The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1912-08-10
Making a Dairy State.

New OfiEduS DdlIy t9be~.Ss'
Minister Egan's recent addresses
here. telling of The wonderful mate
rial results in Denmark wrought Dy
the dairy industry. brings sugges-
tion to us for a concerted movement
In Louisiana to duplicate what the
Danes have done. Through dalrylng
they have made Denmark one OF tile
richest countries on the globe.
Though having only $4,000 square
miles of territory, Denmark supports
a population of 100000, and in 1911
sent abroad s60,0O0,o00 worth OF but
ter. $40 700, 900 worth of bacon ana
s1o,OOO,0o0 worth Of eggs.
Louisiana has three times the ter
ritory Of Denmark and $4,000 fewer
inhabitants. but in 1911 she bought
from other states over SIT, 000,0O0 OF
dairy products,
Yet the conditions in Louisiana for
dairying are more favorable than
they are in Denmark. Why, then,
should not Louisiana have raised
these products herself?
wisconsin, Iowa and other great
states Of the northwest, We're, thirty
gears ago, in as distressing a state
as the Danes In 1913, when they laid
the foundation of their dalrylng1 DUST
ness. They also had suffered crop
failures and their lands Wree I'M
poyerished. What the boil Weev1l
has done for the cotton-growing sec
tions OF Louisiana and the ultimate
removal OF the tariff on sugar will
do for the sugar sections, the chinch
bug had done for them.
i u
But, like the Danes, they turned to
dairying with the same happy results
Louisiana has advantages which
neither Denmark nor these north
western dairying states possess. She
has nine months of mild weather,
light winters and practically no snow
Field work goes on the year round.
Cattle may Craze constantly out OF
doors. Her soil is capable of pro-
ducing not one, but several crops a
year. She can grow feed in abund-
ance.
Conditions are therefore ideal for
Louisiana to keep at home the sl6,-
100000 she sent away last year for
dairy products, even if she does not
raise surplus beyond her own
needs to sell elsewhere.
II the tariff on sugar is now the
minimum at which Louisiana can pro
duce the crop profitably, nothing
seems more likely than that sooner
or later it will have to be produced
unprofitably, for while, after pre-,
carions struggle, sugar has been
again saved, this time because OF
the injustice OF the attack on the
Industry, the incidental protection it
now receives inevitably will be cur
tailed as the tariff is revised down
ward.
1t is a serious question, therefore
whether Louisiana should continue
to face a demoralizing fight every
two or three years, or consider the
cutting up of her large plantations
into small farms for the raising OF
truck, hogs, cattle and dairy pro
ducts.
1t would be calamitous If the SUI
gar industry We're suddenly wiped
out. But there is no reason why we
should not face the issue OF what the
coming years hold in store and seeR
gradual REIMBURSEMENT of agricuitu
raj conditions in the sugar districts
Even, however. if we ignore The
portents Of the present, Louisiana has
enough reclaimed aud waste land out
side the areas new cultivated II
cane to become the center Of a tire
mendous dairying interest. And the
time Is propitious for the. inauguratin!
of a movement to that end.
q y u
The tide of immigration is now to
ward the south. Some Of it is find
Ing its way into Louisiana. Mact
more of it can be attracted by prae
teal. intelligent and well-directed ct
fort. The time would, therefore, ap
pear to be ripe for campaign tina
would bring to the attention of ths
farmers OF the north and west the
ideal conditions which exist here
for truck and dairy farming.
no keep posted read The Chief.