St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1921-10-08
SURROUNDING
FARMERS MAKE
PROSPEROUS
TOWNS
Agriculture Far the Most
Important Industry
In America
ST. TAMMANY FAMOUS
IF LAND DEVELOPED
Behind Gulf Coast While
Advantages are Much
the Greater.
(By A. E. Briggs)


l< Without forms somewhere there
would be no towns anywhere. The
food St. Tammany people eat is
nearly all produced on farms OUT
side St. Tammany parish. Nowadays
we hear much Of the advantage OF
being a self-sustaining nation, that
is, a nation which produces every
thing necessary for the sustenance OI
the life of it's own people. But we
seldom speak of the advantages pos
sessed by community or parish
which produces most Of the food con-
sumed by it's population. Agricul-
ture is far the most important IN
dustry in America, and it should be
the most important idustry in St.
Tammany parish. There are sew
eral reasons why, If our towns are
to grow or maintain themselves in
the future, they must be surrounded
by prosperous farms.
The farmer who sells to home
market gets more for his produce,
and the consumer who buys from
producer at home buys more cheaply,
because the cost of production
Of imported or exported goods must
be added to the cost OF transporta-
ton Who pays the freight? Both
producer and consumer shares the
cost So it is to the advantage OF
townspeople to buy produce which
is raised in the near vicinity.
Turning the waste lands Of st.
Tammany parish, these unproduc-
tivt cut-over and stump lands, INTO
farms will greatly increase the popu-
lation Of the parish. The more farni-
ers We can get into our surrounding
country the larger will grow the
popu.ation of our towns. The meI-
chants will have more customers,
new businesses will spring up, new
facOr es, more laborers will be enl--
ployed, and thus our towns Will
grow rapidly when we have estab-
lished all agricultural community.
And with the growth Of our towns
in this parish, the better places they
will be to live in. Better streets
will be demanded, better stores, bet
ter public improvements of every
kind, lights, water, sewerage.
When we have developed agricul-
ture in this parish, st. Tammany Will
become famous as a health resort.
We have very great natural advant-
ages. But so far as present devel-
opment has gone, almost the only
advantage which we can advertise is
pure water. What a wonderful as
SGT is our good water.
And the development of the farm
ing industry here will provide Us
with the other asset which is nee
essary before we can hope to make
St Tammany parish a health resort
which will actually draw people.
We think it is transportation facll1-
ties which we need most. A farm
ing population will demand and then
the railroad can afford to give better
transportation. But probably we are
thinking how the Gulf Coast coull-
try has outgrown this parish and at
tracts so many more visitors. We
know that with less natural advant-
ages on the Gulf Coast than we have,
the good service provided by the
l.. e N. Ry. makes difference IN
their favor. We think the n. 0.
G. N. would find it profitable now to
make their service the equal Of the
Gulf Coast service, for If they Wouid
screen their coaches, provide siffici-
ent cars for the passenger tra1t1c,
shorten their schedule, and make
equally attractive rate, the Increase
in traffic would easily wipe out the
deficit they have had in previous
seasons. 1t would be directly to the
vertise the advantages Of st. Tam
many as a summer and winter re-
sort. However, we are not really
dependent upon the development OF
the railroad company. A boat and |
jitney service can be provided !
which will be very attractive to Wis
itors and would give us immense ad-
vantages over the Gulf Coast. THIS |
matter OF transportation facilities is
a challenge to the towns OF the par
ish for cooperation. We must inn |
mediately improve transportation
facilities.
But let us not overlook the neces-
sity of first-class entertainment Of |
uuI F1SltUTS. we nave iOlS CL Soou |
water to drink and that costs the
visitor nothing. If we could adver-
tise abundance Of fresh country pro-
duce, good milk, eggs, and green |
vegetables all through the summer, /
that would be one of the greatest in
ducements we could offer city people.
But the fact Of the matter is they
can get better in New Orleans stores
than can be bought in any OF our
town markets. 1t does not SPEAK
we'll for st. Tammany gardeners that
from July on to October they have
no green's" but only peppers, okra,
squash, and eggplant, and
very late in the summer there IS
a dearth Of any kind of green yege-
tables on the market. The greatest
complaint | hear from summer visit
ors is the scarcity of green stuff on
the market. In the city the house
wife can buy a plenty of salad plants
Tor the table. And the fault is not
our grocers.