The true Democrat. [volume] (Bayou Sara [La.]) 1892-1928, 1915-01-16

ers. Mr.. Plettinger's success with his
half-acre in caulifiowers has already
been reported in these columns. To
date he has sold $85 worth of the flow.
ers, and the crop is still not exhausted
Prof. Tiebout visited the field which
Rev. S. L. Riggs and DR.. Jas. Kilbourne
are cultivating on shares. On the
sunny slope to the north of the Kill
bourne residence there is an acre in
caulifiowers, and though the stand was
not perfect, the plants grown are
nearly so. Prof. Tiebout saw that the
flowers should be shipped at once, and
taking off his coat and with a knife in
his hand went vigorously to work help
ing Mr.. Riggs get out large shipment
Saturday. 1t goes first to New Orleans,
thence will be collected with shipments
from elsewhere and sent in refrige-
Irator cars to Chicago and New York.
Not the least important part of Prof.
Tiebout's timely assistance was his in
structions upon how to grade and pack
the eaulifowers, as upon these two
points largely depend the financial
rewards the grower will receive. Grades
No. and 2 can be sold in the New
York and Chicago markets Grade No.
will also sell in New Orleans.
Any one disposed to think that
University or departmental agricultur-
lists are mere book farmers" would
have had radical change of opinion
had they seen Prof. Tiebout on Satur-
day doing, as we'll as saying what
should be done.
Judging by the experiments of the
pioneers in that line, crop, well adapt
ed to soil and climatic conditions of
West Feliciana, has been discovered
in that delicious vegetable, the cauli-
flower, which bids fair to take front
rank in the way of money producers.
During the past two or three years
several local truck-growers have eX-
perimented in a small way in growing
cauliflowers. Their efforts have met
with uniform success, having produced
enough to supply the local market and
to make small shipments to the
northern and eastern points.
G. l.. Plettinger recently sent ship
ment of West Feliciana cauliflowers
to A. E. Meyer & Co., commission
merchants of New York City. He re-
quested criticism of his shipment, and
received the following letter:
"Your shipment of caulifower ar
rived late Saturday and was therefore
not sold until early Monday morning.
The flowers originally were evidently
very fine ones, but they arrived with
the little black spots in them. Perhaps
you saw these little black spots when
you packed them. These spots are
not much larker than pin heads and
from that up to the size of a pencil.
The flowers also showed little out Of
condition with here and there a small
rotten spot on the surface. They sold
at $1.25 per crate If they had been in
perfect condition we believe that they
would have brought SITS per crate.
ITO our way of thinking it seems
unfortunate we cannot get the Louisi-
ana flowers here in good condition.
Those that were shipped to New Or
leans and then put in the Davies freight
cars arrived in very bad condition, and
we understand the crates were broken
before they were ever put in the car.
If the crates were broken they must
necessarily have had rough handling,
and rough handling will bruise flowers,
and if bruised after a day or two will
show black and begin to rot. The
growers in this section who have been
growing flowers for years understand
this nature of the flowers and handle
them almost as carefully as you would
eggs. Flowers can be bruised in bring
ing from the field to the clearinghouse
and they can also be bruised in the
crate and these bruises do not at the
time show, but as before stated, these
bruises will show two or three days
later, and if weather conditions are not
just right these bruises will show a
rotten spot
"Mr. Tiebout has been the only
grower or practically the only one who
has SO far been able to put Louisiana
flowers on this market in good condi
ton, and we conclude that this is be.
cause of the careful handling which he
must give his flowers. In this connec.
ton We must say that your flowers are
L