The Louisiana cotton-boll. [volume] (Vermilionville [i.e. Lafayette], Attakapas, La.) 1872-1883, 1873-06-04
IN ATTAKAPAS.

"a AAu ~
all know that every new inhabitant
becomes a taxpayer, thus hghteh-
ing our own taxes by assisting us
in maintaining government, help
ing MS build roads, school houses,
churches, etc; but, more important
to us than all this, is the benefit
We derive from their experience
with other crops, fruits, grasses,
etc, than those usually cultivated
in this country.
This was fully demonstrated to
us, last Friday, by II pleasant VISIT
to the farm of III. j. L. TOrrWucc,
residing near Bayou NcrmlIIon,
about feur miles northeast OF Yer
m;Iionvillc. Mr.. Terrence who has
been a lifelong farmer and still
owns q farm in Arkansas, two years
ago brought his wife and children
here for their health, as he learned
that A~ttakapas was noted Tor its
healthfulness, and his family was
constantly sick in Arkansas lie
rented a house for them in Ncrmil-
ionville, but he himself had to re
turn tn Arkansas to attend to his
farm. Fortunately, after the
change to our salubriouS and
healthful climate, his family en-
tirely rcgained their health, and
this determined Mr.. florence to
abandon his farm Ill Arkansas and
locate here. Accordingly he leased
his farm theTy, came back here and
purchased a beautiful tract of 40
acres of land, of the Emile Mouton
tract, IN the location mentioned
He has a body of timber immcdi,
ateIy adjoining, with the privilege
of using all OF. it he needs.
FIRST YEARS CROP.
Now, to the results of his first
year as a farmer in Attakapas He
commenced last year, by breaking
up the wild prairie land, and plant.
ing a corn crop and seven acres OF
COTTON.
He measured his land, so that he
might know how much per acre it
would yield, although he did not
expect much the first year, from
sod land, so recently broken up.
To his astonishment, however, the
seven acres gave him five bales of
cotton, and he says he believes this
section better adapted to cotton
than either Alabama, Mississippi
or Arkansas, where he has had
planting experience.
CORN.
Then, his yield of corn was equally
good, for his whole crop averaged
per acre thirty-six bushels of
shelled corn, of fifty-six pounds to
the bushel. He tested this by
weight, so he concludes that this is
a good corr country, nOtwithstand-
ing Che general opinion to the coll
trary.
BARLEY.
La tine fall, to test it, he sowed
otle acre of barley. It came up
beautifully, and as it afforded such
hne pasturage, he turned i'll five
head of yearling calves upon it, 1t
kept green all winter, supporting
the stock without either food, and
he did not take them from it until
the first of March. NOtwithstand-
ing this, it grew up vigorously,
and made tho finest crop of barley
he ever saw, the heads all being
we'll filed with large, plump, we'll
matured grains. Next year he will
SOW much more of it. The result
of this one experiment may be
worth millions of dollars to our
people, for if barley will do well, it
will enable every planter to keep
the best of blooded stock on the
rye pasturages, and yield a large
revenue in grain, which will Com.
mand a. high price in New Or
leans, for consumption by the brew
ers. Who knows but what Attak-
apas may yet become as noted for
its rye whiskey as Kentucky is for
Its Old Bourbon =?
OATS.
AS we rode over the farm of Mr..
Torrence, aud even before we met
him, our attention was attracted by
a little patch of ripe oats, cnt and
stacked in one corneC of his field.
The growth of straw was not only
large, but there had been a heavy
stand and the stalks we're literally
weighed down with their burden of
grain. Mr.. florence says it vas
not In the least troubled with rust,
SO he will try this crop again next
year, on a larger scale.
WHEAT.
Among Mr.. Torrence's seed oats
there were . few grains of wheat,
which likewise grew to equal per
fection, the heads being very large
and the grain full and beautiful. A
gentleman from Tennessee who Wis.