St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1920-07-10
DRAINAGE THE
KEY NOTE TO
DEVELOPING
PARISH
Mr.. Arnett Shows How It
Works Miracles in Soil
Productiveness.
INCREASE DEPTH OF
SOIL THREE TIMES
Same Climate and Soil Coz.
ditions Here as in
California.

Mr.. Arnett is progressing with his
development work in St. Tammany
parish, but there is much prelimi-
nary work to finish yet. Mr.. Briggs,
his secretary, is a man of wide ex-
perience in land matters and one
of the best informed men in ab-
stract work. He will assist in the
work
To show how thoroughly Mr..
Arnett is working out his land prob
lens in anticipation of drainage, we
quote some of his remarks given In
an interview relative to drainage
and productivity of land:
Essential to the production o.
profitable crops in general but abso-
lutely requisite to success in truckig
and fruit growing.
Improves the texture of the soil
itself by promoting root develop
ment and developing drainage pores
Increases the available depth Of
soil, which is equivalent Of increas-
ing the available acreage. Through
drainage and the scientific planning
possible as a result of drainage the
soil depth Of the parish may be
doubled, trebled and in extreme cas-
es quadrupled.
Most materially increases the
available moisture in the soil itself
instead of decreasing it.
"Makes possible warmer soil,
result of Importance at all seasons
of the year, but particularly SO in
the first three months in all that
portion adaptable to the growing of
truck and fruit crops and which will
eventually include all parts OF the
parish properly drained, irrigated
and cultivated. 1t also includes
earlier termination which together
with the other benefits of a warm
soil will force early maturity of
truck crops and fruit which in an
early section like the Lake Pont-
chartrain District means the differ
ence between highly profitable busi-
ness and one that barely pays ex-
penses.
increases the zone and possfbili-
ties of bacterial activity necessary
to the manufacture Of plant food
and it's conversion into plant growth
"a process practically suppressed in
the cold undrained soils OF the
parish
increases deep rooting-the most
practical insurance against drouth.
Enables the air to enter the soil
now SO badly water-lcgged; organic
matter decays in the presence of the
air, which results in the formation
of gases and other substance injuri-
GUS to plant life.
Restores proper balance between
the air and moisture content by ad-
mitting air to the soil, thereby most
materially lowering the present
water-line, which, with soils like
ours with a hard-pan near the slr-
face, IS one of the most vital i'm
portance.
adequate drainage, together with
artesian water, irrigation and prop
er cold weather protective measures
in the same latitude on the Atlantic
Coast has resulted in an apprecta-
tion of land values of several thou
sand per cent.
Adequate drainage, together with
scientific orchard culture in practi-
cally the same climate and soil con-
dit :ons in California, has resulted IN
a production increasing land values
from our present low level all the
way from one hundred to thou
sand dollars per acre.
"A prime essential to commercial
success with such fruits as are re-
garded a natural habitant Of this
particular community, viz: Pecans,
figs, satsumas, persimmons, SOUP
pernongs and other grapes.
"Will enable this parish to more
than double the strawberry yield per
acre as now experienced in our en-
terprising sister parish, Tangipahoa,
for regardless of their great progress
their lands are, generally speaking,
very imperfectly drained by open
bitches instead of proper under
drainage"
The following resolutions were
passed at the recent meeting OF the
St. Tammany Parish improvement
League:
Resolved, That it is the judgment
of the Board of Directors OF the st.
Tammany Parish League, that the
tremendous advantage resulting from
the drainage of the lower lying lands
in the Parish of St. Tammany, Is so
apparent and generally admitted
that now with the practical termi-
nation of the timber industry, alto
gether, regardless of the magnitude
of the task, the construction Of
system of canals and drains should
receive the immediate attention Ut
the property owners of the parish.
Therefore, the president, upoh
proper authorization, appointed d
committee of seven, including High
way Engineer Huckaby, which COM
mittee was duly empowered to as
certain and designate the natural
drainage districts of the parish, and
after such designation to take what
ever preliminary steps as are neces-
sary to the organization Of same.
INo arc indahtad To Mr. II ]