Lower coast gazette., 1913-06-21
Louisiana Crop Vaiaes.

SOul dSSu ofSl VAC dppdlcIltl
slow progress made by the farm
ing industry, says the Crowle,
Signal, will find comfort in tn.
figures given by the Department
of Agriculture, showing the val
ue Of crops by states. These
figures show that Louisiana i!
gaining in the value. of it's farm
output more rapidly than the
majority of the states. In gross
value of products Louisiana stooc
where she stood three years ago,
twenty-eighth among the states.
But this does not mean standing
still. In 1910 the value of crops
was S53, 900, 900 and in 1912 de.
spite the damage wrought by
floods, SCI, coo, 0C0.
That, however, is not the most
encouraging feature of the re-
port. In 1912 as compared with
1911, twenty-three of the states
showed an actual loss in Agri-
cultural output and the gain for
the whole United States was on
ly 20 per cent. In 1912, as COM
pared with 1909, nine states
showed a loss and the couIltry's
average was only SO per cent
for the four years. In the year
just past Louisiana showed a
gain over the previous year Of
1913 per cent, and a gain over
1909 of 1862 per cent. Only six
states showed a greater gain in
percentage for the four year
period.
If Louisiana had the acreage
that most of the other states
have planted to farm crops she
would be away up among the
leaders. This, we may add, is
an object we should all strive to
accomplish. 1t is an additional
encouragement to note that
while the south central states
showed a gain of 18.9per cent,
in the value of farm products in
the one year, the northwestern
states showed 6-8 per cent gain,
the north Atlantic states Ia per
cent and the other grand diyis-
ions an actual loss.
Commissioner Of Agriculture
and immigration E. @. Bruner is
enthusiastic at crop prospects.
With few exceptions" he said
they are good all over the state.
| am looking for a very good
yield this year. The weather has
been favorable for hoeing and
cuitivating, thereby leaving the
land in fine shape for laying by
the older corn. The river is
safe and we have nothing to
fear along that line, and a very
area has been affected by
the food. We have had more
immigrants coming and buying
than ever before. The eyes
of the world seem to be on Louis
and you may look for an
out-pouring of new Corners from
on.
The people are devoting much
time to good roads. This is a
good move, and it should grow
in Importance and interest. What
we need most and is essential to
good roads is a thorough drain
age system. You cannot make
nor have good health nor main
tain good roads on poorly drained
land. | should like to impress
this fact upon every man in the
state Of Louisiana. With good
and thoroughly drained lard
every acre in the state can be
to double its yield. With
good drainage system mosquitoes
and fever will be a thing Of the
past, and "a we'll constructed
in a we'll drained country
will last almost a life time.
GIVE us good drainage first
and all Of those other things
will follow.
''The sales Of fertilizer have
increased steadily since. / have
oeen commissioner, and, We In
tccted $4,000 tons over last
year, and last year went consid-
over any previous year.
| am delighted to see the peo-