Lower coast gazette., 1913-04-19

II
occurred, mortgage debts 0
lands purchased, taxes and il
surance, if such was effected
and in this way farmers startin
. with a few hundred dollars wer
able to increase the size of thei
farms, to educate their children
frequently to send them off t
college, and all the while carr,
on active farm life with a degre
of independence that is unknown
where agriculture drops into a
many specialties as those we ar
familiar with in this parish. 1
our agriculturists, or horticul
turists make oranges their chic:
crop, a disaster in the way o.
freeze, blight or flood may at any
time ruin them. For two or three
years our truck gardeners have
had disastrous seasons, the re.
suits Of some peculiarities of oul
climate, and among them we
find that those who have the
greatest diversity of cultures on
their lands and keep on at it
have averaged out tolerably we'll,
Notwithstanding the generally
adverse charactero of the seasons.
This specializing means the put
ting of all Of ones eggs in one
basket and if the basket falls,
the eggs are broken. Of course
no iron clad rule can be laid
down in these matters and hence
among the planting fraternity
where one great crop is produced
and where the planter puts into
it all the money that he has and
all that he can borrow, any dis
aster to the crop grown under
these conditians becomes a crush
ing one. If, however, such
planting interests were protect
ed by home grown food, by home
grown mules and oxen, the risk
Of such planting would be far
less than that current in Plaque
mines Parish during the last
years.
Farming, whether truck farm
or general farming, affords a
greater Investigation than does
our ordinary rice or cane plant
ing. Our truck garden farmers,
however, rarely ever produce.
enough corn for the use of their
and so far as we know.
never have any butter to sell
and, on the contrary, are buyers
butter and of condensed milk
md OF meat supplies both salt
md fresh. Chickens and eggs
ell at extrlmelXIig prices be-
'ause Of their rarity and our par
sh is an immense consumer of
ondensed milk. These condit-
ons certainly should not prevail
nd no tlller of the soil is justi-
in stalking his whole fortune
n q single crop when he knows
he dangers that environ him and
hen he knows how he can d.
ide his risks and probably get
air returns from some of them.
hat We can produce good cattle
this parish is manifest to any,
ne who has seen the large oxen
.ong the Lower Coast. Our own
sperience has shown US that we
IN produce good mules and the
reole ponies Of the Lower Coast
one Of the sturdiest little ami +:
ais of the horsekind that is .
lown to man. If the hog chol-
a could be controlled, and our G.
terinarians now say that it can ):
, then the hog crop ought to i
a large one on the Lower :
asst and the raising of beef
tile should be one of our chief 8
.iustries, assuming very large
oportions, similar to what the q
gar industry has in the past.
As against this the mosquito
'blem presents itself, but a! (,
y limited amount of money,
'efully expended in the way
protecting water containers, Ct
off all small pools, keep
the grass around buildings
down fhort and using just :,
Sc means that Col. Gorgas has