The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1918-05-18
Fine Grazing
and Truck Lands
In DeS0to County

To those of us who are accustomed
to look at the beauties OF Floridi
from what the West Coast affords
there is a genuine charm when We
behold for the first time the attrac
lions of the southeast section Of De
Soto County.
Passing beyond Arcadia and over
the prairies we first are Impressed
with the immensely, the vastness o.
Ian this uncultivated expanse Of land
In the air we see dozens OF alrmen
circling in flying machines. The hori
ION looms up unbroken save here and
there by an occasional clump OF trees
animal life is abundant everywhere
Quail and rabbits scurry out in front
of the auto. A deer leaps to one side
OF the road and goes scampering over
the prairies.
Further on we come to blackel
soil, indicating the near presence OF
muck lands. Rich, heavy grasses
abound. There is no scrub palmetto
whatever. Here and there the land
scape is dotted with aridge or circu
lar clump of cabbagepalms
There are no better grazing lands
in the west than these. The ranchers
here in this part of Florida have
crossed the native COW with Brahmir
bulls and their sturdy offspring are
in evidence on all sides.
No ticky, piney woods cattle
these. Glossy skins, clean and heal
thy, big of frame, they are already
lift for the stockyards without an!
further conditioning.
Hustlng hogs, too, you will see
Not the scrawny razorbacks, bu
graded Jersey-Durocs, fat-jowlet
Berkshires granting with content
ment as they root and MUNICH the pro
life wampee that grows so abundant
lily.
Then the machine suddenly stops
Your chauffeur, a bropzed pioneer o
the woods points to the engineer
outfit hundred yards or so ahea'
out in the muck-lands and you get on
of the car and approach the tiel
force.
The engineer shows you his SUI
roundings for the morning and 20
learn that within five minutes wal
: of where you are standing there
muck six feet deep. You accompan
him to trail through the high sa'
grass and thick clustered ferns an
within about fifty feet he puts dow
his spade and measures three fee
: and a half of muck before strikin
= the sand subsoil
9 You ask him for the bearings an
he gives them on the map. He point
out the high sand hills in the di
Itance, the trail that leads to LAX
Istapoga and the one to Lake Oke
chobee, You note a trail of smoke
few miles away and learn that
comes from the Atlantic Coast lin
railway that is now running trair
regularly and proposes to build
station within three miles of whel
you are standing.
You get in his machine and in
few minutes he brings you to the b
ginnings of the Dixie Highway. I'll
saw grass has been cut as far as tt
eye can reach west. Towards I'll
east, the first ridge of sand h;
been run up and as you speak to hi
you see the big ditch digging dreds
released by the Government from IL
camps at Arcadia coming over Il
land to dig the drains on both sid
of the highway.
And not only what it is, but VIII
it will be in the future. The spirit
prophecy enfolds you and you see
mental vision the completion of Il
dredges work. the state canals, Il
laterals and the consequent develo
ment
What crops can be raised her
What a paradise for the raising
livestock! What ideal spots
home and citrus groves on the ridg
where the cabbage palms hold
their stately heads!
Then you learn that -hese lands a
being offered for sale and the figu
is so reasonable that you resolve
look up the sales agents and close