The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1911-10-14
DoNALDsoNvILLE. LA, SATURDAY, OCT Il, 1911.
THE HOLLAND Of AMERICA.
Louisiana's Agricultural Lands and
Drainage PotentiaIities Superior
to Those OF the Fertile European
Country.

|
to Those OF the Fertile European
Country.
Albert Phenis, the well-known and
Well-informed special correspondent
Of the Manufacturers Record, writes
to that publication from New Orle-
ans under date of September %, as
i follows:
Holland is a great country" said
Mr. Edward Wisner, the millionaire
| pioneer in Louisiana reclamation
work, just returned from trip
abroad, 'tbut it isn't anything like as
great in natural riches as Louisiana.
When this lower coast country, some
times called the Holland of America,
has been developed to the same ex-
tent as Holland is today we will have
the richest, most prosperous agri-
cultural section on the globe.
Although in canals, leVees and
dykes and the necessity for pumping
off water there is similarity in con-
ditions and methods, yet in character
of soil it seemed to me in going
through the country that the fens
of England which are drained or re-
claimed lands are more like our
Louisiana lands than are the lands
of Holland
In Holland there are vast areas
of clay lands, wholly untitled for any
| thing but pasturage, and which have
probably never had a ploW in them.
| should say the greater part of the
country is of such character. 1t is
| land which has been reclaimed from
The sea by the construction of enor-
nous dykes In some places the sur
face of the water is 20 feet above
the level of the land But the Hol-
landers make the most of everything.
The grass lands are covered with
dairy herds The cattle are of fine
| breeds, kept in good condition, and
dairying is quite profitable Cheese
making is a well-Seveloped industry,
cheeses being Holland specially.
The cheese factories are numerous,
usually not large, but equipped with
the best and most modern machinery,
This fact, by the way, apples to all
other operations there. The old Dutch
windmill is present, to be sure, but
it's usefulness is largely a tradition.
The real work of pumping is done by
machines of the most modern type.
II saw no such soil in Holland as
4 that Of the a11uvial lands OF Louisi-
Il ana, although i saw lands held at
from $500 to $1,000 per acre or more,
q ITtensfAe cuIfiF atioias lis the rule, aare
5 there is utilization Of every kind oi
soil in accordance with ascertained
knowledge as to what it may be best
adapted to. I'd hate to say what Lou
isiana lands will be worth when the
same methods of cultivation are EN-.
pIoyed down here.
There is very general utiliza,
ton of the canals of Holland foa
transporting produce, but passenger
conveyance is mostly by rail, tram
:, and vehicle There are good roads
j as a rule, many built along the levees
and dykes They are mostly paved
| roads, the native earth materials be
ing no better fqg good roads con
struction than are ours in lower Lou
{ isiana. =
Asked if Hollanders are consider
| ing Louisiana as a desirable place
to come to, Mr. Wisner replied:
II don't suppose many people II
Holland among the farming or what
/ might be termed the peasant class
/ ever Heard Of Louisiana. I spent flVe
! days ing Holland, and very few q
) those [ talked with had any knoWl
8 edge OF Louisiana and the possible
: ties E,re.
i 7 believe it would be possible t
t arouse a great interest in Louisiana
5 among those people, nevertheless
T but it would require a campaign g
e education Some well accredited rep
D resentatives would have to spend
+ considerable length of time amons
:, them, speaking their language ant
S demonstrating their entire respon
f sibiiity and cTedibility. In that wa,
an interest could be worked up tina
Wouli result in an emigration move
i ment Of some magnitude. The denslt
t of the population puts tremendou
r pressure. on those who work for a IL
t ing, and il conditions here We're un
e derstood | have no doubt we Woul
}, see 4 well-defined, continued move
b ment of HoIlanders to Louisiana land
g And what a Paradise their thrift an
: industry would create here.
" Another Flood Disaster in Pennsy
I vana.