The free press. (Poplarville, Miss.) 1890-19??, 1922-11-23
To Develop Great
Farming Colony
Ambitious Program Being Carried
Out by Lumber Company.
(By w. D. Robinson.)

gram for developing cut-over lands
of the South and converting them in
to small farms has been undertaken
by the Industrial Lumber Company
of Elizabeth
The company owns more than
100 900 acres of land in the country
surrounding Elizabeth 1t proposes
to divide this land into tracts of for
ty acres and more, and sell them t.
farmers on long time payments. One
fifth Of the Investment in cash and
the balance in ten years at per
cent. interest, are the terms. Only
real farmers who will build homes
and cultivate the soil are wanted
None Others need apply. The land
will rot be sold for any other pur-
pose than farming. A price of S15
an acre is named.
As an inducenent to bona fide
farmers to buy the land, the Indas
trial Lumber Company has an
3uneed that it will clear and fence
the land and build all or any part Of
the improvement, charging only the
actual cost or it will sell the set
tiers lumber at wholesale prices to
build themselves.
The reason many other COLOMBIA
ton plans has failed was that the
promoters overlooked the most essen
tial thing, that of finding markets
for the crops produced. Marketing
of products at profitable prices is
absolutely necessary to be successful
in farming. The Industrial Com
pany, recognizing the necessity for
markets, has met that situation. 1t
proposes to guarantee every settler
market for his crops. Facilities
have been provided to care for all
the crops native to this soil and
shown by the experience Of agricul-
tura experts to be money crops.
"a. .hough market fbr crops is
guaranteed, there will be no COM
pulsion in the matter. Any settler
has the right to sell as he pleases.
Efforts of the Company in installing
storing, drying and canning facilities
are to the end that the settler on the
Industrial Company's land will be
successful.
The company has on its staff at
all times an expert agriculturalist,
who has lived in this section and
has studied the needs, the possibili-
ties and the markets. This expert
will be at the service Of the settler.
In addition to this, Allen parish has
farm demonstration agent who is
always ready to render assistance.
BY operating farms on its own ac-
count, the company has learned that
many crops can be grown in this
section successfully and at a profit.
One of these farms is stocked with
the best breeds of registered cattle
and hogs.
Among the crops produced in the
surrounding country are sweet pota-
toes, sugar cane, corn, cotton, leg
umes and vegetables of all varieties.
Peaches, figs and grapes have proven
profitable fruit crops.
The Industrial Company has built,
at its own expense, sweet potato
drying plant and a canning factory
at Elizabeth, and both are in opera
ton. This was done to insure the
marketing of crops. Several varie-
ties Of vegetables were canned dur
ing the past season.
Following the harvesting Of the
summer crops, the farmers in this
district planted cabbage for fall
and winter crop. The best of the
cabbage will be shipped to the big
centers. The culls will be
converted into sauerkraut at the can
ming factory, and none of the crop
will be permitted to go to waste.
Outlining its land settlement pol
icy in recent statement, the In
dustrial Company said:
1--WE want men who have had
experience. Each family
should have funds enough to make
the first payment on land and to
carry them through the first crop
season.
I'VE also want men who are stick
srs as we will have > considerable
sum Of money invested in each tract
settled. we must have men who are
worth the investment. 4
This il not 'get-rich-quick'
scheme for either the settler or our
.elves. To the settler it offers al
farm home II new and profitable
p6sntry At comparatively small cos
a " r 4 ~ oppoztunity 81
s,s!ss1 = I, !