New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1871-05-22

suffer from prOtracted drouth in Summer while a,s
Cotton is exposed to utter destruction from its nat
! ura enemies, the BOll-wOrm and the Army worm.
To-day the prospect Of the average Southern planter
| Is ueclueuIy not cheering II. G..
| CULTIVATION BY STEAM IN LOUISIANA
EDITORIAL CORRESPONDENCE OF THR tribunal
| ORLEANS, May 17.-0n our way down through
Mississippi we made the acquaintance of Mr.. H. T.
| Lawrence lifelong and successful sugar-planter
who, on learning my anxiety to witness Flowing by
] Steam not for show, but as business invited US
to visit the plantation of his brother, where that
style of breaking up the earth IS in fashion. Accord
| ingly, tug boat was chartered and some forty or
fifty gentlemen, including the Congressman of the
lower district, Gen. J. H. Sypher, Collector Casey,
Judge Dibble, several Editors, and my travelling
companions Gen. +. A. Merritt, and Charles StorB,
esq., devoted yesterday to Sugar-plauting by Steam.
| Magnolia plantation lies some fifty miles below
this city with front of two miles on the est bank
| Of the river, with tho Gulf of Mexico but five
| miles distant on either hand. Most OF the ten-mle
strip which here constitutes the County late PARISH
of Plaquemne is a reedy marsh the haunt OF aihga-
| tors, musketOes, &c, which tempest In theGuf
may submerge at any time; but ine forest OF Live
Oak ON the rear of this plantation indicates that the
average. The famous Leyees are slight affairs so
near the Gulf. where the rise and fall
of the mighty stream (here mile and
half wide rarely exceeds three feet and at the ut
most is seven The river-surface is now but two TO
three feet below that of the Levees and has recently
been two feet higher Water leaking through the
Levee is caught in the substantial bitches that every
where traverse the plantations, and runs swiftly
away till lost under the rank vegetation OF the
swamps or absorbed by some bayou Of the adjacent!
Gulf This whole region has Of course been formed
of the muddy sediment deposited by the Father Of
Waters wherever the swftness of its current is ar
rested Thus by ten thousand annual
overfows. mainly in April or May, Louisiana
has been projected far into the Gulf and the pro-
cess of making new land at the expense of salt
water is still in progress. Though the tide rises
10 inches at New Orleans and is felt at Donaldson
vile 20 miles further up, the force Of the current
keeps the river here wholly fresh at this season,
though it is somewhat brackish at times when less
water is passing out. That the soil is rich. black,
and of unfathomabe depth need not be added.
Ditching or deep blowing is constantly unearthns
immense Expresses which have been imbedded here
for thousands of years-sOme of them still sound and
serviCeable.
Mr. Etfingham Lawrence the owner of Magnolia
plantation is ciOn of well-knOwn Long Island
family, the son of good farmer, and himself In
vented plow when but ten years old. Cultivation
| is not only his pursuit but his passion lie came
hther while still young, and has planted since his
minority. The machinery IN his Sugar-house'
where he refnes more Sugar than he makes, has
cost $4,000 and tle of it has been suppressed by
later and more perfect devices OF his 5000, he cnl-
tiyates 900 acres which is nearly al.hat stands well
out of water. Some of the most efficient of ms for
mer slaves have left him to plant Rice on small place.
below him, where they make $1,000 to S2'Co eaen
Der annum being superior workers. Most Of his e1-
slaves chose to remain with him, and some OF them
are here earning so per month. His arabic acres
are divided into tracts fields OF hve TO zen acre.
each by deep bitches on the north and south crossed
by firm high roads on the east and west luo'e
acres have been sixty or seventy years CULTIVATED
mainly in Cane, and have received little OF no
fertilization unless an annual burning the waists
stalks or trash" of the Cane to get rid Of may
called such. Negroes and mules have, til recently
furnished all but the brain power employed.
Mr. Lawrence was accustomed 10 Use teams OF
eight mules to each plow and was hen abe 10 pul
verize but eight to ten inches in depth HAD nc no'
been an experienced and capable plowmsn' CON
stantly in the field and often between the piO"
handles. he could not have got below SIX lu'n'''
even by the aid Of all the peTSnaslVeS known
Manhattan management. OF cOuIse, ms SOIL annu'
ollv drawn upon by such eXharstlng crops ~ C"n'
and Corn. grew gradually les, productive; anu ID.
,vos among the earliest to reaIze the heoeosiy
bringing Steam TO the aid Of Agriculture. lie nau
means and credit; he thoroughly understood Dis
h,snss and IFS needs; he visited Europe apd s'I"
,;,;,.d tbe working Of various Steam Plowsi anu
10 ooncInded that Fowler machinery, whereof t"o
noerfnl engines stand at each side Of the heid anu
Draw the plows back and forth 10y winding up -"u
upwindng wire ropes around their respec'i,0
drums. was the only device adapted 70 th' SUI"
heavy. easily compacted soil. Ee bought So
sively two sets of these machines the secoho ,'"
heavier and more powerful than the INST; AZ" ~
now using thirty horse engines. suppleu ." -
resolute demand thoGFh none 80 po"eili ""~ =, =
been constructed for blowing till he ofd.feu '''i-
When the Fowlers have done their be'tlo i -.
takes the machines into his OVID shops anu - -
such notifications as his own experience D"' sc
ges.ed He is confident that we fn''' ir;.
sxtyborse engines, aud that by their 'a u.S -.
may BIO plowed two foot dep ut the ra'e u ~
fifty acres per day. .....,,,, cool
Though fine season has been persste'''P -.
and rainy. SO that everything rs backward ~.
soil was too wet TO be plowed TO advantage
fonrd an orr unanouuced arrival, bcih S''So'
inc machinery in fnll operation, win ho'O
neoro feld-hands near thoui, thorgh an 49,.
rode from field to field supervising 'h',' 10.
BOYS Of l. 10 years, VINO oou'"hot "o'' ,,o,ls
nm umle-plow, we're running ep"neS ~ "'''