Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1864-08-02
the Gulf Regions.

The country bordering on the gulf Of Mexico
is not well understood at the North. ta Our i'm
presaions have been obtained from descriptions Of
the alluvions Of the Mississippi, or the low plains
adjacent to the Gulf The popular notion Of these
is that il is a region OF mere marsh and lagoon
whose cmite is one of bul ming heats, spaced into
periods Of parchng drouihs, deluging rains, or
sckenng vapors and that it possesses little that
is pleasant OF entcing, and nothing desirable to
those whose lives have been passed in temperate
climates.
These impressions have been the parent of
much error The Gulf region is pro erIy the
oca southern slope OF the continent, everywhere
bordered by high lands or mountains a few hun
dred miles inland. # is terraced region rising
from the level of the waters to the interior axis.
The plains are the mere wash OF the highlands, the
low outer rim of the interior reliefs and they are
continuous, except in the immediate valley OF
the Mississippi, whose waters have apparently torn
away and broken through the ancient barrier.
The very general Impression that this section
OF the Union is vast marsh, origin ted doubt
less, from the leveeng or wallng in the river. The
idea Of overflow, carried with II the iarthest no
lion Of partial or total submergence, as the level
OF The country was known TO be fellow that Of the
river in foods; and how was this surplus water to
csc pei? b Is lhe purpose OF this writing 10 threw
some light on the subject, as we'll as some other
matters which will be treated OF in their place.
The foods Of the Mississippi are not regular or
annual. They are excopsional-the accId, nts OF
incidents Of iime During more than ten-twelfths
of every year the eentral channel is IRON ten to
twenty feet below the level Of the land, so that
H. IL g..
the river, But the adjacent banks are always high
er than the country IN the rear. WhyP Simply
because in each former overflow the heaviest ma.
terial vas deposited nearest the channel-the
lghtest most remote. II there we're no other
outlets the country would necessarily have become
great lake. But there were innumerabe outlets,
aud the river has never drained its own borders
The drainage has always been independent of the
great drain. lnnumerable lagoons and streams do
TINS work, and have Their own outlets to the Cult
Thus New Orleans, lao miles inland by river is
thirty-hree feet above the Gulf, and twelve feet
abovs Lake Ponchartran, eight miles distant Its
drainage is all from the river. The ship canal
from the lake TO the city could not be connected
with he Mississippi, because during one portion
Of the year the water would dow from the river
TO the lake, aud during the balance OF the season
from the lake TO the river. II is very absurd TO
suppose TINS great tract OF low lands cannot BE-
generally drained. When settlements are more
dense, and more system Is introduced, there is
very little OF the country that will not be re-
claimed.
Sugar, at the rate Of 2400 pounds average per
acre, Is the natural product. sumo tracts are also
givea to rice. Its too rloh for cotton. That is
grown upon the higher terraces.
The climate Of tins section Is, also, equally mis-
apprehended The deadly vapors are the myth
OF newspaper griIers-the burning heats are
cooler than al the North at the anne season. Il is
neither as hot nor as cold as the temperate zone.
AT New Orleans 30 deg. is the highest range Of
the thermometer, and 26 deg. about the lowest
while upon the Gulf itself it never exceeds SO deg.
Tue frost line is the stern winter 10 that section.
damp winter wind comes IN from the Gulf,
sufficiently chilly for the most ultra North man.
The clothing on the Gulf and in Wisconsin do
not differ. Heavy flannel is Indispensable in both
during mos, Of the season Except along the riy.
er aud over bodies of inland water fogs are rare.
Nor is il a rainy region, but rather the reverse
for upon the western end Of the Union, in Texas,
il is raness Rain storms are not frequent, but
the fall OF rain Is much greter in a given time
than with US. Ia general terms, winter in this
section is the equivalent of May and June in the
northeastern SIaIes-bright skies, cool, braclng
air, with intervals OF ho, weather. The summers
are long, and debiiilate not so much by quantity
as by continuance Of heats. Nights near the
Cult are always cool, here is no period OF the
year properly answering to spring and autumn.
Summer and winter blend too intimately for that.
This description Of the climate will not apply at
any great distance inland, where the summers be-
come hotter and winters colder, as at the North.
The products Of the country, aud those wi,hln
reach OF New Orleans, comprise everything OF
tropical or of temperate climates. The West ln-
dies and Cealral America are about as near as
Wisconsin. The most delicate tropical fruits are
10 be met 10 the markes, side by side With the
indigenous banana, orange, lemon and hg, and on
the same stand every seA,onAble product OF Ihs
North, The winter gardening ef that region
which commences in November, produces, i
enough cold prevails, very lolerablesiaed potatoes
cabbage, Asparagus peas, beans, onions, radishes,
ETC., which are 10 use from January to March, by
which time strawberries, blaekblifIvs, &c, are
ripe AiIer that the products are suo.lroploai.
The estuares and bays along the coast, furnish
in proiuse abundance, the oyster, crab, schrlmp
aud the tsn VI warm seas-some varieties quit,
equal To those from cold water. lnnumerable Wa