The Natchitoches enterprise. (Natchitoches, La.) 1888-1965, 1915-05-13

The Scotch have derisive say
ing that the cobbler's child runs
barefoot. What would the thrifty
Highlander say of the Louisiana
farmer who, in q land of luxuri-
ant pr oductlon, lived on packing
house meats; milk from COWS fed
a thousand or more miles away
from home, condensed and put
into tins; vegetables and fruits
raised IN Nebraska and Maryland
and bought in cans, and any and
every food save that which he
raised on his own rich acres9
Surely the Scotchman would
call him the widest sort of was
trel. And he would be right in
saying it. With climate which
has not its equal in the United
States for the production of every
ching that makes for the best Of
living and land that is as rich as
the famous silt bottoms of the
Sacramento Valley of California,
or the valley of the Nile, the far
mers of north Louisiana send away
for foodstuffs both for themselves
and their work animals that are
raised where climatic and soil con-
ditions are not nearly so good as
at home.
It seems hardly possibly that
the farmers of this section know
what an enormous sum of money
their importatIons of foods which
they should raise themselves
amount to annually.
In shipping in these foods the
farmers are not only doing them
selves an incalculable injustice,
but they are draining the cities
of cash as we'll as depriving city
people of the foods which they
should raise for them.
But above all, the farmers are
hurting themselves worse than
anyone else IN gong abroad for
necessities which they can SO
easily produce for themselves.
The poorest farmer in Illinois,
Wisconsin or Iowa, working with
10 -senr.-.-in0loaaant- climate and n
soil not nearly so productive as
the alluvial soil of the Red river
valley, is making his land support
his family richly and then selling
feeds, meats and horses and mules
to the Louisiana farmer. Doesn't
it beat the Dutch9
Il believe if our farmer friends
in north Louisiana realized what
they were Going III sending their
money out of our state in a per-
feet food every year for neces-
sites which they should and could
raise at home it would open their
eyes and bring. about a great
change in our methods of farm
ing" said j. G. Trichel, active
vice-president OF the American
National bank of Shreveport, who
has lived in north Louisiana prac-
ticallv all his life and has a thor,
ough knowledge of the conditions,
the people. the resources and the
requirements of this part of the
country.
Il am greatly in hopes that at
least one substantial benefit may
accrue to the south from the
European war;" continued Mr..
Trichel. That it may enable a
large majority of our cotton far
mers to awaken to the realization
that we can never have any
permanent prosperity in this
country in an agricultural way
until they break away from the
all cotton plan and reduce their
cotton acreage sufficiently to en-
able them to raise all the food
stuffs, livestock and foods that the
country uses, thus keeping at
home the enormous sums of
money that are sent out of the
state every year in a seemingly
endless stream for the three essen
tials of feed stuff of all kind. pack
ing house products and mules and
horses.
II have always preached feed
Louisiana first believe it can
be done, the opinion of a great
many planters to the contrary not
withstandin0. It is a satisfaction
to meet one occasionally who has
been converted, and is making an
honest effort to raise more feed
stuff than he can use. some hiohI