Tri-weekly journal., 1848-01-01
SUGAR COAST OF THE MISSISSIPPI.

The editor of the New Orleans Delta gives a
glowing sketch of the plantations on the Dor
ders of the Mississippi, near New Orleans, from
which we make an extract. 1t appears that
prospects of an abundant sugar crop were new
er more flattering.
We saw in the space of one hundred miles
we travelled, more agricultural wealth than can
be seen in travelling five times that distance
along any other stream or any other public
highway in the world. We saw an almost I'M
interrupted cane field from New Orleans to
Baton Rouge, of the average depth of two
miles. And such cane! Oh, it is a glorious
sight! Such rich, luxuriant, nay, almost ex-
cessive crop of this most valuable pro-
duct never before burdened the alluvian of
the Mississippi, and sent gladness to the
hearts of the planters. So sturdy, so tangled
so thick, and towering seemed the stocks, that
we envied not the poor negroes that had to cut
them down. But still the happy blacks en-
joyed the fun; they 'went at it,, with much
more ardor than any other labor. Although
the necessities of the crop demand almost in
cessant exertIon, and leave no time for rest or
recreation, the negroes prefer it to any other
employment, and always look forward to the
grinding season as pleasant and exciting hol-
iday.
The beautiful light green, the regular and
uniform color and growth of the cane, extend
ing in an unbroken sea of verdure, as far as the
eye can reach, aided. no doubt, by the siceet as
sociatons of the product, can render cane field
the most delightful sight that can be opened to
the view Of him who has an eye for scenes of
rural and agricultural beauty. But the beauty
of our coast is not confined to the cane fields,
Our planters, whose happy lot has been cast in
this highly favored country, have not abused
or misapplied the favors and wealth so richly
showered upon them. They have gone on in
creasing and extending their resources, and de-
veloping the capabilities of their soil; at the
same time charging the circle Of their pleasures
and wholesome enjoyments, and cultivating
the elegant tastes and hosoitable usages which
become their station and means.
To the liberality and good taste, backed by
adequate resources, we owe the view of some
of the most magnificent country residences
which can be seen in any part of the world
Along the whole distance from New Orleans
to Baton Rouge, a succession of most elegant
villas, most in the French and Italian style OF
architecture-manyo fthem on a scale of great
magnifcence. Our planters always have large
families, and the Creoles especially having
large domestic circles, and living so much at
home, it is necessary for them to have very
commodious houses. A peculiarly of our
planters houses, and, by-the-by, a great advan-
tage they have over the houses of our farmers
at the North, is the continuous gallery which
runs around the four sides of the house, and
which, especially in this climate, is good SUBJ
titutes for the little, cramped up, classically
portentious porches or porticoes which project
from the centre of the houses at the North
These galleries constitute the most delightful
part of the house, where, in the evening, the
whole family can sit and enjoy the scene and
the breeze, and where the little ones can play
all the day long, and during any weather.
The yards in front of our planters houses run
from the house to the river or levee or common
road, and are plantedGwith rich and various
shrubbery, The walks are hedged with jessam-
ines and little groves of myrtles and cedars, Of
arbor Vita and arbor coli, with lines Of rose
and pomegranate bushes marking off the
squares, and then huge stalked banana plant
and bristling cactus or Agava- Americana, star,
ting up and betraying our vicinity to the trop-
les. Towering Above all this various shrubbery
are about some halfa dozen wide spreading, lof
ty and well shaped pecan trees, or perhaps the
jagged, twisted aud unruly arms of that Spar
tan Of the forest, the liveoak Completely en-
circling the whole house yard and garden, is
rich. dark hedge Of orange trees, which are al
this time of the year nearly weighed down will
the burden of their abundant fruit.