The Caldwell watchman. (Columbia, La.) 1885-1946, 1912-08-16
Drainage and Good Roads.

Editor Waterman: Not long
since, | read in your paper an
t admirable article on Drainage
I and Reclamation. On account of
the recent overflow and its de-
structive consequences, | believe
that the Federal Government and
; the State of Louisiana will do
their share in the development Of
| levees; but it occurs to me that
we ought to help ourselves in
Caldwell parish. Begin at home
and outside help will come
naturally. Every farmer and
planter should ditch his own
land, drain his lots, straighted
the branches and creeks on his
place, and this will facilitate the
flow Of water to the larger
streams which are taken care of
by the Government and State,
and the water will thereby more
readily reach the ocean.
On every hand yot hear preach
ed the dostrines and theories of
conservation. The Government
and State have enacted laws to
protect the forests of the public
domain, and lease the minerals
of the commonwealth. Every
land owner should preserve his
wood lot and conserve his soil.
Cut the dead and diseased trees
for fre-wood and the living ones
will grow larger and produce
more cubic feet. Never cut down
any living tree unless you can
utilize the entire contents. Massa-
,chusetts has possibly more saw
mill than any state in the Union,
but they are all small and cut
each year the annual growth of
timber in each farmers wood lot.
Louisiana today is harvesting
only one crop of timber. Guilt
vate your soil so that it will not
wash into the sea in the form of
salt; and by Investigation and
rotation of crops enrich instead
of impoverish your land.
Good roads is one of the slo-
gans Of nearly all Of the political
parties, and of every administra-
ton. The Department of Agri-
culture at Washington, D. c.,
issues bulletins on scientific road
building, and the state and parish
levy road taxes. In front of some
OF the finest plantations on the
Ouachita river arethe worstroads
that have ever seen. These
roads should be, the pride of the
citizens Of the community. Qua
chita and Grant parishes have
model roads. Why not Caldwell
and LaSalle parishes join hands
and build a thorough pike? Wei
have the railroads and the river.
and with good roads our country
will become prosperous, our peo-
pie will be contented, and our
children will have a rich inheri.
lance.
Louisiana, because of her loca-
ton at the delta of the Missis-
sippi river. has the richest lands
in the Union; her forests contain
more stumpage than any other
Southern State. Roads can be
built and maintained more cheap
ly here, out of natural material.
than anywhere else in the world. |
But we need reclamation and
drainage for our lands, conserva-
ton for our forests and minerals
and good roads for transporta-
ton of products Of field, forest
and mine. The Government and
the State are each making appro-
pr!ations and levying taxes forl
these three great movements
Reclamation and Drainage, Con.
seryation Of Natural Resources,
and Coop Roads. Let each indi.
yidual in this community be a
live wire, and see to it that he
does his duty to himself and to
his neighbor and 10 his country
by advocating these movements
and taking advantage of the op.
portunities offered, especially as
it is patent that these things are
greatly needed in our midst.
j. w. C.