Lower coast gazette., 1914-10-17
SATURDAY. OCTOBER II 1914.
Meeting of the Orange Growers
Association.

iIk LOulSidllo OIAh6S NAS"~Ao
met in one of the special committee rooms IN
the Hibernia Bank Building on Friday October2
at II o'clock. There was quite a considerable
attendance and much interest was indicated by
those present. The meeting was opened IN due
course by President Robert s. Moore. with M.
George H. Penn, secretary. The minutes Of the
nreyious meeting were read and approved and
sons report was made upon the progress OF the
inscection work going on. Dr.. Tucker the state
entomoloeist indicated that a larger force would
ba necessary, or else there would be considerable
delay in inspecting all of the growing orchards
Secretary of Agricultureand immigration, Hon.
F.. O. Bruner was unable to attend, but ancoan-
ced that the quarantine recommended at the
meeting two weeks previously was now in force
and this brought to the front Mr.. Anthony Com
mander. representing certain Florida interests.
He claimed that various sections OF FLORIDA "sre
free from canker and imports from those Sec
tons should be permitted.
Mr.. Frank B. Hayne, president of the New
Orleans Lake Shore Land Co. followed Mr.. Com
mander with a presentation OF the wants OF the
corporation that he represented and it was to
the effect that in the course of time the orange
interest of.his corporation would be larger than
all the reSt of the orange area now in the state
put together. How much time that wouldstake
he did not state. Heheld that though the can
ker was in Louisiana, the transfer OF trees from
one part Of Louisiana to another part was per-
mitted and it would be unfair to prevent the
importation Of trees from other states that were
known,,o could be- ascertained to be free Of the
cankar disease. He held that it was very nsces-
sary that his company should get trees from
Florida this year and they were willing to un-
deygo a more rigid examination and pay any ex-
pense necessary for the inspection. The isolated
character Of the land which his people proposed
to plant wholly removed all danger to other
orange growers and he was willing to give guar
antee that no orange tree should leave the prop
erty of the New Orleans Lake Ssore Land Go.
for five years.
President Moore and Secretary Penn urged
that a permanent quarantine was necessary for
the protection Of the existing industry. MI.
Penn was inclined to challenge the statement OF
MIR. Hayne that his project, involving approx
iu,ately 1000 acres, was greater than the area
now planted in bearing trees in the orange belt
Of the state. He said. further, that there were
500 families now dependent upon the orange In
dustry for a living and that the quarantine was
necessary to protect their interest against de-
~struction from canker.
Mr. Hayne then appealed again to the asso-
cation, urging that the good name Of the state
should be maintained: that he and his associates
had engaged to plant the tract and four hum
died people, scattered through a wide area OF
tn. United States, looked to them to complete
the bargain; that if they failed, it would reflect
on the state. All that he and his associates
asked, he said, was to have the matter left en-
tirely to the inspectors and If the inspectors
could not be satisfied that the trees were entire
|, free from disease Of any kind they would not
import them. He stated further, that he and
his company are under obligations to their Gus
tomsrs to deliver orange groves free from dis
: case at the end of five years.
Mr.. Samuel Henderson then moved that the
State Department Of Agriculture be requested
to amend the quarantine order to permit the i'm
p~ortation Of trees from unaffected districts Of
Florida, provided that the department inspect
ors were absolutely satisfied that the trees i'm
ported would not endanger the citrus orchards
Ct the state. Other members opposed the pas
sage OF this motion until q larger and more rep
resentative number Of orange growers should be
present to discuss and vote upon it. The result
was that action was deferred. until Saturday
October 10.
The meeting adopted a charter for the or.
ganization and a number Of letters were read
and the business of the association was fairly
/. launched and it is to be hoped that the earnes,
efforts suggested by what has been done thus
far will be continued and that the Louisianl
orange growers association viii quickly build W
the orange industry, making it one of the grea'
leading industries Of the state, just as has beer
the cose in Southern California and in Florida
Itshas been ascertained beyond any doubt tina
the Lower Coast is really superior in its advant
ages in growing orange trees to either Califor
MIA Of, Florida. The quality Of the fruit pro
ducadk Of the highest order and the safet,
from frost and freeze is as great in Louisiana
=. i. tha fthAr orange districts named Tn,