Mr. J. A. Lattin, formerly of Farmingdale, Long Island, realizes handsome profits from quick growing crops



Mr. J. D. Potts, New York, September 30, 1910. Isle of Pines Company, 225 Fifth Avenue, New York City. Dear Sir: When at the office of your company on Thursday you asked me to write you a letter setting forth my views regarding conditions, developments, etc., on the island since my residence there. As you know, I moved to West McKinley with family about one year ago to take up the development of my forty-acre plantation, which I had previously purchased from the Isle of Pines Company. When I first went to the island my tracts of land were among the very first cleared lying south of the San Rosario Springs Reservation. Now nearly all of the tracts of land lying in my section have been cleared and houses have been constructed down to the very extreme south end of the West McKinley map, and every day one will see a new house being constructed on all sides in West McKinley. There are now three saw-mills operating in West McKinley, and they am unable to supply the demand for lumber as fast as required for house construction purposes. I began planting in October of last year, and planted something almost continuously up to the middle of April. I had a yield of about 200 bushels of Irish potatoes per acre from planting, and sold them on the ground at four to five cents per pound, amounting to $2.50 per bushel. I grew all kinds of vegetables, including strawberries, watermelon, muskmelon, etc. I also grew sorghum cane, kaffa corn and broom corn. I also planted a grapefruit grove and a pineapple garden and they are doing fine. I am returning to the island to-morrow and shipping on the same boat 200 barrels of seed potatoes. I shall plant ten acres of my land in Irish potatoes next month and in January I will dig the potatoes and shall plant the same field to oats. I expect to harvest the oats the latter part of March or the 1st of April, and will plant to same soil corn, thus taking three crops off this one ten-acre field. I should have a yield of 300 bushels of potatoes per acre this season, as I consider the second season of cultivation should produce a much larger yield than the first season. Based upon last season's figures and experience I should realize around $800 per acre from this one ten-acre tract from the product above mentioned. Besides I shall continue to increase my citrus fruit groves and plant vegetables between the trees. West McKinley is rapidly building up and the land in West McKinley is the best I have seen on the island. Mrs. Lattin and my family enjoy life in West McKinley very much. In fact, Mrs. Lattin did not care to come North on a visit, stating that she enjoys the summer climate there as well as the winter. In fact, nothing could induce us to move back to the States. The island undoubtedly has a great future. Yours, very truly, (Signed) J. A. Lattin Note. — Mr. Lattin owns tracts 925, 957, 1020 and 1021 West McKinley.