The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1918-05-14
Big Development OF Florida
Natal Assn A Recitation;
Means Much To Florida
CONCERN ITS HEAD QUARTERS IN LAKELAND HAS
LAO ACRES NOW PLANTED GRASS; ALSO 200 ACRES
OF WAITE RMELONS

Many people know in a general way
that there is a concern with its head
quarters in Lakeland known as the
Florida Natal Hay Association They
know that it has at the head of 1t
some of the biggest and ablest men of
the State; they understand that the
enterprise is being operated in a
large way; but their impressions Of
these operations are somewhat hazy,
and their ideas Of the plan and char
acter Of the work rather vague. Such,
at least, was the state Of mind Of the
editor of this paper when recently he
accepted an invitation to visit the AS
sociation's property and see what was
being done.
A drive from Lakeland of about
three hours-and a remarkably pref
ty drive 1t is, too, for the most part
takes one to the scene Of the Asso-
cations operations, which is located
about six miles west of Brooksville.
One might ask why, with so much
good land in Polk, it should be nee
essary to 60 over into fernando to
locate an agricultural enterprise. The
answer is simple: 1t is no easy mat
ter to find tract Of nine thousand
acres in one body, suitable for spe-
cific crop. The promoters Of the AS
ISOLATION looked long and carefully
before they found tract Of sufficient
size where all the conditions were
favorable to the production OF Natal
hay the scientific cultivation of which
had previously been given careful
study. The lands secured are for the
most part high and rolling -cut-over
timber lands which were admirably
adapted to the purposes intended
The Association lands proper COM
prise 5000 acres, and at the present
time LAO acres are cleared, fenced
and under cultivation, the scene be-
ing totally unlike anything we have
seen in Florida, but resembling the
great hay fields or meadows of the
Middle West. Not a tree, stump, or
hush of any size mars the vista of
level, grassy acres, save that in the
center of each tract, where four
"forties" corner, there is commo-
dious barn in which to store the hay
taken from the surrounding acres.
The seat Of activities for the big
farm project is the Associations sta
ton, "Natal," on the Tampa Northern
railroad, Here are located the super
intendent's Office and dwelling. the
commissary, stock barns. sheds to
shelter the implements, etc, and a col
ony of colored workers housed in a
score or more of comfortable dwell
ings. At the opposite side of the farm
this colony is duplicated in The vii
lage and station of Norman. Midway
between the two church and school
is being erected, this being part of the
provision for the comfort and enjoy.
ment of the colored helpers, which in
sures the best character of laborers,
and their permanent retention as sat-
islied workers.
Outside of big implement sales
room one would hardly find in Flor
ida larger collection of farm ma
Chinery There is tractor. disc
.plows and harrows, cultivators, now
ers, rakes, balers, etc, all of the most
modern type, Everything necessary
for the most economical conduct of
the business in hand has been pro
Evided.
All this large development has been
done practically within the past eight
cen months, the first active operations
starting in September, 1916. A large
crew of workmen is continuously en-
gagged in clearing, so that the plant
ings are being constantly increased
BY another year it is expected that
the present cultivated area Of some
1900 acres will be doubled
Beyond the preliminary work of
clearing, fencing and planting, the ex-