The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1920-03-06
NORTHERN VISITOR To LAKELAND
SUGGESTS FORESTRY As Lift
INSURANCE INVESTMENT

Mr.. / +. Jewell, of Taylorsville,
Ky. visitor to Lakeland and
prominent authority on forestry, con.
tributes the following interesting and
instructive article on locust trees as
life insurance. Mr., Jewell believes
the soil and climate of Florida to be
particularly suited to the locust tree
particularly suited to the locust tree.
The article follows:
A few years ago ! applied TOR Life
Insurance and was rejected. ] WANT
ED INSURANCE, so ! began to cast
about for something Of equal value to
fill it's place. have found it in the
production of Locust Forestry.
Locust timber is the quickest
known timber to grow to useful
value and money value as well
The supply is an unlimited demand
for locust timber as the markets Of
the world are open and eager for
this special production. A few years
ago ! began and have at this date
fifty thousand set on my farm and
they are all doing well. call them
my "life insurance" for that amount,
paid up at a cost much less than the
insurance in the old way, and is just
as safe for young man, and Is Ill
reach of the man of small or mod
crate means.
A life insurance policy should be
carried while the locusts are young
as they come to their best market
value after they are twelve to fifteen
years old After that date the locust
increase 80 fast in value that no 9TH
er insurance or investment compares
with It,
If could have secured life insur-
ance when ! applied, ten thousand
dollar policy would have cost me
three hundred dollars per year, the
second year three hundred more, and
so on each year for ten or twenty
years. At the end of that time l
would have secured only one ten
thousand policy, making three thous-
and dollars that one ten thousand
cost me for ten years.
Now, note the difference If you
used locust forest as an investment
for the same purpose as money
value. The first year you set out
ten thousand locusts at cost of sixty
dollars. There Is ten thousand paid
up saving two hundred and forty
dollars on each ten thousand and the
same each year for ten years or all
the same year II you choose. And so
on, until YOU have set out fifty thou
sand at cost OF sixty dollars for
each ten misunderstanding a total
cost Of six hundred dollars for the
fifty thousand, saving twenty-four
hundred dollars in the deal, and have
five times the insurance, and just as
safe as It is real estate that is under
your own control-no one gets COM
mission or per cent or take out In
any way. The land will produce
grass; 1t will be the earliest in the
spring and the latest in the fall 20
Gust will make the soil produce bet
ter grass than 1t would without
Blue grass will grow right against
the body Of the tree Locust sprouts
grow and make from four to eight
fencing posts in fifteen or sixteen
years. They are worth from twenty
five to forty cents each at the stump,
making one dollar or more for each
tree OF our and two or more. for the
tree that makes eight. All the trees
that make more than four per tree
Is that much above the one dollar
calculation In each ten thousand set
Sprouts are very hardy, 's5 per cent
OF them live. I only lost 2 per cent.
They will average SIX posts to a tree
and will sell for more than twenty
five cents per post. making the profit
more than I have figured, as l figured
them at the minimum price. The
sprouts cost four dollars per thou.
sand; 1t costs two dollars per thou
sand to set them out; three hands
can set out six thousand per day.
They are set out with an ordinary
rock drill that will make hole two
inches by one foot deep. Time to set
is from March 18th to April 18th.
Sprouts can be bought at almost anv
fruit nursery and can be had iu
Kentucky, Illinois and Ohio. The
distance to set them is from FIVE 70
seven feet apart each way, making
from thirteen to eighteen hundred an
acre. II they are set too wide they
Grow too much top as body is what
you want. They improve thin land
and do well on II and will make y
the richest soil on the farm in a few