The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-05-05
AGRICULTURE.
THE DUTY OF THE HOUR.

The task laid out for the Louisiana agricul-
t,lrist is Of much greater magnitude than
most Of us would suppose; and the yexatious
difficulties of the questions which have to be
dealt with are so numerous that they cannot
be removed except by careful research com
parison and experiment.
No step forward will ever be taken unless
we previously and frankly admit the fact
that there are such th igs In tho general
economy of the world as fight and progress
a light that CLEANS moe brightly than that
which we are wont to tindle a progress that
reaches further than hat which we have yet
conceived i'm our Individual and limited
sphere of conception.
The competition of foreign imported sugars,
the increased production Of cotton, and the
consequent lessening of its value, are the
main topics that should engage our atten
ton that should monOpolize all our powers
of investigation and study, together with the
means of varying our productions and the
possibility Of adopting new ones. Had we,
i'm Louisiana, shown some concern about the
European methods resorted to, when any
remedies We're sought to reach a defined or
suspected evil, we should have displayed
more care in the collection Of statistics with
out which no comparison. and consequently
no Improvement, was realizable in our gene
raj industrial condition.
Our sister States of the North and West,
whose interests are not so closely connected
as ours with agricultural progress, have
all organized perfect system of statisti
cal compilations, by dint of which they
promptly enabled to discern among a host of
suggested evils that one whose bearing was
most detrimental to their welfare; and, the
origin Of this once ascertained, its develop
ments foreseen and dangers signalled, there
was no difficulty in the way of their checking
it's spread, and much less expense of elO-
quence required in their conversion of I'M
knowing ones to the wholesome truths.
We are not
AN INDUSTRIAL PEOPLE.
except in so far as industry applies to the
mechanical agencies employed among us to
convert our crops into marketable merchan-
disc; and, considering the slovenly gait at
onward, it is no more than frankness to CON
TESS that we possess and bring into practical
use only limited number of methods, and
| those only the primary ones.
! All our wealth, all the elements that cOnSti-
tute our thrift, that make our limited indus
| try and that feed our commerce, are derived
exclusively from our soil, and these are prac-
tically confined to the two great staples. su
gar and cotton.
notwithstanding our glaring improvidence
as to these matters, it is time that we should
arouse ourselves from our drowsy indffer-
ence and cope with the rising dilemma at
once.
Hence the efforts of all should be concen-
trated discussions invited, researches en-
Outraged, experiments tried and improve
mentS commended, In a system of popular
diffusion through the press and other avaia-
Bile channels of publicity, if we would achieve
any good at all; while none should be forget
full Of the fact that every minute, hour, day,
month and year elapsing in the interval is
| irretrevably wasted and lost.
! These columns will always be open for com
munications interesting to our agricultural
people, while the editor of them will unspar-
ingly devote his time and what experience he
may possess to the collection, study and
illustration of all that is new, useful and
practically valuable to the country at large.
THE sUREST ROAD
to progress is contact, competition dis
cussion; and no State has a greater need Of
a strong onward propulsion than Louisiana,
in which one-fourth of the population has to
provide for the sustenance of the other three
| fourths by the products of their labor If
this elementary truth had been published and
reported broadcast it might have sutficed in
! itself to demonstrate the utility of statistical
information; but it is not too late to mention
it with special emphasis, if that and further
| instances which we propose to Illustrate here
! can at some future date endOw us with re-
liable system Of statistical recording. of
which our tax collectors could be made the
efficient agents.
| But hitherto the State has apparently ig-
nored that and in fact ali things pertaining to
/ agriculture, although it has subsisted exclu-
sively on that interest.
The undue reserve and relative independ-
ence Of our country people are the main
causes that have debarred the great agricul-
! tlral interest from its deserved prominence in
our general economy and legislation.
| Meanwhile all other interests being more
actively represented and welding ready CAPT
| tai, with a greater power Of association, have
concentrated their efforts and secured the
largest share of protection at the expense of
our planters and farmers.
This apathy and Indifference have natlr-
ally resulted in the nearly exclusive selection
of our Legislators from towns or from indiffer-
ent professions, the greater number OF whom
have little knowledge, if any at all, of the
wants OF the country, and many among them,
with few exceptions, interested abettOrS OF
champions of other interests directly antag-
0nistic to those of agriculture.
When our planters and farmers will have
been fully aroused as to the perils of this
policy; when they will have realized their
rights and power; when they. will have
learned the magnitude of their industry as the
main factor in the sum of this States wealth.
and resolve to unite their efforts, then only
will their special interests be nationally rep
resented and properly guarded in the States
councils.
Among the surest means to obtain redress
or recognition the principal one will be found
in the rapid organization OF
| CLUBS OF PLANTERS AND FARMERS,
on some basis of occasional Capitalization
among them all.
Next to this would be the institution of
practical agricultural associations, encour-
aging fairs, exhibitions, etc; and under this
head of agricultural associations should be
classed and commended the establishment of
experimental farms and stations, without the
assistance of which no practical and reliable
results can be hoped for.
In this respect there cannot be too much
zeal displayed nor should anything be under
taken unless it be we'll understood, long con-
sidered and stubbornly carried through.
These experimental farms and stations
should he established in all the parishes, and
a central one located in New Orl cans, CORE
spending with the parish branches.
Besides the scientific Investigations to be
made at the laboratory,
THE PRACTICAL MISSION