462 



CONSERVATION 



The land of the moccasin, alligator 

 and Seminole will see a great transfor- 

 mation in a very short time it does not 

 take long in a tropical country, espe- 

 cially on land where there is no forest 

 to clear. 



It is more than a drainage scheme, 

 since by means of dams and locks the 

 water table may be kept at all times 

 just where it is needed for irrigation 

 purposes. The land is level, fertile, 

 and free from alkali and other inju- 

 rious minerals. The canals serve the 

 triple purpose of drainage, irrigation, 

 and transportation. 



The soil is usually a black muck, in 

 places several feet in thickness ; under 

 this is usually a layer of marl ; under 

 the marl, sand, and under the sand, 

 limestone rock. There is considerable 

 mineral matter mixed with this muck, 

 and, although it will shrink some, I 

 doubt if the shrinkage will ever prove a 

 serious drawback. By the application 

 of lime, the cultivation of legumes, etc., 

 this soil can be kept at a maximum 

 state of fertility, so that five acres 



would be ample for the support of an 

 ordinary family. 



Throughout the Everglades there are 

 large springs, fed, no doubt, by a water- 

 shed far up the state. This water is 

 usually heavily charged with lime, 

 which is deposited on the surface of 

 everything in a fine, rlocculent state 

 during the period of overflow. This 

 deposit, added to the muck, no doubt, 

 contributes much to the quality of the 

 soil. There are deposited also the shells 

 of many fresh-water mollusks. In 

 short, with the fertile, easily-worked 

 soil, an bundance of water for irriga- 

 tion, a tropical, healthful climate, canals 

 for transportation purposes, and all 

 within easy access, by both water and 

 land, to our great northern markets, 

 there is a combination of favorable con- 

 ditions which probably cannot be 

 equaled elsewhere in the whole world. 



And lo ! the poor Seminole ; what of 

 him ? At best, he is merely a rene- 

 gade ; and the time will soon come 

 when he will have to put on pants and 

 go to work on the land, join his rela- 

 tives in Oklahoma, or die from the 

 effects of too much bad whisky. 



