The leader., 1900-04-25
Miles of

112 10 1900 $4,000
Aggregating 1l2 miles of main canal.
40 miles of laterals, watering II, 200
acres at cost of $50. 900, besides many
smaller investments thad space fOrbids
itenizing.
While the development has not as
sumed such proportions in NermlliOn par
lsh or become so universal as in Acadia
or Calcasieu, some of the finest pumping
plants and most complete systems in ex-
!stence are to be found In that parish
rake Tor instance the NermilOu Develop
ment Company,s enterprise at Gueydan.
This canal Is fully eighteen miles long,
with no less than forty miles of laterals
and waters 1900 acres, representing an
expenditure of $4,000. The Hunter
Bros, OF Shreveport, are also expanding
about the same amount on an important
enterprise which will water about 10000
acres. When completed this system will
have about twenty-five miles of main
canal and thiryi miles of laterals.
The above plants represent an eXpendi-
ture of S2,GSjOOO and with the costs of
the smaller plants not mentioned, would
easily aggregate $1,000, 900. with a total
length of main canals 800 miles, while
there are over 800 miles of laterals, all
having capacity of watering 100000
acres of land. understanding an in
creased activity in canal building and a
large increase and expansion of territory
covered, the increase in production will
not be as large as would at first be sup
posed as there is disposition on the part
Of planters to leave out a large acreage
of old land on account of red rice. 1t is
doubtful even If the entire acreage of
1900 in southwest Louisiana will reach
the acreage covered by the capacity of
the irrigation plants mentioned. 1t must
not be understood that rice crop alone
Is benefited by our splendid system of irri-
CATION; the bane of sugar planters life
is a drought during the growing of
cane crop, which usually comes in July
and August. Water At his command and
under his control would eliminate a large
degree of uncertainty. A good water sup
ply and the proper facilities for dstrlbut-
Ing it has been found to- double and
treble the value Of farming lands in any
agricultural country, even under the best
regulated conditions of rainfall.
The growth and development OF the
parishes OF southwest Louisiana are not
alone noted by the expansion of the irriga-
ton business but also Is most marked in
rice mill building. Previous TO ten years
40. or we may say six years ago, the en-
tire milling capacity of Louisiana was To-
Gated in the city of New Orleans the
rices raised in the southwestern portion
of the state being consigned to some city
commission merchant and by him sold for
the farmers account. This has always
been an unsatisfactory method as, owing
to lack of warehouse facilities, our
large crops of rice, from force of neces-
sity, were hurried on to the New Orleans
market and disposed of In from four 10
sly months, when 1t should have taken
the entire twelve months. Through this
method the market was overs;ocked and
glutted and the planter suffered. The
problem In finding out the difference In
the profits 10 the planter In shipping his
rice to New Orleans and selling In the
rough TO the miller and milling ii at
home and placing the clean product in
the hands OF northern and western dis
tribuors was easily solved by the build
ing of the Crowley Rice Milling Com
pany'.s mills at Crowley. From that day
TO this the growth of the country milling