most expeditious 

 plan to pursue in this regard becomes 

 very important. The greatest factor 



is, of course, the prevention or lessen- 

 ing of forest fires, and in the effort to 

 do this many things must be considered. 

 The withdrawal of certain lands from 

 settlement, the degree of restriction 

 found necessary upon the liberty now 

 enjoyed by hunters, tourists, prospect- 

 ors, trappers, and others in the crown 

 domain, the means of checking fires 

 once started, and many other things 

 must be carefully considered in enact- 

 ing legislation with this aim in view." 



IRRIGATION OF SUMATRA TOBACCO. 



DESCRIPTION OF AN INTERESTING IN- 

 DUSTRY NOW FLOURISHING IN FLORIDA. 



BY 



CLARENCE J. BLANCHARD. 



FLORIDA, in the minds of North- 

 erners, has been associated so long 

 with fruits and flowers that it comes 

 rather in the nature of a surprise to find 

 agriculture developed there on a scale 

 commensurate with many sections of the 

 North. Northern brains, money, and 

 push are responsible in some degree for 

 the revival, but Floridians are awaken- 

 ing rapidly to a better appreciation of 

 the latent possibilities of their state, and 

 while welcoming their brothers from the 

 North are themselves adopting the lat- 

 est ideas of farming with success. 

 Scientific methods, improved machin- 

 ery, and diversified crops are gradually 

 replacing the old customs, the anti- 

 quated machinery, and the one-crop 

 system. The results are already re- 

 flected in better homes and a more in- 

 dustrious and cheerful people. 



The city of Quincy, county seat of 

 Gadsden county, is in northwestern 

 Florida, in that narrow strip of land 

 lying j ust south of Georgia. It is in the 

 heart of the famous Sumatra tobacco dis- 

 trict, the product of whose plantations 

 scored 20 points higher at Paris than the 

 leaf from the island of Sumatra. Re- 

 cently I spent a day driving over the 



plantations of the Owl Commercial 

 Company and Schroeder & Arquimbau, 

 two of the largest planters in the state. 



The Sumatra plant requires special 

 soil, cultivation, and irrigation to bring 

 it to perfection, and the success of the 

 planters in Gadsden county has not 

 been achieved without the most care- 

 ful study of the plant's needs, and long 

 and patient experimenting with soils 

 and fertilizers. The plant also requires 

 protection from the direct rays of the 

 sun ; hence these large plantations are 

 covered with framework over which 

 are stretched millions of yards of cheese 

 cloth, or over which miles of narrow 

 slats have been placed. The soil is pre- 

 pared with utmost care. Twenty-six 

 wagon-loads of stable manure and one 

 and one-half tons of cotton-seed meal 

 per acre are thoroughly mixed with the 

 soil. The plants are grown from the 

 seed, which is usually planted in a 

 small clearing in a swamp, and under 

 cheese cloth. As soon as they have 

 reached the size of young cabbage 

 plants they are transplanted. 



The young plants are carried in bas- 

 kets by women or children, who follow 

 the men down the rows. With a sharp- 



