Vizcaya’s estate correspondence reveals Deering’s attention to local expertise. Correspondence shown here between Paul Chalfin (artistic designer) and, presumably, James Deering (Vizcaya’s owner) discusses recommended fertilizing techniques given from horticulture professionals. Landscaping plans intended to accomplish sustainability by integrating composting practices from those who knew the land well.
“EVERYTHING THAT GOES ONTO THE HEAP, AS RAGS, TIN CANS, NO MATTER WHAT, DECOMPOSES AND MAKE MOST VALUABLE FERTILIZER”
Letter: 1914
From: James Deering, Vizcaya’s Owner
To: Paul Chalfin, Vizcaya’s Designer
Reveal Transcript
Dear Mr. Chalfin
I have made some inquiries here about matters here that interest us, and give you the results for the sake of having them on record. — Brown, Jr. has the following to say: –
He knows no method of dealing with land crabs except to poison them a frequently as necessary.
His method of making his remarkable avenue of Royal Palms in 13 years is as follows: He digs trenches two or three feet from the palms. He fills these trenches with rock, He puts the Royal Palms in a sort of basin surrounded with rocks, which he builds up the top like a flower pot. The top of this pot he fills two thirds with sand and one third with decomposed stable manure. The surface of the land he leaves some what below the top of the flower pot, until the tree is large and flourishing, and then the fills in the land to the level he wishes. On top of the sand and manure he puts trash, branches, leaves, rags, paper, in short anything and everything. This decomposes and makes humus. During his first year he uses about one-eight of a barrel of barnyard manure on each tree. The second year he uses 1/4 of a barrel the third year, 1/2 barrel. He covers the very top with seaweed. I have often observed with interest on Mr. Brown’s place great piles of what I took to be trash piled up to be burned or destroyed. The purpose is quite the opposite. This trash he considers quite valuable. Everything that goes onto the heap, as rags, tin cans, no matter what, decomposes and make most valuable fertilizer, being especially good for bananas. The great thing is to get plenty of humus. Mr. Brown suggests a trash, pile like this not far from the house enclosed in a fence, and another trash pile on the pine land would be very valuable to us.
“…REGARDING YOUR WISHES TO HAVE THE ROTTEN LEAVES AND DECAYED VEGETATION AND TRASH TAKEN FROM THE WOODS, PILED UP ON ONE OF THE RESERVES AND MADE INTO A COMPOST PILE.”
Soon after, Deering receives a letter from Vizcaya’s superintendent describing his process for priming the soil and confirming his intent to compost.
Letter: April 3, 1914
From: William Dunn Sturrock, Vizcaya’s Superintendent
To: James Deering, Vizcaya’s Owner
Reveal Transcript
Mr. James Deering,
Harvester Building,
Chicago, Ill.
Dear Sir:–
Replying to your favor of the 30th ult regarding the soil from the home-site.
We have made arrangements to have the soil removed, placed about 300 feet from the house on the piece of prairie land, Reserve “P” on the large chart.
The hammock soil will be kept separate from the muck and sub soil taken out in excavating for the house-site, ponds, et cetera and will be piled up separately on the Reserve.
It is our intention to have the soil atacked up and turned over once or twice during the summer in order to have it well aerated and sweetened as much as possible. After the second -urning, we will mix a good quantity of old leaves and vegetation amongst the muck soil in order to make it more friable and also introduce some -cteris into the soil, which is at the present-te, after lying so long under water, dead. In its present condition the soil would be practically unfit for any purpose in the way of growing trees — any kind of plant life. After being turned over once or twice and aerated, the soil will probably be sweetened enough so that it can be used where required for filling and top dressing.
Mr. Chalfin wrote me on the 22th ult and advised me regarding your wishes to have the rotten leaves and decayed vegetation and trash taken from the woods, piled up on one of the Reserves and made into a compost pile.
The work is going along nicely under the instructions laid out by Mr. Chalfin before his departure. We expect to have the railroad siding in by the middle of next week and the road build from it down to Miami Avenue.
