St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1922-01-21
Lake Pontchartrain Gives
Conditions Peculiarly
Advantageous to Us
TIMBER GONE
NOW AGRICULTURE
Only Needs Development of
Natural Resources to-
$ Make Us Rich s
(By A. e. Briggs)

Wy I. b1iS6S{
st. Tammany parish is most favor
ably situated for the development Of
the orchard and truck growing busi-
ness. 1t was this fact which caused
Mr.. L. w. Wilkinson, State Farm
District Agent, in the recent meet
ings of farmers in this parish to en-
phasize the advantages and wealth
derived from this most profitable
type of farming.
Mr.. Wilkinson's authority concern
ing the truck growing industry is
especially valuable as he has had ex-
perience in the most important truck
district of Louisiana as supervisor
and adviser to the growers there, not
only through his present position,
but also by having formerly been
located in an official capacity in that
truck district. His recommendation
therefore to our farmers that they
organize in truck. growers associa-
tions for the purpose especially OF
marketing their products is most
significant. He made the point, how
ever, that before they can sell to
advantage they must first organize
to produce. He was not there to-
discuss how to grow crops, but to-
urge the necessity for farm develop
ment and farm organization.
The action OF the Police Jury to
arrange for the employment of a
farm demonstration agent in this
parish is one of the consequences of
the farm meetings referred to, and
il the farmers of the parish will or
ganize themselves SO that they can
use the services Of the Parish Farm
Agent adVantageously, we should By
another year see a beginning at least
Of new period Of farm develop
ment here. There are some who do
not know what the benefits are to be
obtained from this commendable &C.
tion on the part of the Police Jury.
The best way to find out is to get
acquainted with the Farm Agent as
soon as he arrives in the parish, tell
him you want his help to show yo1
how to plant, cultivate, fertilize, har-
vest and sell your crops. It is inn
possible for the Farm Agent to go to
every farm in the parish and give
counsel to every farmer,
but he can meet groups Of farmers
at regular meetings. By getting to-
gether in farm organizations OF a
local character the greatest benefits
can be obtained. There the Farm
Agent can help the farmers to plan
so that they can cooperate
70 raise crops in sufficient quantities
% ship by carload lots, and he can
.elp them to sell their crops (es-
>ecially fall, winter and spring truck
;rops) to best advantage in north
.rn markets.
Mr.. Wilkinson urged the farmers
hat they should each raise about five
lifferent kinds Of crops, that in their
s.arm organizations they should ar
range for each crop to be planted by
all the farm members at the same
time, SO that they would all be ready
to market at che same time, and all
to raise the same variety of crop so
that they would all be ready to
market at the same time, and all to
raise the same variety of crop so
that the product would be uniform
Or all of the same kind, and to raise
so that they could be sure to
have sufficient quantity to sell in
carload lots (Which is the only profit
able way to ship).
AS to the pro1tableness of the
trucking business, he illustrated by
telling Of the locality in which he
had been supervising agent, where
out of so farms rented eventually
the tenants had out Of their profits
in the business purchased and paid
for 65. A more positive proof could
not be given.
Although in that locality the truck
were mostly foreigners, and
in the Tangipahoa strawberry dis
trict the same situation exists, yet,
as was brought out in the meeting,
the best strawberry district Is at
Ponchatoula where the Italians are
kept out. In this connection, too,
recall conversation with a gentle
man who a few years ago was en-
gagged on very large scale In pro-
duce shipping business and who told
me that the New Orleans producers
are generally Disseminated against
in all northern markets because 1t
is impossible to get high class pro-
ducts from ignorant foreign truck
He also said that except
ing for this handicap shippers from
this section have great advantages
over any other producing district IN
the South from Florida to Texas,
and should Ee able to sell to much
better advantage. This shows very
conclusiyely that with educated pro-
ducers Farmers according to the
best approved practical methods) we
can in this section, especially in St.
Tammany parish as we shall see, top
the market with our produce when-
ever we are ready to farm right.
This is why the Farm Agent can be
valuable to us.
AS another concrete illustration of
the profits in truck farming, M.
Wilkinson related the story OF Mr..
Tebout (whose son is now head OF
the Horticultural Department at
Baton Rouge). Mr.. Tebout had been
a bank employee whose health fail
ed and he came down to this healthy
country to save his life. He went
80. r. 4 -. 4f