St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1919-02-01
Says He Is Tackling Mighty
Big Job When He Calls
Them a Fizzle.
CUTOVER SECTION
LEADS IN PRODUCTION
Tells Hardtner Some of the
Things That Can Be
Proftably Grown.

Inc arrangement OF Ln6 large uedu
lines in the New Orleans Item Of
January %, in connection with an
article purporting to quote Mr.. Henry
Hardtner on the use of the cut-oVer
lands for agricultural purposes, is
calculated to lead the casual reader
to infer that Mr. Hardtner is an eA-
pert agriculturist. And judging from
The emphatic manner in winch Mr
Hardtner expresses himself concern
ing the use OF cut-OVer lands Tor re-
turning soldiers and agricultural pur-
poses, he may lay some claim, him
se.f, to being an expert agrlculturlst
1t is evidently conceded, generally
that he is successful lumDerman
and it is certainly pretty generally
known that he has eXperlmented On
his cut-over lands for reforestatlon.
If reports be true, Mr.. Hardtner IS
certainly entitled to a great deal or
credit for the things he has demon
strated in reforestation on cut-oVer
lands and no doubt the owners OF
unused cut-over lands in this State
as we'll as in the pine district OF the
entire South, would do well to give
more attention to reforesting at least
certain portions of their lands, than
they are apparently doing.
Conceding that Mr. Hardtner is a
very progressive gentleman and an
expert lumberman and has gained by
actual experience great deal OF in
formation on the question OF refor-
estation of cut-over lands, yet when
he assumes to say that any attempt
at the settlement of cut-over lands
for agricultural purposes will be
farce and a fizzle he is tackllng
mighty big subject. Nearly two
thirds of the whole State of Louisi-
ana will probably fall in the class
of cut-over lands. Within a few
short years there will be in the Costal
Plans States of the South two hun
dred and eighty million acres of cut
over lands. Hundreds and thous-
the South to fight the cause of right
against might came fresh from the
farms of the cut-oVer land area. We
do not doubt the sincerity of Mr..
|Hardtner's opinion on the subject of
building farms on cut-over lands but
deplore his judgment and informa-
ton. We are reminded of the much
used quotation, ooh! Consistency
thou art a jewel" Just few items
for thought as to what has been done
and is being done on cut-over lands
in Louisiana alone:
Ninety per cent of all the sheep in
Louisiana are on cut-over land.
Eighty per cent OF the sweet po-
tatoes that are shipped from the
State are from the cut-over land
section.
All the strawberries are from the
cut-over section.
Seventy-fve per cent of the milk
shipped to New Orleans is from the
cut-over section.
All the first. class pure Louisiana
non-sulphur cane syrup is from the
cut-over lands.
The best watermelons are grown
in this section.
The cut-over section leads in the
production of velvet beans. soy beans
and Is best adapted for peanuts.
The very best cabbage, caulidoWer,
beets, snap beans, and in fact all
kinds of vegetables are grown and
shipped from the cut-over lands.
The cut-over section produces
many thousands of bushels of oats.
corn, Irish potatoes and can compete
with the alluvial and bottom lands
in the production Of cotton in
the fact OF ravages by the boil weevil
The great section of cut-over land
does not require water pumped off it
and produces the best water on eartn
in springs, streams, shallow and
artesian wells.
No well-informed man pretends to
argue that the cut-over lands as a
class will require one thousand two
hundred and forty acres of cut-over
land with fish pond, to produce q
living for family, and is absolutely
foolish and ridiculous.