Evening star., 1917-05-27
Big Drainage Projects Now Under Way i'm the South

peculiar property of not rottng as long
as they are covered with water. II Is
only when the land has been drained
that the stumps will rot. and even
then they last a long time.
In this property the land was thrown
up SO as to form a levee between 1t
and Lake Pontchartrain, and pumping
stations We're installed. The water
were dug. The engineering is such
that the water all flows into these
bitches. which are kept clear by the
pumps. The pumps will raise five
and they lift this water from the canals
over the wall into Lake Pontchartrain,
from whence it runs off into the
Mexican gulf. The drainage is such
that. after a big rain. the pumps be
gin to draw the water from the farthest
part of the property within four
minutes after the engines are started
They keep the land dry and take away
any surplus water not needed for the
crops and the trees.
To give you an idea of the capacity
of these pumps, the new Catskin
aqueduct, which New York has about
completed for It's future water supply,
will have capacity of just five hun
plantation pumps could supply more
water than New York is now using,
with millions of gallons to spare.
These pumps are now kept busy for
great part of the time. They will have
to do less and less as the needs of plant
life reduce the volume of water. and
the cost of pumping will steadily de-
crease. The average annual precipi-
tation of Louisiana is less than fifty
three inches. and it is well distributed
throughout the year. The advantage
of the pumping arrangements is that
they can leave just as much or as lit
tie water as is required for the various
crops.
This whole tract that l have de-
scribed has been planted to oranges.
1t has been divided up into small or
chards. which have been sold to pur-
chasers in different parts of the Union.
The trees are of various ages. from
little sprouts recently planted to lusty
trees two or three years old. They
seem to grow we'll. and the prospect
is that they will eventually form one
great orange grove of 1000 acres right
here within five miles of the center of
New Orleans.
AS l went over. the farm. I expressed
my doubts as to the success of orange
groves so far north. and my guide took
me to an adjoining estate, which be-
longs to a New Orleans merchant, upon
which there is grove of several hum
dred orange trees now in bearing.
These trees are still loaded with fruit.
tne lTOSt VI spring
ruined the vegetable gardens and sent
the thermometer to six degrees below
freezing point. The oranges were of
the Creole variety. and were delicious.
The reason of their withstanding the
frost is the fact that the trees are
budded on the citrus trifoIiata, which
is not affected by frost. This variety
of tree will grow in the north. but 1T
is native of the country about New
Orleans It is decduous; that is. il
sheds it's leaves and remains dormant
during the winter. The sap goes down
to the roots and takes rest during
the cold months. coming up again In
the spring. 1t has been found that certain
onto this citrus variety, and that the
new tree will resist the frost.
This seems to prove that oranges can
he grown here. Indeed. | am told that
some were planted by the Jesuit faith
ers as far back as 1927, and that for a
time Seeding oranges were plentiful
in the southern part of the state. There
was grove set out in 1860 the traces
of which still remain, and seven years
after that an orange grove of 125.O0o
seedlings was planted fifty miles be-
low New Orleans. This was operated
for some years on large scale. al
though modern horticultural methods
were unknown. i believe some of the
pie here are enthusiastic as to the
citrus fruit prospects. They expect
to form a fruit organization something
like that of southern California. and
to handle the Louisiana fruit after the
same methods that have succeeded so
we'll on the Pacific slope.
FRANK G. CARPENTER.