V 
The Citrus Experiment Station at Lake Alfred 
Wilmon Newell, Director, Florida Agricultural Experiment Station, 
Gainesville 
Inasmuch as a brief history of the in¬ 
ception and establishment of the Branch 
Experiment Station for Citrus Investiga¬ 
tions was presented before this society at 
its meeting at Miami last year, it would 
seem that a report at this time should be 
little more than a report of progress—or 
lack of it—as the case may be. Perhaps 
the fact that this meeting is being held in 
the county where the station is located 
and that you will all have the opportunity 
to visit and inspect the station tomorrow, 
gives the subject more interest than would 
otherwise be the case. 
Before we proceed with a report on the 
station for the past twelve months, I 
would beg your indulgence while we re¬ 
view very briefly its history. Establish¬ 
ment of the Citrus Station was authorized 
by Act of the 1917 session of the Legis¬ 
lature and was conditioned upon interests 
in Polk county donating lands, money, 
etc., to the value of not less than $10,- 
000.00. Subscriptions aggregating this 
amount were secured by the summer of 
1919, by a committee consisting of 
Messrs. S. F. Poole, J. A. Snively, J. H. 
Ross, H. W. Snell, L. L. Davis, A. M. 
Tilden, C H. Thompson and W. L. Drew. 
In July, 1919, the site for the station was 
decided upon by the Board of Control. 
The 84 acres of land occupied by the 
station was donated by the Florida Fruit- 
lands Company, and the Board of Control 
refunded to the Fruitlands Company the 
actual cost of 14^2 acres of citrus then on 
the property. 
At the Miami meeting we reported that 
the total donations had amounted to $13,- 
782.15. They have not been added to 
since that time. 
As the donated fund constituted the 
sole resources of the station, all mainte¬ 
nance and operating expenses to June 30, 
1921, had to be defrayed from this source. 
As a matter of record, we would like to 
report here how the total sum of $13,- 
782.15 was expended: 
Reimbursement of Fla. Fruit- 
lands Co., for cost of 14% 
acres of citrus on property_$5,900.00 
Care and supervision of proper¬ 
ty, to June 30, 1921-4,183.81 
Superintendent’s cottage*-3,153.00 
Tool and fertilizer shed- 351.74 
Fencing _ 79.25 
Nursery stock and seeds_ 17.09 
Water supply*_ 15.50 
^Balance of cost defrayed out of appropria¬ 
tion for main Station at Gainesville, for year 
beginning July 1, 1921. 
152 
