Lower coast gazette., 1914-03-07
About Agricultural Credits and
Staple Crops.

Staple Crops.
Editor Lower Coast Gazette:
In your last issue you commented up
on the general credit system in the
o south and in u own parish and its
disastrous effects. Credit is a good
\ thing to have, but the abuse of it is
what hurts. The custom has been so
general that the idea of putting ones
= self beneath the other fellow is lost
sight OF. One can not be independent
if he is under obligation to the other
Ifellow, and by your editorial it is clear
that the structure of credit to the
average mortal is built on sand and
ruins. 1t is far better to so through
some p~rivation and sacrifice than to
make the whole crop on credit, 8 mat
ter OF what nature. Since sugar cane
has to be abandoned on account of free
sugar, to try to grow sugar without a
duty seems foolish. Even with the
present duty the sugar industry has
been a failure. could name scores of
men with money who lost all Of it since
1867. The editor knows better than
1t was not the fault Of the planter, but
the conditions surrounding him. Lnbor
and all kind of service was and is poor.
Nobody on a sugar plantation seems to
care for the planter except to get his
pay when pay days come around. Tools
implements, harness Of every sort, are
carelessly thrown about, and part Of it
is stolen. know what | am talking
about. have been there when grind
Ing was near; a new engineer, a new
sugar boiler, d new cook, each of them
have their ownideas about doing things
and instead Of blending their ideas and
have everything work smooth they, like
two factions in politics, disagree on
everything. The planter who is in q
hurry to get in his crop for fear of a
freeze has to smooth over things be-
tween these men in order to not lose
part Of his crop. The cook and his
boarders have their innings too. The
boarders are not satisfied with the grub
they are getting, though the grub is
better than they were accustomed to
heretofore. The planter has to add
some dainties just to have peace. The
more %breakdowns there are in the
sugar house the better they like it.
Their time is just that much extended.
They arc not all that way, but many
are, ]
In the field it is the same thing. Cane !
is thrown all over the roads and head
lands with no one to pick it up and :
throw it on q heap neal by, though :
they should fall over it. With these
conditions prevailing and with no duty )
on sugar, 1t is impossible to make SUI )
gar at q profit. Is
Rice has been in the same boat with
sugar. It has as a whole not been
profitable Of late years, with the cx.
ception Of a few cases. These %excep-
tions are nearly always on land wkere
cane had been grown. Why is it that
on such land each succeeding year the !
yield comes less, and lands that yield Z
20 or more bbls. per acre while new, !.
will only yield from 8 to Il bbls. perl ,
acre after a few years cropping. The :,
land can not be too poor all at once. :.
The cause must be somewhere else.
not a rice PLANTER and don't expect :
to be, but it is my opinion the land :
should be plowed Immediately after the I
is off and also drained, and some !,
kind OF winter crop grown on it, say
turnips or mustard. These |
seeds cost but little. Lands should be :.
in ridges 3 1-2 or feet apart. :
early March these crops would be :
off and land can easily be made ready !,
for rice with most of the bad grasses :.
q better yield Of rice for the :
crop. If We can not treat all !.
Of our land in this way, try part of it. .
all of our land should produce
two crops . year. A rice planter must :,
own land to do this. He could not be !,
expected to do this on some one else's :,
and unless he rented it for five years :
1t least. A mar ought to own the farm
wishes to cultivate SO he can have n
interest in it and improve it little by :,
little as time goes on. D
He must expect to make things cheap. :,
With the duty removed from most 6
he grows and the lessening of :,
rates from all W the world, ),
high prices cannot be expected for rice :,
n anything else. The world is closing :,
. on US and we must produce things as
as others or quit. To produce :
hings as cheaply az others, our expen-