St. Tammany farmer., 1908-01-04
AS TO TRUCK FARMING

That section OF the country be-
comes agriculturally prosperous.
1t matters not whether the soil
be light and sandy or heavy and
Waxy, it is made successfully
productive, and thrift and in
dependence mark the career of
the community.
The reason for this is appar-
ent. Having, determined where
they wish to locate, they proceed
to conquer all obstacles. Their
inquiry is not whether this or
that CAN be done, but HOW it
can be done, and it soon becomes
evident that land supposed to be
sterile and improbable is suited
to a large number of profitable
crops. To learn this lesson we
do not have to go beyond our
own parish. Land that some
ten or fifteen years ago was
sneerlngly designated as unfit
to grow cow peas or sweet DO
tatoes, is now producing fine
Irish potatoes, cabbages. cauli-
flowers, egg plants, onions and
tomatoes, and all kinds of greens
for salads, and will grow good
crops of corn, cane and cotton,
as well as fine grapes-in fact, |
anything that will grow in this
latitude.
This assertion is not specula-
tive, but is based on facts. Ev-
eryone who knows anything
about farming conditions in this
parish will be compelled to ad-
nit its.truth.
we will acknoWlede that, :"
say some, 'but something al
ways happens to ruin the crop;
two much rain or not enough
rain, or the grass takes it be-
fore we can get it clean. To
these complaints we answer
that it will be found other farm
ers in the neighborhood, per-
haps your next door neighbor,
raised good crops the same sea-
son. Ivestigation will nearly
always find this to be true, and
in some cases we have known it
to be so.
The difficulty of clearing land
and the inducements offered to
work in timber have diverted
attention from the occupations
OF the farm, and to some extent
the free range of cattle and
sheep has had a like effect. But
a change is gradually being eff
fected, and the force of circum-
stances will compel many to
turn their attention to farming.
70 those sections in which agri-
cultural pursuits have been the
chief support of the people, the
past few years have afforded a
remarkable era Of prosperity
and advancement. Especially
in the sections devoted to truck
ing, lands have made great
strides in value, increasing in
some Instances from $40 and
S12 to as high as $500 an acre,
due to the introduction of rail /
roads and truck farming. In {
this parish, lands that a few !
years ago could have been ]
bought for So or So an acre can |
not be bought for less than $40
10 $50 now.
There has been little effort c
made by the people of this par i
sh owning land within reason q
able hauling distance from the t
'ailroad to establish truck farms. C
Trucking, while the most risky, t
md requiring the most capital, f
S the most profitable of all t
arming operations; but the t.
ralue of trucking lands and the
prosperity of the those engaged t
n this occupation, in whatever t
art of the country situated, G
ertainly indicates that a move |;
nent in this direction would a
rove profitable. K
Manager Pearsall, of the New p
|rleans Great Northern, has h
everal times been approached
n the subject. But it is be- n
ond all reason to expect the W
to put on cars for this st
'ade, without any guarantee