. Conservation. Forests and forestry. 462 COXSER\\\TION The land of the moccasin, alHgator 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
. Conservation. Forests and forestry. 462 COXSER\\\TION The land of the moccasin, alHgator 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 iine, flocculent 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, healthfuJ 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
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