216 



FORESTRY AND IRRIGATION 



May 



derlain with limestone rock, sometimes 

 close to the surface, even exposed to 

 view, while in other places it is cov- 

 ered with several feet of partly decom- 

 posed vegetation. 



On these islands we recognized sev- 

 eral familiar trees, such as Magnolia 

 glauca, so common in the south and 

 sen as far north as Long Island, the 

 cypress, the live oak and the cocoa- 

 plum, mingled with such unusual trees 

 as the wild calabash (C. ovata), etc. 

 Here the Indians make their clearings 

 and grow sweet potatoes, squashes, 



The Seminoles are much like other 

 people in that some are clean, some 

 are dirty, some industrious, some lazy ; 

 most of them fond of liquor and tobac- 

 co ; fond of finery and plenty to eat, 

 but they are peculiar in that they ap- 

 parently have no political status. Al- 

 though they were driven into this land 

 and sought refuge here, they have no 

 legal claim to it. They are neither 

 citizens nor are they wards of the 

 government. They have their own 

 laws and do as they please. While 

 peaceful they are never molested. The 



Looking into the Everglades. One of the streams by which they are partly drained. 



corn, etc. Here also are limes, rough 

 lemon, sour orange, and other trees 

 planted by the Indians. 



When one tries to land on one of 

 these islands, the centre of which has 

 been cleared mainly by girdling and 

 fire, he realizes why the Seminole 

 wears no pants. The water through 

 which one must wade to approach the 

 farm was waist deep this winter. The 

 wetting did not concern us as much 

 as did the thought of mocasins which 

 frequent such places. 



time is coming when these islands will 

 be needed for truck patches. The 

 most successful grower in Dade Coun- 

 ty, Florida, this season raised his crops 

 on one of these islands. He is already 

 clearing another. Additional islands 

 are owned, and still other persons have 

 tiieir eyes on getting islands, and so 

 on it will go until they are all used. 

 Strange to say in order to grow truck 

 successfully here, one must irrigate. 

 The truck grower referred to above 

 owns a long slender island. Down the 



