St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1922-05-13
Vaudeville Is
SHIPPING BEANS
AT A PROFIT
(By A. Z. Briggs)

Wy 1A. -. ~ 1867
So far as the writer is informed,
Vaudeville has achieved The distinc-
ton of being the first cooperative
association in the parish which has
successfully raised and marketed by
shipment a perishable crop. The
Vaudeville Association was organic
ed about three months ago as pure
ly cooperative organization to en-
able it's members to plan together
and market together truck and other
crops. 1t was fortunate in having
the counsel and assistance Of Mr..
Henry Vautrain, a veteran produce
broker who las the widest knowl-
edge OF markets in the Ulited States
and their requirements.
The Association was formcl SO late
that N the Judgment of its exert
advisers it was feasible to try only
one crop this spring. The crop yas
beans. A late cold spell with sharp
frost delayed planting nearly two
weeks after seed and fertilizer were
purchased. Very rainy weather also
was a handicap about planting time.
AS a result OF these drawbacks our
growers have had no special advant-
ages i'll their favor. Normally we
may expect to reach the market
earlier than the Mississippi growers
and so receive the highest prices, but
the late start puts Us onto the mark
ct about the same time as the others.
Our first shipment went forward
last Saturday, consisting of 16o
hampers of beans. The town turn
ed out to help. Herbert and George
Smith proved to be very clever at
the knack of packing and
Grating, and they were volunteers,
not shippers. The writer is sorry he
was obliged to miss seeing SO fine a
display Of public spirit.
Returns have not yet (Wednes-
day. been received, but telegraphi@
advices state that beans arrived in
the Kansas City and Cincinnati mara
cts in fine condition and were selling
readily at prices which will net the
growers a good profit.
A second shipment was made to-
day OF 81 hampers principally y,
those whose beans were not ready
to ship last Saturday. Over 20 mem
bers have participated in these snip
ments.
These amounts are comparatively
small, as they total considerably les
than a carload, but now that we
have made this start it will be easie.
to produce and ship in carload iocs
than it was to make this frs,
achievement.
The real significance of the Man
leyille situation is that this organl-
zatjon has had it's beginning almost
wholly from the farmers themselves.
We think the articles in this paper
have tended to stimplate this and
other movements now well under
Roadway in this parish. Mr.. keller's
energetic work in calling meetings,
he first of which was held at Mande-
Vile, undoub btedly gave direct en-
But to Mr.. w. L. Cor
zee, the president, and Mr.. Wlnfle
3eauieaux, treasurer of the assocla-
ion, are due the real initiation OF
the Vaudeville farmers.
There was no aid from the local
merchants, the farm agent was no:
vet on the Job, and, excepting lof
he assistance of Mr.. Vautrain and
he writer, the farmers have been
going it by themselves.
It is to the credit of the Mand2
lille farmers that, although theJ
vent into the organization with ttis
spirit Of trying it out, they had de-
,.ded before making even ID frs
,hipment that they were in to stay
.egardless of whether or not any
profit was realized on their beans,
Such an attitude is necessary to the
success of any cooperative assocla
ion One shipment or even several
cannot prove the value OF growing
ruck to ship. Those who are in to
tay are the only ones who will sue
iced, and their profits should pf
much larger than those of the. ave;
lge successful farmer.
Vaudeville is in to stay. TheFe
will probably be SO acres planted IN
traw berries here this fall. Fai
,eans, beets, carrots, cabbage, Irish
,otatoes and onions viii also receive
quota of the acreage farmed by the
Association members. The Assocla-
ion was already planning for
weet potato storage and drying
irving house, but now that the
american Farm Bureau promises to
ome into the field if it is able to
10 so our Association will probably
,ntrust and turn over to it that pars
# our plans, as we have prospects
or a good number of memberships
lere in the A. F. B.
If Vaudeville is not the first CO.
operative association in the parish
which has financed itself as an or
sanization wholly Of farmers and
lone it's own shipping and marketing
lirectly and not through some OUT