Lower coast gazette., 1914-08-01
SATURDAY, AUGUST l, 1914.
Orange Culture in Louisiana.

II tIC OlllCI Q0y Va WY
c,;aiana stood second among the Southern
States in amount apd second in the payments
per capita, Florida leading in this respect The
Florida papers are disposed to boast OF this
showing, and they have good reason to 90 So II
there is any significance in the income tax re-
turns. Florida leads Louisiana, the second
Southern State, by so per cent; it paid IN IN
come taxes more than the combined States OF
North and South Carolina and Arkansas, with
seven times its population; more than the states
of Alabama md Mississippi, with six times as
many people. Proportionately, that is per
capita, it pays four times as much as its neigh
Dor, Georgia; seven times as mach as North
Carolina and nine times as much as South CATO
lima. Even if liberal allowance be made for tax
dodgers, there can be no doubt that Florida is
enjoying great financial prosperity-tha is, a
much larger proportion of its population enjoys
fair that is, taxable incomes than is the case
in the other SoutherhF States.
To what is this due? will be the natural in
curry. Florida is not 4 state of many natural
resources. Its forest wealth is small as COM
pared with its ~neighborsg its mineral wealth in
significant. 1t has few sStnanufactories, and its
soil is not nearly so fertile as that of the river
States. Inrswsmp, marsh, over1owed and I'm
developed land it is far more unfavorably
placed than most of the South, and yet it is in
creasing in population faster than any OF the
Southern States, faster in wealth and in in
Genes.
II is suggested that a large part of the pros
perity of Florida comes from its citrous fruit
industry. In 1896 it shipped only l47, 600 boxes
of fruit to market; in 1904 these shipments had
risen to z, 961, 196 boxes; in 1913 to 8,5OO,0O 0
The value Of the output that year was $17,000,-
GOO. which is considerably more than the sugar
and m6lasses production of Louisiana yielded,
and of this $40. 600, 200 is net profit to the grow
ers. While Louisiana was retrograding in the
matter Of its sugar output. Florida was con-
stantly increasing its income from citrous fruits.
That this improvement has a direct bearing
on the e1fouraailhs figures from Florida is
strengthened by The very similar experience of
California, which is netting from $780, 00 to
$40. 900. 600 from its citrous fruits. and which
has become one of the wealthiest and most pros
porous States in the Union.
In this connection all will be struck by the
fact that Louisiana occupied for more than q
century the position Of California and Florida
with regard to this horticultural industry; that
up to twenty years ago it was the leading
orange growing State in the Union. and in every
respect IT has been and is today superior to its
two successful sisters in the growth and pro-
duction Of citrous fruits should it ever go into
the business as actively as they have done.
It has ample land adapted to the growing Of
oranges, whereas such land is scarce in Califor-
MIA. /. does not have to irrigate its orange
orchards, whereas irrigation costs the Californ-
lans an average Of $50 an acre a year; it does
lot have to use fertilizers as the soil is already
rich enough, whereas these fertilizers $50 an
acre in California and $685. an acre in Florida,
It does not have to fumigate it's, fruit, whereas
this fumigation entails an additional expense
Of $22 81 per acre on the California grower. In
the matter Of markets snd railroad rates the
Louisiana orange grower is at a.ereat advant.
age, saving $40 per acre on freight as COM
Jared with California and ss75.as compared
with Florida. $ y 81
Finally. the yield islarger per acre in Louis
lana and the fruit IS af better quality. We
called attention to this paint when the Western
Frui. Handlers Convention met in New Orleans
some months ago. They were surprised and
delighted over the splendid quality Of citrous
fruit grown in Louisians, and expressed the
opinion that If it were properly handled, packed
advertised and introduced it would capture the
country. On this point also the American
Pathological Society expressed itself when the
Goudeau 'seedless Louisiana orange, entered by
MI. 4 a. Goudeau, formerly Of Lake Charles,
now Of PlaQuemines parish, won the Wilder
medal ia the 1913 contest before . Jury which
eluded the pomologist Of the United States
Department Of Agriculture and representatives
Of the orange industries Of California and
Florida.
IN consequences Of tins encouragement there
has been 4 considerable advance made in the
orange industry of Louisiana during the last
year. and / large acreage has been laid out in
Trees, but the development has not been 8