Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1911-09-29
LETTER FROM Mr.. MARkHAM.


DEAR Sm-Passing through your Sec
ton sometime ago / was impressed with
the opportunities which your farmers
have for the raising Of early fruits and
vegetables for the northern and eastern
markets. You have the climatic and soil
conditions and the transportation facil-
tiles and you are particularly fortunate
in the abundance and cheapness of labor.
Your farmers could grow to perfection
such crops as Strawberries, tomatoes, po-
tatoes, beans, peas, cabbage, beets and
spring turnips. Some OF these crops are
well adapted to your stiff or buclsshot
lands, but many of them and particular
| ly the root crops should be grown on the
sandy loan type of soil.
1t may interest you to know what some
other sections not far distant and with
no more favorable conditions than yea
have, have done in the commercial truck
ing business this year. Take for instance
the country around Independence, La,
little town 60 miles north Of New Or
leans on the Illinois Central Railway.
That point is surrounded by stretches OF
sandy pine flats, so poor that the ordi-
nary valley farmer OF Louisiana could see
nothing but dismal prospect OF starvs-
ton in the soil. has shipped to the mar
kets of,the United States this season over
1 10, O00, 900 pounds of strawberries. Some
of these berries found their way as far
north as the Dominion of Canada. The
berry business brought 50 much money
( into that section that the bank at lnde-
pendence had over 81 500, 900. 90 Of the
peoples money on deposit during the
shipping season this year.
The farmers around Alexandria, Louis
lana, have been engaged in the raising
of Irish potatoes for shipment to the
northern markets for several years and
their product has proven very satisfactory
to the trade. That the business has been
] profitable is shown by its growth, 70,
in 1907 only l70 cars Of potatoes were
shipped from Alexandria, while this sea-
son the business had increased to 36l
cars Alexandria also shipped II cars
of cabbage, 4 cars OF onions and IL carr
of other vegetables this season. This is
the first year that there has been an inn
portant shipment Of anything but pota
toes from that point.
The trucking industry at Crystal
Sprin. s, Mississippi, is growing by leaps
and bounds. Tie land around Crystal
Springs is typical OF the sandy pine hills
and flats of Southern Mississippi and
much Of Northern Louisiana. Their prin-
cipal crops are tomatoes, cabbage, beans
and peas, but they also raised this year
considerable quantities Of beets, carrots,
lettuce aud spring turnips. OF these veg
etables Crystal Springs and the nearby
towns Of HszlehuTst and Gallman shipped
over 80 cars per day on the average dur
ling the past season. These shipments
fent ,ls far north as Montreal and VIM
peg ana As far west as Seattle, Port
.ad ard San Francisco This was the
,ost profitable year in the history of the
plsiness and their average return in truck
Z all kinds was about 81 900 90 per car.
~ the production of these vegetables in
reases, new markets are opened and the
demand for the produce increases, pro-
pJrtionally.
Lakes Charles, Louisiana, took up this
year for the first time the commercial
growing Of melons and vegetables. Elev-
en- cars of cantaloupes moved from that
point this season. An interesting feature
of this first shipment is the fact that three
cars Of the melons were shipped to Seat
tie, Washington, thus showing the excel
lent shipping qualities Of the melons and
the wide area over which the product
may be marketed. They are arranging
to increase their cantaloupe crop to 500
acres next year. Lake Charles, also,
made its first shipments Of cabbages and
potatoes this year.
In the vicinity Of New Roads, Louis
lana, small Texas & Pacific Railway
town ON the Mississippi River, the farm
ers this year began the commercial grow
ing of Bermuda onions. Their product,
of which they shipped 25 cars, graded
extra fancy and brought top prices ON all
markets. Another interesting feature OF
the Bermuda onion business at New
Roads is the fact that the onions were
grown without irrigation and made fully
as heavy yield as is secured under irri-
CATION in the onion growing districts OF
Southern Texas. Their yield was from
200 to,25o bushels to the acre in spite OF
the fact that portion of the season was
unusually dry. The onion crop brought
the farmers Of the New Roads country
gross return of at least $4,000 per
acre, and while they had 100 acres Of
onions this year the crop win be increased
to over 800 acres next year.
At Monroe, Louisiana. an important
commercial business in Irish potatoes,
tomatoes and cabbage is being built up.
Seventeen cars, more than half Of which |
was potatoes, moved from that point this