The three things that make possible a profit ot $1000 an acre: (1) flowing wells (2) cheap transportation by water (3) tile drainage. Ten years ago these twenty 

 acres were worth $100. Three years ago the owner refused S50.000. He makes $20,000 a year from this tract 



A Thousand Dollars an Acre From Celery - By wilhelm Miller, "r. 



THIS NET PROFIT IS REGULARLY MADE AT SANFORD, FLORIDA, BECAUSE OF THE 

 FLOWING WELLS, THE DRAINAGE AND CHEAP TRANSPORTATION BY WATER 



I HAVE investigated a good many 

 get-rich-quick farming propositions 

 in different states, but the only one 

 in which I would be willing to risk my 

 last dollar is celery farming at Sanford, 

 Florida. A man who has saved $5,000 

 may go there, buy five acres, build a 

 house, live comfortably and in three 

 years have an income of $5,000 a year 

 for life. 



If you don't believe it, read the guaran- 

 teed stories of eight men who have made 

 $1000 an acre. The Peoples'. Bank, of 

 Sanford has read these statements and 

 vouches for the unquestioned standing 

 in that community of these men. Write 

 the men themselves if you wish to. 



The most wonderful feature of it all 

 is that most of these men came to San- 

 ford with little or nothing, and some of 

 them with no previous experience in 

 agriculture. For example: H. H. Chap- 

 pie, a telegraph operator, came here in 

 1899 with nothing, yet he lately bought 

 35 acres for $35,000 and 10 acres for 

 $15,000. Mr. Hicks came with $500 

 and at the end of one 

 season had $2,800. Ras- 

 seter and Hawkins came 

 with $1100, and re- 

 cently Rasseter bought 

 out his partner for 

 $12,500. 



Where is Sanford? It 

 is east of the central 

 part of Florida, 25 miles 

 from the Atlantic and 

 125 miles south of Jack- 

 sonville. It is a town of 

 about 2500 inhabitants. 

 It has railroads in four 

 directions and lies at the 

 head of navigation in the 

 St. John's River (Lake 

 Monroe) so that the cel- 



ery can be shipped by water to Jack- 

 sonville and New York. 



This cheap freight rate is one of the 

 three main reasons for these marvelous 

 profits. The other two are flowing wells 

 and tile drainage which make it almost 

 impossible for the crop to fail. For if 

 there is a drought a valve is turned 

 and water pours into the tiles. And if 

 there is too much rain the tiles will carry 

 off the surplus. 



MAIN FEATURES OF THE BUSINESS 



Four crops a year are grown. First, 

 lettuce, which is sometimes ruined by a 

 freeze and sometimes nets $800 an acre, 

 but usually brings $450, or enough to 

 pay the expense of the second crop which 

 is celery. This is sold in late February 

 and March, after the California crop is 

 gone. It is the surest and most profitable 

 crop, averaging $1000 an acre. Third, 

 after the danger of frost, comes a tender 

 crop, of tomatoes, eggplants or cauli- 

 flower, which enjoy no immunity from 

 competition, but often net $200 to $400 



iNegioea do practically aU the manual work. 



262 



They get $1.25 a day 



an acre. Fourth, the land is sowed to 

 cowpeas in order to restore fertility or it 

 is allowed to grow up to grass. 



The rainy season is from the middle of 

 June to the middle of August. During 

 the dry season there is not enough rain 

 to depend upon for crops. The growing 

 season is from August to June. Lettuce 

 is planted about the middle of October 

 and sold during the Christmas holidays. 

 Celery is planted about the middle of 

 December and marketed in March. The 

 third crop is cleared away by June and 

 then the farm is laid away to rest for 

 three or four months, during which a 

 man may enjoy himself in Europe, if 

 he wants to. 



THE IRRIGATION SYSTEM 



^The cheapest form of business insurance 

 that I know is Sanford's combination of 

 subirrigation and drainage. The tiling 

 costs $100 an acre, and a well which fur- 

 nishes water enough for five acres costs 

 $60 to $75. 

 You get a surveyor to determine the 

 highest point of your five 

 acres and you drive the 

 well there. A two-inch 

 pipe is sunk to a depth of 

 150 feet. The artesian 

 belt comprises about 

 10,000 acres, only 600 

 of which are in celery. 

 These 600 acres are hon- 

 eycombed with wells, 

 but there is no sign of 

 diminishing flow. Each 

 well has a valve so that 

 the owner may turn 

 on or shut off the 

 water. 



The tiling system is 

 easy to understand. The 

 main tile (generally 4 



