The New Orleans crescent. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1866-1869, 1869-04-11

DESCRIPTION By NIB. NEDnL, OF The CHICAGO
TRIBUNE.

Inc Tecn0 country.
DESCRIPTION By NIB. xEDnL, OF The CHICAGO
TRIBUNE.
Mr.. Mednl, editor Of the Chicago Tribune,
writing from Franklin, La, says:
After making close inquiry and personal investi
cation / am convinced that there is no part OF
North America IN which an intelligent Western or
Eastern farmer can make 40 much money with
given amount Of capital and labor % IN this Teche
district, or, more extensively speaking, In the
Attakspss pronounced Tuck apawl country.
purchase . plantation, and divide 1t up among
them in proportion to their means. each paying
five or six thousand dollars, and reserving ss much
more to erect buildings, put up snug little cane
and provisions until they can raise crop. There
after this will be the result: With $4,000 q man can
purchase, say, 100 acres Of cleared cane land and
$50 acres Of timber adjoining It. Put halt OF this
in cane, and half Of the other half in corn; spend
$4,000 to 5000 on improvements, stock, living and
labor-hiriDg. say, two negro families In addition
to the help of his own family. The production
will be so to IS hhds Of sugar and 100 bbls Of mo-
twelve thousand dollars. In other words, the
farmer will get back what he paid for the land
from the first crop. hogshead OF sugar Is as
readily produced on an acre Of Teche land as forty
bushels of corn In Illinois, and ton of sugar
as easily % sixty bushels to the acre, which,
with the moasses, readily sells for $500. The rule
here is that one negro can plant and take care Of
ten acres of cane but. ss Illinois farmers work,
one man can take care of or make" as 1t is
called here, fifteen to twenty acres, besides the
necessary corn crop for the sustenance OF his
hands and stock. Sugar cane Is really but little
harder to cultivate than corn. After the cane
from the "stubbler without planting again. 1t is
worked exactly as corn-that is planted in drills
instead of hills-apd requires about the same
amount of cultivation. 1t Is no harder to cut 1t
- "A ill Al.
and the labor OF husking and sheling corn is Ger.
tainly half as much ss that OF grinding and boiling
sugar, while the profits realized are hardly one
tenth part as great. The boats stop before any
planters door on these bsyous, lakes and rivers,
and roll the sugar and molasses aboard, saving all
the labor and loss of time incurred by Western
farmer in driving his corn to market. When the
time spent in this latter business Is taken into
account, 1t makes the cost Of raising and market.
ing an acre Of corn, or wheat In the West about
equal to ''msking" an acre of sugar and placing
it on the bayou. Now, compare the relative
value of O ton of sugar at q shilling pound,
and 100 gallons Of molasses at 20 cents, with 60
bushels of corn worth 60 cents at the depot, and
we have this contrast:
Acre of sugar and molasses. ...............s 1920
Acre OF corn. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 80
Difference In favor Of sugar.. 1924
There are plantations for sale of all sizes and
prices, from $4,000 up to 100000, and in acres
from 100 up to 6000 Northwest of here in the
prairie country, new sugar lands can be purchased
for s. to $40 per acre-land which will produce
from one to two hogsheads per acre. The Ope-
lousss railway is being constructed out through
that district Of country to the Texas line. The
| country Is perfectly heathy-fully as much so as
in Illinois. While the summers are longer here
than North, there are hotter days In the Western
| States than In the Teche country. At the very
season Of the year when our farmers are swelter-
log and staggering in their harvest fields the plan
fevo 1ou, haro drtn
the shade. or taking their annual pleasure trip to
the watering places of the North, for the cane Is
"Iaid byn in July and needs no further attention
| until the first: hoar frosts In November admonsh
the planter that sugsrboiling time has come and
when the hardest work Is to be done the season 10
| delightfully."- cool and bracing-being just such
weather as we have in September and October In
/ Illinois.
But the pleasures Of life are not restricted to
large profits from cane-growing. Almost every
| plant, fruit, flower animal. molusk, fish, flesh or
fowl can be raised or procured In this wonderfully
| prolific region. l see growing, within sight Of
| Walker & Bronson's mansion, oranges In fruit and
bloom, bananas, peaches, plums, apricots, arti-
| chokes, figs, strawberries, MELONS, cherries,
pears, grapes, cane. corn, cotton. rice, Irish and
sweet potatoes, peas beans, beets, csbbages, on
ions. cucumbers, tomatoes, turnips, lettuce, and,
In fact, all kinds of garden vegetables. And,
| what is more, they grow all the year. The cane
| may be planted In the fall. the winter, or the
| spring. Oats should be sown In the fall. The
L - -,
| the year round. White clover grows asluxuriant.
ly as red clover In Illinois or Indiana. Oysters
from the gulf are brought up the Teche by the
steamers daily, and are sold TO the farmers at the
| rate Of 81 per 100 in the shell.
The best Of terrapin, green turtles from the
Gulf and fresh and salt water fish can be had in
| abundance at cheap prices. In short, have
| never seen any place in the United States where
| people can enjoy 80 many comforts and Injuries
| or earn SO much money for given amount oil
labor, as in Western Louisiana among these
| bayous, where the breeZes from the Gulf cool the
air In summer, where the innumera6le streams
and lakes temper the winds OF winter and allow
the corn to ripen, and preserve delicate tropical
vegetation from destruction by frosts. There are
no droughts by reason Of the numerous lakeleti
and streams, and the close contiguiiy 70 the grea
Gulf and the frequent rain, secure prolific vegeta
ton. am assured that the annoyance from In
sects and reptiles is no greater here than in ILL
nois. In the cultivated lands snakes entirely dis
appear, and house flies never come in the myrisdl
| that are seen and felt in the North. All dead
apimals-lsrge and small--are quickly removed
| by the winged scavengers-the vultures and buz
| yards, against the shooting OF which there ls
| heavy fine denounced. These vorscous carrio1
birds leave no carcasses undevoured and undigestet
for single day, for they can scent aud see theiI
and thousands. They are also death on snakes,
lizards, frogs, mice and vermin Of all kinds, an(
consequently are highly esteemed and very
| popular scaYeDger.
| H,fpy sofuo SUPREME onVts VI n"suios w ossoi
| Louisiana, with its soil, climate and productions
| could be taken up and transported North, to thu
| latitude of Illinois or Indiana, and be there se
| down In the pathway Of Eastern and Western
| travel, Il would create o commotion that woul'
| throw the discovery of gold in California into tn
shade at the height Of the gold excitement. Tn
| people would rush to II in countless thousands
| Every man would be intent on securing few
! acres of those wonderfully productive and profit
| able sugar plains. These feche lands, II In LII
| nois, would bring from three to five hundred do
| lars per acre and yet Illinois farmers can com
| here in less than three days travel and purchas
them for less than the interest on their real IL
trinsic value. But such remarkable opportunitie
for great bargains will soon pass away and neve
| return.