St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1921-10-29

country great. AS St. Tammany IS
the country Of his nativity and youth
and he still has relatives residing
here, he has visited the parish from
time to time during the many years
he has lived and worked elsewhere,
and naturally he has a great interest
in anything which concerns the de-
yelopment of his home country. M.
Roome mas had a very wide expert
ence in railway transportation Dusl-
ness He began as telegrapher,
Tor several years was superintendent
Of the electric lines Of the Southern
Pacific Railway in Southern Call
fornia, and more recently has been
stationed at Washington, D. G., and
connected with the American Rail-
way Association. He is now in New
Orleans temporarily getting the
kinks out OF the tie-up in the freight
car situation The observations OF
a man with thorough knowledge
OF transportation to markets is valu-
able to us, and to the many who are
acquainted with the high quallEca-
tions of Mr.. Roome his testimony
will be especially valuable.
We had very pleasant visit with
Mr.. Roome Sunday morning in Man
| deville just before he left for Cow
ington to look over the Parish Fair.
He spoke enthusiastically Of the de-
lightful climate of this country and
said it is a matter of constant regret
THAT his business does not permit
him to spend more time here. Inc
NATIVE who has not travelled over thc
United States to the extent which is
an old story with Mr.. Roome does
not appreciate what superior coun-
try, especially in it's winter season,
is this section Of Southern Loulsl-
lana Mr.. Roome has only praise to
|speak Of the natural features OF MS
native home.
What is it makes country great:
Simply improvements. Railroads are
livery important But in this respect
st. Tammany, says Mr.. Roome, is
singularly blessed. He cannot recall
a place in all the South which is SO
we'll provided with transportation
facilities. He says what we prob
lably fail to realize is the advantage
TO be derived from organization of
our available transportation facill-
ties. We have easily accessible two
great railway systems, the Illinois
Central and the Southern Railway
With our good roads it is easy to
naul truck loads from any part OF the
,arish to either Slidell or Covington.
, Whenever there is sufficient amount
Il production it will be most profit
IDLE to make use of both railways
md to have refrigeratng and stor-
lge plants at both these shipping
3Oints. The auto truck has else
where all over the country solved the
shipping problem for localities which
compared to ours are far away from
any such favorable marketing facili-
ties.
This suggestion is indeed an i'm
portant one to us. For one thing II
shows the utter absurdity of hostile
rivalry between any two towns in
this parish. Feuds flourish in back
ward communities. Cooperation is
the slogan and guide OF progress
We must get together all over the
parish and put through drainage
establish productive farms, raise the
stuff, and cooperate to sell it. The
man who spends his time in local
fights is wasting it, is an enemy tC
himself and a public nuisance.
The railways could hardly do more
for us than they have done at the
present time. What we need, M
Roome says, is production. Until
We can produce in large quantities
we cannot sell to advantage. When
ever we can produce in sutticien1
quantities to attract buyers, they will
largely solve our marketing prob
lems The railroads will be eager
to help us sell what we produce, TO:
railroads make more money hauling
freight, much more than by hauling
passengers With our exceptional
railway facilities, we have only ono
real problem, and that is agricui-
tural production.
So it comes back, we see, to the
point that when we improve ou1
lands by drainage we remove the
only obstacle to production. On wei
drained lands as every tiller of g
hummock knows it is easy to get
production. And with drainage W.
can make better than hummock sol
Of almost every acre in the parish
for drainage will improve even the
hummock lands. When we have q
large proportion of the parish under
tiIlage, and that is the end at whlcl7
this drainage movement aims, there
.. will be far better market for every
product Of the farm than any farmer
hinder nresant conditions here is able
to obtain. What Mr.. Roome tells
us should allay every possible doub!
and should give us more than ordi-
nary confidence in prosperity to fol
low from farm improvement. Why?
Because we have most exceptiona
marketing facilities right at hand and
ready for use whenever we can pro
duce in sufficient quantity to make a
market for our produce.
Two localities have particularly
impressed Mr.. RoOme with the great
truth that enterprise is what makes
success. One is ROCKFORD, Colo
RADIO, the renowned district of the
ROCKFORD muskmelon. ROCKFORD
is away from markets and off the
main line of the Sante Fee Railroad
on it's LaJunta branch, but that docs
not hinder the ROCKFORD shippers.
Enterprise is the whole story, for
ROCKFORD has no special advantages,
With equal care and forethought
there are hundreds or thousands Of