The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1914-09-12


pie of what had been and could be
done. When he started the cause
there last October only q few cars OF
truck were being shipped The first
season the shipments increased tc
twenty-five carloads. Anna is now
preparing for seventy-five carloads
There were $50 acres in lettuce, car
rots, shallots, turnips, beets and
other common vegetables last year
and the growers had Jared SO well
that they had planted 500 acres in
truck this year He had gotten Don
aldsonVille and NaooleGnville to start
IN, and said he was trying to have
all points on the line attempt to
raise more staple and profitable va.
rletles of truck, such as celery, cauli-
fioWer, lettuce, okra, bell peppar
and other vegetables in special de.
mand.
IN order to learn celery cultivation
Mr. Ellis said ne nGG gone to Florida
TO take practical course. eHe found
that Florida did not possess any lan,.
as good as LouisiaEa's, with its eli
mate less balmy, but it was well ad-
Fertlsed, SO farmers had to pay from
Sl00 to $500 an acre for it's land, and
then had to so to work hard in or
der to make it pay. He learned that
acres OF celery there yielded $1,000
to $500 an acre, and, although CON
slant care and attention were re-
CURED. it was well worth while
Mr.. Ellis offered to instruct farm
ers in every detail Of the industry,
and also to aid them i'll finding a
market for the product Packing was
an important part of the farm bust
ness. he said, and he told of an
enterprising Louisiana parish that
had succeeded in raising oranges, but
derived no gain because the crop was
loaded loose in the cars The or
anges not only did not look WELL: but
failed to carry, SO the fruit was vast
ed. Florida scored three failures be-
fore it learned to bleach the celery,
and is still improving the process.
He advised farmers who took up Gel
cry and other truck to begin Qn a
small scale, and to work tog4her,
selecting the same sort of seed,e and
producing Systematically, for ife the
same point tries TO market several
varieties of the same product the
value Of the worst would govern all.
They must get together in grading
and packing, in adopting a uniform
package and trademark. 5"=
Mr.. Ellis said his company would
set it's forces promptly to work to
find the best market for it's patrons,
and predicted large increases in
truck farming all aiong the road.
ANA, Adds, NapoleonVille, Donald
sonville and Lake Charles had set ou5
an acre Of earth in celery, and he
was willing to direct and aid other
points.
Farmers Meetings.
much value on fsffm meetings. Men.
Of other professions found profit in
meeting at intervals, even in nation
al conventions. He deemed it i'm
portant for farmers to exchange ex-
periences and seek information. He
also urged diversification as vital.
Donaldsonville has devoted about 200
acres to truck, which represents more
than thirty farmers. The value of di-
versification is more than not risk
ing all upon one crop. 1t means that
from December to June the farmer
is getting in the money with which
to make his main crop, SO that he
doesn't have to seek loans and pay
interest. He pleaded that one of the
needs of the Louisiana farm
3r was better training. The state
has not given its farmers sufficient
educational facilities. He deemed it |
important to encourage expert farm
ers from other states to settle in
Louisiana, and to learn from them
At first hand what they accomplished
lere, for the Louisiana farmer could
10 as well as any if he had the
He appealed to the par
shes and to New Orleans to make
displays Of their highest progress at
she Donaldsonville fair, which, he
said, stood for south Louisiana's agri-
cultural and industrial advance. Hell
also advocated the finest possible ex-
1ibit at the National Dry Farming
Exposition at Wichita, whence the
display would be taken to Toledo, O.,
where there was another important
congress.
Appeals to Farmers. |
E. p. Gueymard, Secretary R. S.
Vickers and others joined in appeals
o the farmers in the south Loulsl-
ina parishes to aid the state in
gathering typical yields for the ex-
1ibit at Wichita, and it was decided
hat the directors of the immigra-
ion association located in each par
sh take charge of the canvass among
he members in that parish, so that
he section would be thoroughly rep
'esented.
Both meetings adjourned to the
Donaldsonville fair, in which all the
south Louisiana parishes will take
prominent part.