St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1921-04-09
Without Drainage Sensible
Farmers Will Not Bet On
St. Tammany Lands.
DRAINED FARMS
ONLY SURE BET
The Mere Voting of Drain
age Will Increase the
Selling Price
(By A. f. Briggs)

by "A. r.. bIlSSSJ
Why is it so often said that farm
ing is a gamble? What is the CHIEF
cause of crop failures? Isn't it the
weather? Too wet and the crops are
drowned out, or, too dry and the
crops are burned up? Why have
II Western irrigated lands been so "a
Turing to Northern farmers: the last
B few years? Wherever water for
Irrigation is available vast sums have
been spent in he West foc arciSa-
ton. irrigation suddenly trans
forms a desert into a 1a:veious.y
fertile farming community. And
where irrigated lands are also
properly drained, crops are made
sure-the glm5le is tal-eh Out 81
farming. After learning the lesson
that irrigated lands have to be
drained, we, in the excessive rain
fall area, suddenly wake Mp and
wonder is dra 1lage wouldn't te q
good thing for our lands. Why go
West and buy high-priced lands,
when at less cost our lands can be
made to produce as :,rcftably !!
y Why gamble on crop and the weather
when with drainage at less cost ami
no loss we can be sure OF good crops
every year and every season Gamb-
ling on ones livelihood is a fools
occupation. :.
The farmers business is said to
be the most independent business IN
the world, but it has also been shown
to he on the average a very poorly
laid business. Many farmers do
not make enough to pay them
4 wages for their labor. This is prln-
cipally to be explained by the fact
q that more than half the farms in the
United States need drainage. Most
so-called farmers are not entitled to
the name-they are simply gamblers,
or not even entitled to so respectable
a name.
Gambling is supposed to even W
in long averages, but the KIND OF
chance-takng which character1zes
farming without drainage in this
country brings in the average GER
= tain loss. Without drainage sensible
farmers won't bet on St. Tammany
3 Parish at all; they will go where
there is less chance Of losing. 1t Is
not only the farmer here who Is
Il making a bad bet without drainage
the whole parish, merchants, DanR-
sers, everyone stands in the same
shoes. Without Well-developod
farming industry in this parish, Its
chances are poor It's timber IS nearly
gone, and what's left? What is
there to hope for? A man VINO
would purchase any of these cut-over
lands at their present prices ana lei
1t lie for ten of twenty years or less
in its present condition, and paying
taxes, would be a certain loser
Something has to happen to make
these lands have real value. Al
present their only value rs a Specu-
latiye value. The timber which Will
grow on these lands open to range
and continually burned over won
pay taxes and interest on the actual
investment, however small that may
sbe. The turkey l'uZzard food ylelas
no income to the landowner anu
little profit to the owner OF the
#srooters" and half-starved sheep and
cattle.
Farming is the only sure bet to1
this parish. / have brought togethe1
enough evidence to show that these
lands lean be made valuable. We
don't have to wait, Micawber-l1ke
for something to turn up" We can
turn it up and turn it into money
right quick. Drainage is the mos'
profitable investment open to the
owners of land in this parish, and u
1t is also a bet it is "cinch" bet
Eut drainage i3 an investment sltre
of bringing large returns to the IN
yestor, and tha investor Is not re
=Cuired to risk the money mveSteu
The only person who takes the r1sS
is the bond buyer, If am correct IN
my assumption that in their present
condition these cut-over lands are
not worth holding and paying taxes
on. We let the bond buyer take the
risk. and he knows enough to know
that it is a splendid risk, but we take
the big profit The parish will ge'
a big profit. The parish revenue L
improve it's schools and build new
roads with; bus the biggest prom
goes to the land owner, whose lane
will rise greatly In value, in selling
price. In real income-yielding Value
The landowner can rent his land, o.
sell it at great profit and that WITH
out making any additional invest
=ment to what is already invested II
the land, or, If he wishes to farm, ne
can farm 1t most prodtably Ane
the whole community of bankers
merchants and wage earners WI
profit from the Increased prosperity
Of the parish resultant from the es.
tablishment Of a successful farming
Industry in the parish.
l have been told that the people
of the parish have to be shoWn tna'
drainage is worth while, that they
have to find out where it has been
successful, that they will have TO see
It with their own eyes. Well, = thet
wait to see drainage an accom-.
# plfshed fact in this parish before
s they will consent to make drainage