New Iberia enterprise and independent observer. (New Iberia, La.) 1902-1944, 1910-04-16
AN IMPORTANT LESSON.

There has been demonstrated to
the farmers and the truck growers
of this State the necessity of pro-
yiding against the vagaries OF the
weather. The recent and present
long drought which has cut down
the product of the State by nearly
if not quite one half, has proved
that if the growing of truck is to
be undertaken with an absolute
certainty of making crops, some
thing else than nature viii have
to be relied upon, that the growers
will have to make provision
against not only extreme wet, but
also against the extremely dry sea-
sons.
For the last six weeks or more,
at the very time when the truck
and early crops should have mols-
ture, there has not been enough
rain to property terminate the
seed, let alone make the plants
grow and produce the crops which
were planted to supply the market
demands. What proportion of the
crops that did appear above the
ground has been stationery and
inactive simply because the clouds
refused to let down the moisture
that was necessary. Some crops,
of course made showing but as
a general rule even the most ro
bust growers show decided signs
Of failure and when it was eX-
pected that the marketable stuff
would be early it is now evident
that it will be late and in limited
supply. The consequence is that
the prices will be less and the re-
turns smaller and the growers
will be the losers.
And all this might have been
prevented had the growers in the
the first instance provided against
just such a season. The money
makers of Florida learned the les
son long ago and today there are
thousands of acres of growing
crops which are not dependent
upon the vagaries of the wealth !
er. A drouth does not affect |
them. Neither does the frost kill |
them, but when the time comes
when they are in demand they
are right there and the growers
get the returns.
1t has been demonstrated in a
most pactical way that the over
head system of irrigation is what
is needed in all the Gulf Coast
region. This is system of pip
ing from some reservoir, either
under or above ground, so ar
ranged that at the will of the
grower the water can be turned
on. In dry seasons the water S
turned On the growing crops at
night and allowed to soak in as
If the season be wet the
plant is not used. And if there
is a frost in the winter the over
head water used early in the morn
ing washes away the white menace
and there are no evil consequent
ces. Even the consequences Of
slight freezes are mitigated by
this watering processes and the
consequence is that crops grown
under such circumstance are not
failures, but successes in every
way.
It is said that the amount of
money actually made as profit in
any one season, by means of this
system Of irrigation will pay for
he plant and in this country
where there are bayous and
streams and underground water to
pare, the water for irrigation
need cost no more than the ex-
oense attached to pumping. In
California costly bitches hundreds
# miles long are built to carry
he water for irrigation, and even
here it has paid. Why then
hould not the smaller costing sys-
EN- pay in louisiana
When the day arrives that al
he growers adopt the modern dis 5
'overies to their methods, there |
will be no crop failure to strike !
lismay to the growers heart. In {
Dng seasons Of drouth like the |
resent he will not need to go |
round with long drawn out |
ace from which a smile never ap- /
ears. But he will rekon with !
ertainty on his crops and the |
rice will be his if he grows with
Judgment. /