New Iberia enterprise and independent observer. (New Iberia, La.) 1902-1944, 1914-10-24
PLENTY OF MARKETS HERE
FOR TRUCK FARMERS.

New Iberia Chamber of Com
merce, we visited the Mcllhenn.
Canning Company at Avery Is
land with Seer etary- Manage
Bernard. Dr.. W. F. Carstens an'
Mr.. Maurice Lemaire last Wed
nesday afternoon. The public
roads were in such fine condition
that the run to the Island was
made in thirty-fve minutes. The
purpose Of the visit was to inter
view Hon. f. A. McIlhenny to as
certain if possible what induce
ments would be required to have
the McIlhenny Company install
a Canning Factory in this City
The gentleman received the party
very cordially and promptly made
it known that it was prod'-ce that
he would require and not a
bonus. No bonus in the shape OF
money or land would be enter
tanned unless we produce the
errors to keep a factory going the
entire season when it was neces-
sary to operate plant. lie sta
ted that he had been unable up to
the present time to secure any
produce from this section, which
was a disappointment to HIM.
That he had to Obtain the bulk
of his tomatoes and onions from
MARYLAND. California and Texas.
which together with what he
raised OH the Island was not hal.
Sufficient to supply the demand
for his canned products, as he
had to turn down orders sent III
every day for the famous Creole
dinners, canned okra, etc. We
found to our establishment, seven
large cars being packed to the
brim with Creole dinners, okra,
and sweet peppers all bound for
the Pacific coast, to say nothing
of the shipments that had already
been made over the different
parts of the United States.
When it is taken into considera-
ton that Mr.. McIlhenny's factory
has a capacity of $4,000 cans per
day, one can readily see how he
can consume everything we could
raise in this Parish, if only our
farmers would get into the bust
ness on a large scale and put in
the crops at the proper season.
IF the truck farmers Of the other
States find it profitable to ship
to his Factory, why cannot our
people take advantage of the
same market. When it is taken
into consideration that tomatoes
bring wholesale as much as $4,000
per ton and that our lands will
produce easily three different
crops during the year, truck can
be made pay and that handsome
~. OF course it will be neces-
sarv that those who go into the f,
business Of raising it on the
wholesale scale plant at the prop
or time. All the old Obstacles of
not knowing when to plant and
how to market can be abated now
that we have the market and the
Secretary of the Chamber Of !
Commerce has been employed |
especially to ldirect them from
time to time as his services are
required.
With tomatoes bringing 500
ton and the average tonnage per
acre being twenty-five. no more
profitable crop could be put into
the ground. and then there is
the sweet potatoes. which are 50
prolific and the okra which grows
with you might say no attention
after the plant is started and
the sweet peppers, early corn,
beans. etc. Another thing our
people should take into consid-
Grafton is the fact that the Po-
ice Jury is now building "a.
straight model dirt road to the
Island which will shorten the dis I
tance about three and half
miles and there would be no
trouble in hauling our produce to
that market.
From our observation with the
excellent bitches being construct 7
ed along side Of this IMPORTANT
highway and the manner IN
which Mr.. Lorrd IS grading the
road it will be an utter impossl-
bility for it to ever get so that
it would be impossible. Aside
from that we have splendid rail-
road shipping facilities and there
can be no excuse in that respect.
Once we convince Mr.. McIlhennv
A n A