New Iberia enterprise and independent observer. (New Iberia, La.) 1902-1944, 1913-03-29
ORANGE GROWING ON EX-
TENSIVE SCALE; DEMON
STRATION FARM AT
DALCOUR.

A model up-to-date orange
demonstration farm, with 1000
trees budded from select native
Louisiana sweet producing groves,
has been established by the FL
deity Land Company at DaIcour,
La, twenty-five miles from Can
al street, on the line Of the low
er coast services of the Frisco
Railroad. Seven hundred trees
were planted IN the rear OF the
townsite of Dalcour during the
last few days under the direction
Of J. Wilfred Gaidry, vice presl-
dent of the land company, now
engaged in developing property
on the lower coast. Monday
morning Mr.. Gaidry will complete
the work of planting 300 add
tional trees, which are expected
to yield a bag profit in compar-
atiNely short time
Besides this model demonstra-
ton orange farm said Mr..
Gaidry, eve have completed ar
rangements for the establishment
Of an up-to-date nursery, which,
by spring Of next year, will have
-, 900 trees. They will be from
thc sour-orange seed and also
from what is known as the citrus
trifoliate. all Of which will be
budded from the select native
Louisiana sweet growing in our
demonstration farm.
"The nursery product Will be
used in the extensive develop
ment of the Louisiana orange cul-
ture. Heretofore, the people
have paid but little, if any, at
tention to the development OF
the Louisiana sweet and the Lou
isiana navel, both of which are
| the best grown citrus fruits in the
United States today. In taking
over the Mary plantation prop
erty and tracts surrounding, now
known as BalcOur, we did so with
the view, first of establishing a
progressive town along the Frisco
Railroad, and, second. with the
view of going extensively into the
culture of oranges. We are meet
ing with success in both. so much h
so that we have progressed mitch
further with our orange demon
stration farm and the nursery
than we had originally expected
"There is already quite a de
mand for acreage for orange.
growing purposes in the rear OF
Dalcour, and we find that today
the people of New Orleans and
the country surrounding have
, awakened to the great OppOrtun.
| ity that awaits them. This is thC
opportune time, and if advantage
is taken of this opportunity Lou
isiana will shortly rank as the
leading citrus fruit State in the
Union, taking away the laurels OF
Florida and California. The time
for this is not very far distant.
"Oranges were successfully
grown in Louisiana years before
it was made evident that they
could be grown in California
Even to-day one may see LOulsl
ana orange trees that were bear
onr before the orange was
ever attempted in California
and as to quality, the Louisiana
Creole sweet orange is conceded
to be the choice of the world
!. crop, the type that sells for al
high as a dollar crate more
than does the choicest fruit from
California or Florida. AS mat
ter of fact, everyone conversan
with the orange industries of Gal
ifornia and Florida knows tha
these vast developments are no
the result Of interest on the par
of wealthy investors, but Of pee
pie of modest means who saw tn
opportunities in orange cultur
and laid hold of them.
"FNteen years ago the mos
/, thriving orange districts in Cal
fornia were but arid desert waste
producing nothing but cacti an
sage brush. These lands, sold I
Eastern investors in small tract
| at a few hundred dollars the acr
! are to-day worth thousands, an
q only because they are proven o
+ ange lands.
= Southern Louisiana will be tt
, orange growing section of Il
country" continued Mr.. Gaidr
! "The time that will be spent
! an educational campaign will
we'll worth the effort and energy
. The Fidelity Land Company h
issued a pamphlet on Dalcour @