The true Democrat. [volume] (Bayou Sara [La.]) 1892-1928, 1917-02-24
INVESTIGATION HAS
PROVEN PROFITABLE
West Fsiiei@na NO longer Dependent
ueon ce,ten AIons-Raisss
Mary Other Crops.

When the boil weevil reached West
Feiiciana and proved eoneIusively that
cotton could NO longer be depended
upon as the one money crop. much
CONSERVATION vas caused among our
planters Prom time Immemorial they
had depended upon cotton for every
thing. The new order CT things APP
parently, spelled ruin. with cotton
gone. the question was what would
TAX" it's place. The answer. found by
a few sturdy souls. vas liberalization
At first. many mistakes Wor. made.
even money wa- lost on crops that at
on" tim" or another looked like a sure
money producer. aud some were con
. WINGED that it WAS Affection or nothing
However. pTohtinE by experience. they
soon learned what Was best ada 9ted To
this section. and how 10 grow ~. with
the result that at the present date one
couid not persuade come OF our plant
.rs To- go back to the Affection system.
Stock raising aud dairyinE have
proven a great factor ia the problem
of diyersifcation. These subjects are
treated at greater length elsev here Ira
this issue We wish To treat nov OF
some Of the ether crops
With the coming OF the boil weevii.
many OF our planters we're already
engaged in growing Iespedeza for seed
and hay. and oats for seed Being sure
crops and good revenue producers. a
greater number of acres each year
we're planted TO these crops. With the
result that today these commodities
form a large part of the agricultural
wealth OF the parish,
CORN
In cotton times. IL was considered
cheaper To raise cotton and bay corn.
consequently large sums OF money each
year went from West FHeltciana to the
west so pay for corn Much progress
has been made la growing corn with
the result that the tide has turned the
other Way. West Feiiciana now pro
dacss her oWn corn and has some To
sell
Great progress has been mad. in
growing vegetables. Two or more crops
can be grown ON the same land In a
year. anywhere in the parish. snd I'm
some instances. under favorable con
ditions three or four. The two mos,
widely grown crops are potatoes and
peanuts. oats and sweet potatoeiy. oats
and Jun. corn: sweet and Irish pota-
toes. and in every case cowpeas. velvet
beans. or some other self heterogeneous
crop can be- groWn in the corn
IRISH POTATOES
This crop constitutes an important
unit la the general scheme of dlversi-
fication az i, IL nov prncticed la West
Feiieiana. Ia being quite possible to-
raise tao good crops on the same
ground annually. the second at little
expense. a. additional fertilizer il rare
~ necessary. and the small potatoes
from the first crop serve a. seed for
the second The flrst crop IL planted
In January and February aud harvested
Ia May. the second ia the latter part
Of July and the beginning Of August
and harvested In late autumn ~ IN no
uncommon occuTTene" for farmer TO
realize more than one hundred dollars
per acre from Irish potatoes
SWEET POTATOES.
This crop has played an important
part in the development Of diverslfea-
ton ia West FeIiciaBa- The soil here
Is peculiarly adapted to the growing of
the yam. and West Fellciana has the
anchailenged reputation OF furnishing
The best yam that reaches the New
Orleans market. This crop b. of especial
value because IL can and - grown as
. second crop.
Hundreds of cars of sweet and Irish
potatoes are shipped from West Fe-
liciana every year.
CARRIAGES
This IL another crop that has played
an important part i'm liberalization in
West Feiiciana. IL has = special at
traction because tao crops can be-
zroSn each year and because the yield
IL uniformly heavy Cabbases make a
good money crop.
SMALLER VEG ETABLEs
Beans. peas. okra. onions. rsdishes.