The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1912-04-20

The meeting recently held at the Z.
S. Engineer Office in New Orleans, to
consider means of controlling the
water hyacinth upon navigable water
ways, was attended by members OF the
police juries from many parishes af-
fected, and by business men from all
parts of the southern portion of the
state.
At this meeting it was unanimously
resolved to indorse the plan propos-
ed by the U. S. Engineer Office, which
was in effect as follows:
That committee of three, or such
other number of members as might be
most convenient, to be composed of
representatives of the parish jury of
the parish, and business men interest
ed in the navigation of a particular
stream, should be selected to confer
and cooperate with the Engineer Office,
and take charge of the patrols in that
particular stream. The Engineer Of
flee will do the heavy work of remov-
ing hyacinths, either by spraying or
by total removal from the water, and
will also remove the brush or branches
of trees along the banks which permit
hyacinths to lodge and prevent their
drifting seward.
This Office will also establish booms
at such as the committee for the stream
map consider desirable, and make
boOms fixed or swinging, as may b.
decided most advisable after con-
sultation. Blooms already in position
erected by private parties will be taken
over and maintained by the United
States, if the owners so desire. Owing
to the fact that there is under the law
heavy penalty tor interfering with
Government booms, they can be more
efficiently protected than if they re-
main under private ownership.
After the stream has been cleared
the committee should appoint patrols,
whose duty it will be to detach large
masses of hyacinths which may be
found in the stream, and permit them
to float with the current whenever it is
running out. They are also to
throw small masses or single plants of
hyacinths upon the banks SO that they
will have no opportunity to propagate
Their duties will also include in
spection of booms to see that they
are in proper condition, and report
on defects. 1t is believed that man
in pirouge or skiff can patrol from
) to 10 miles of stream, as it will not
be necessary to pass over the same
water every day, two or three times a
week being sufficient.
A man in a launch should be able
to patrol from 10 to 20miles of stream.
These patrols are to be paid by the
committee, for it is felt that their
work will then be more effectively
performed than if they were paid by
the United States: for in the latter
case it is very likely that many men
would be tempted to leave enough
hyacinths to make sure they did not
lose their Government job"
If they are paid by the committee
their friends and neighbors will be
self appointed inspectors as to the
manner in which they do their work.
Under this system it is believed that
the hyacinths can be kept under con-
troll and navigable waterways can be
practically freed from them. 1t is
requested that you confer with the
police jury of your parish, and such
other business men as may be inter-
ested in the same stream as yourself,
and notify this Office at as early a
date as possible of the selection Of
he committee for the particular