The true Democrat. [volume] (Bayou Sara [La.]) 1892-1928, 1917-02-24
AGRICULTURAL
DEVELOPMENT Of
THE FELCIANAS
% F Collins in Modern rarmlng.lgi5D

In East and West Fcliolaua parishes.
loratrd 10 the southeastern part ol
Louisiana. contiguous to the south.
western corner u Mississippi agIicul.
Eure has been 81 more or less Of a
s,andslIIl Under the old system. cot
ton. and cotton only was grown as the
money crop year after year The
farmers we're advanced money by the
merchants every year 20 pay the OK
.p.usr of raising the crops and al the
harvest season practically an the cot
ton went to pay debts The farmer
did not worry about this. however. be
cause he knew that he could borrow
money oH next years crop and the
merchant knew ho would get his money
when the crop was harvested
one OF the chief troubles under this
system was that very few attempted
So give anything back To the soil and
only fortified a llltle and then only
uIth commercial fertilizers which they
knew nothing about and which often
did little good
/ Bul with the boll wcovil came hard
times The merchant refused credit
and the farmer found that he had to
depend upon his soil 80 raise the actual
necessities Of life which he had before
bought frum the country store on credit.
Trucking was attempted Ia both East
/ aud West FellcIaHl parishes, bul owing
/ 10 neyperi1ucr and lack Of proper
market returns. most Of the farmers
who tried truck raising did not succeed
50 Norwood though. in the northern
. part Of Easf FoltsIana. whore there Is
ia very extensive canning plant truck
growing ha been successfully followed.
and during The past several seasons
quite q quantity Of vegetables have
been shipped In carload lots from ~
.FunoisyIlIe and Bayou sara, In West
Feliciana parish
lu tAr southern portion of Fast Pc.
llciaHa and in the greater portion Of
West Falglaua. cattle have been found
fa b. profitable. and many went into
the cattle business, notable among
these bgIns q number Of big New Or
Leans merchants Who have invested
heavily n tbe undertaking Along
ia" ) a Va Y railroad iu East Pc.
liciana and on the Woodyilie branch
OF the same railway. dpirying was soon
established on a profitable basis after
the farmers found they could no longer
raise cotton, aud nov large quantities
Of whole milk are being shipped daily
10 New Orleans milk distributing con.
Germs With dalfyiHg has come many
siIos, as we'll as an entry in hog rails.
nE and Ia general a more intelligent
farming
There are nov number Of good
uajrtes In these parishes aud with this
change from o onecrop system which
paid on oBiy once a year came a
diversity Of crops and q produce which
can be- depended upon to- Yield nn IN.
come at all times of the year, also q
lowering OF the fertilizer blll by the use
Of large supplies of baruyaFd manure
While az first the presence of good
dairy COWS In these parishes was
rarity az time goes on The quality has
been improved most noiiceabiy by the
introduction OF better COWS. the weed
.nR oui Of the UNFIT ones aud the head
ing Of herds Rilh tlfstelass bulls Most
Al the dairymen prefer ii0lstein bulls
and a number Of good registered bulls
have been brought in during the past
several years.
Going hand lea hand with live stock
is the growing of hay and Of recent
years many Feliciana farmers have
entered into the lospedesa industry,
both for hay and seed, aud as a whole
have found IL profitable. Oats has been
found a splendid winter pasurnR crop.
ms wrll IS romnnpmtiye for grain pro.
duCilon and with leFpedcza. corn. Cow
peas and clover the beef aud pork
production m the two Feliclana par.
lshos ought 10 advance rapidly
The principal draw back encountered
In live stock raising In this part OF
Louisiana, outside Of restricted capital
10 push forward such development az
fast as II deserves 90 be- carried. Is the
distance Of available markets. ~ pres.
ent the nearest market IL Fort Worth.
which divides with the National stock
Yards al East 81 Louis, In receipt Of
live stock shipments from the Felle.
ianas With the present rapid increase
In live stock la ali Louisiana as yell
as IN Mississippi the Fplieianas ran