NORTH AMERICAN STATES 



NORTH AMERICAN STATES 2247 



sprouts, celery, eliervil, garlic, kale, salsify, parsnips, 

 cauliflower, and field pumpkins. Most of these vege- 

 tables may be sown several times during the year. 

 Celery and cauliflower, however, are sown early in 

 August in order to mature by the Christmastide. 



The commercial truck sections are found in various 

 sections of the state. Along the Illinois Central Railroad 

 a direct line to Chicago from New Orleans, which rims 

 through the warm sandy pine lands, the most extensive 

 truck-fanns are to be seen. The vegetables grown are 

 radishes, carrots, beans, cabbage, Irish potatoes, toma- 

 toes, peppers, eggplants, and cauUflower. Hundreds 

 of carloads of these vegetables are sent to the central, 

 northern, an<l eastern markets during the months of 

 March, April, and May. This section is also one of the 

 largest producing areas of strawberries in the United 

 States.. Tangipahoa Parish alone has over 15,000 acres 

 and ships 1,'200 to 1,.500 or more cars annually. The 

 Klondyke is the variety universally planted. It is a 

 wonderful shipper and is found on the market as far 

 east as Boston, as far north as Canada, and even as far 

 west as Seattle. The value of this crop alone runs into 

 millions of dollars. 



On the same railroad, a little above New Orleans, is 

 Kenncr, which is noted in the North for its "bunch 

 crops," such as shallots, carrots, beets, turnips, radishes, 

 mustard and spinach. The rich alluvial lands of this 

 section produce these crops to perfection. They are 

 packed in sugar barrels with crushed ice. Quotations 

 on Kenner vegetables are usually above the average on 

 account of their excellent quality and solid pack. 

 Cabbage, lettuce, and snap beans are also extensively 

 grown and shipped from this point. 



The largest truck section of the state is found in the 

 vicinity of New Orleans. This city is also the distribut- 

 ing point for large quantities of vegetables grown along 

 the river and bayous southward. Thousands of cars 

 move over the many trunk lines to the North, East, 

 and West. Shallots, turnips, beets, radishes, carrots, 

 mustard, and spinach are extensively grown and shipped 

 in sugar barrels; also lettuce, endive, cabbages, cucum- 

 bers, eggplants, peppers, beans, and many other vege- 

 tables adapted to the alluvial soils. In this section are 

 found the large commercial orange groves of the state. 

 (See Orange-culture in Louisiana, p. 2.374.) 



Along Bayou Lafourche from Donaldsonville to 

 Lockport, Creole onions are extensively grown as well 

 as Irish potatoes. This section is beginning to plant 

 large quantities of Snowball cauliflower. 



Alexandria is the center of the Irish potato industry. 

 Trainloads of early potatoes from this point move 

 northward during late April and early May. 



Early tomatoes are extensively planted at Norwood 

 along the Yazoo & Mississippi Valley Railroad. The 

 warm rolling sandy loams of this section produce a 

 very early fruit of high quality. A very successful 

 cooperative canning factory is being operated to utilize 

 surplus vegetables that cannot be shipped. Hundreds 

 of acres of Cayenne peppers are grown in this vicinity 

 and the product is dried and ground by a local factory. 



The varieties of these vegetables grown for the north- 

 em markets are as follows: The Acme and Beauty 

 tomatoes, the Chartier radish, the New Orleans Market 

 eggplant, the Peerless and Triuniiih Irish ])otatoes, the 

 New Orleans Market and White S[)ine cucumbers, the 

 Drumheads, Flat Dutch, Succession, All-Seasons and 

 Nonesuch cabbages, the Italian and Bermuda type of 

 onions, the Kirst-and-Best and Ala.ska peas, the Early 

 Mohawk and Valentine beans. In the northern |)art of 

 the state large quantities of Irish potatoes are grown, 

 and oftentimes the .second cro]) is very profitable. The 

 first crop is plantefl in .January or February and har- 

 vested in May and .June. 'I'he seed for the second crop 

 is prepared for (ilanting by special treatment, consist- 

 ing of gradually exposing the tubers to tlie light and 

 moisture, which matures them and excites the eyes 



into growth. As soon as this is accomplished they are 

 ready for planting, which is usually during August. 

 They are harvested in November. 



Upwards of 5,000,000 bushels of sweet potatoes are 

 grown annually, the varieties best known being Pump- 

 kin, Nancy Hall, Triumph, Creole, California, Ber- 

 muda, Red and Yellow Nan.semond, Hayman, Provi- 

 dence, Yellow Jersey, Southern Queen and Vineless. 

 The last variety is one of the most desirable of the 

 newer sweet potatoes. 



The culture of fruit, other than oranges and straw- 

 berries, has been neglected in great measure. Apples 

 do fairly well only in the northern part of the state, the 

 desirable varieties being Smith, Hor.se, Red June, Man- 

 gum, Early Harvest, CuUasaga and Shannon. Grapes 

 are grown but sparingly, as the long, warm, moist sea- 



2521. Louisiana, with important 

 horticultural areas. 



son offers the best conditions under which the grape 

 diseases develop, and the dailj* rains hinder the use of 

 fungicides; however, in the northern and southwestern 

 parts of the state the following varieties have been 

 found desirable: Champion, Diamond, Eaton, Niagara, 

 Concord, Delaware, Brighton, Sweet Mountain, Her- 

 bemont and Jacques. Only the Chinese type of pears 

 is at all grown, as it offers more resistance to the blight 

 than the others. The desirable varieties are LeConte, 

 Kieffer, Smith, Garber, Dai Dai, Golden Russet and 

 Mme. Von Siebold. The European varieties of plums 

 do not succeed, but many of the American and Japan- 

 ese sorts do well. The desirable varieties are Burbank, 

 Abundance, Satsuma, KeLsey, Chabot, Wild Goose, 

 Robinson and a few others. The fig is grown universally 

 in all sections of the state, the best varieties being 

 Celeste, Brunswick, White Ischia, Magnolia, Angelique, 

 Lemon, Mission and Reine Blanche. The Japan per- 

 simmons are being set extensively, using chiefly the 

 Hyakume, Kurokume, Nero Zami, Hachiya, Tsuru and 

 Among. These fruits are large, showy, and will stand 

 transportation well. The Elberta, Sneed, Peen-to (in the 

 south) and Chinese Cling peaches prevail. 



The other fruits, grown in a limited way, are quinces, 

 goumi, blackberries, dewben'ies, a very few raspberries, 

 pomegranates, bananas, jujubes and [jawjiaws. There 

 are a few other tropical fruits that are gi'own only for 

 specimens. 



Louisiana abounds in beautiful flowering shrubs and 

 wild flowers. The planting of all kinds of ornamentals 

 is very extensive, roses bloom throughout the season. 



