New Iberia enterprise and independent observer. (New Iberia, La.) 1902-1944, 1915-04-17
SOUTHWESTERN REFLEC
TONS.

During the first week in Apr
gentleman brought to the OF
flee of the Southwest Louisian
Development Bureau. a plan
which he disc oveled and request
ed its classification. The Burea
not being expert in such matter
the plant was forwarded to Pro
fessOr j. q. Lee, Of the South
western Louisiana Industrial In
stitute with the request for infor
nation REGARDING its identity.
The plant had, this early in thu
season and without any cultiva
ton at all. attained a height Of
about one foot and was in bloom
the gentleman who brought it ir
observing that the plant was
growing wild in several places in
Southwest Louisiana and that live
stock event crazy about it..
Or. Thomas Stark of Thibodeaux
cOrroEOrated the statement about
the fOndness Of live stock for the
plant and said that it thrives in
a wild state in many portions of
LafourcEe Parish.
Professor Lee pronounced it to
be hairy vetch. which he said
may be found growing along the
tracks of almost every railroad
in Louisiana" According to TIM,
authority (and the fact was borne
out by the sample under observa-
tom vetches are Winter plants,
and reach their maximum deve!
opment in March and April. |,
belongs to the leguminous family
and is, therefore, a nitrogen gath
erer and soil builder, which de-
serves to be grown more generally
in Southwest Louisiana.
According to Professor Lee.
they do not do as well as the clov-
ers in this section and they need
well drained and fairly strong
land in order to thrive. He be-
lieves the plant should be tried
out by our people.
While it is too late to do this
now, the Southwest Louisiana
farmer should bear the fact in
mind and next Autumn carry out
Professor Lees suggestion by a
good acreage in vetches and the
clovers.
1t is quite apparent that for
age crop that natures in March
and Of which cattle and horses
are so fond must be valuable for
Winter pasture, while the fact
that it belongs to the soil-renovat-
ing family IF legumes. makes it
must valuable as a winter cover
crop and a restorer of soil fertil
ity. Let us add this valuable
legume to the many varieties of
forage crops which already make
Southwest Louisiana the ideal
section of the United States for
the profitable production of live
stock. Please remember this.
LEST we forget" let us re-
peat the entreaty, don't let late
season or anything else induce
you to plant your seed this
Spring on badly prepared land.
Better plant fewer acres and put
It in the ground in perfect con-
dltlon. AT any rate, intensive
farming costs less and it gives far
greater net profit than can be
earned by the extensive method.
Drainage also is vital matter
md it behooves every farmer to
ook carefully after this point
Until the time shall come When .
Southwest Louisiana shall have {
general drainage system which !
hall perfectly serve every por. I
ion Of her territory. That's one :
I the main reasons why this Bu- 5
eau insists that every worth =
lille man should take part in it's 2
Prosperity Campaign" and pull {
together in building up our Sec s. 5,
on. d
II we want all these things to- :
ether with good roads, good r.
hools and everything else that :.
'es to build up country's - -
this is the way to do ~ y
We must work together. for
can t accomplish the end work. =, =
z single handed cached for him -
n sa~y. te
Have you become prosper r.
, Campaigner7" If not, why I
Il ~
i The lnvigorating Whit of Sc
the Pine Forest!