The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1877-05-04
LOUIsIANA's WEALTH.
What Can be Done in this Statc-A no
scate View from New York Eyes.

what Can be Done in this state-A Ro-
scate View from New York Eyes.
IN. Y. SUM-
NEW ORLEANS, April 25.--The people
Of Louisiana are, with few exceptions,
advocates OF internal improvements.
With every advantage of soil and eli
mate and q system Of natural water
communication scarcely rivaled by the
artificial canals Of the Netherlands, they
still sigh for extraneous aid to enable
them to grow rich. There Is no equal
space OF territory on the face OF the
globe that possesses the wonderful ad-
vantages In variety Of soil and climate
that Louisiana does.
The famed deltas Of the Nile are not
richer than the alluvial lands which
border the Mississippi and scores of
other navigable rivers, bayous and
streams, while the prairie country and
the uplands, IL less productive, produce
abundantly a variety of products which
would enable the people of the State, If
hedged In by q Chinese wall, to grow
immensely wealthy. Three staple arti-
cles grown on the alluvial lands and q
small portion Of the uplands-sugar,
cotton and rice-brought last year at
least $50, 100000, and this, too, with only
a small fraction Of the alluvial lands
under cultivation, and this fractional
portion, save in few instances, only
| inadequately cultivated.
Just think OF a plantation Of 500 acres
last year yielding $s5, 900 worth ofsugarl
| This Is the gross sum realized by Henry
Kernoohan from his plantation in
| Plaquemines parish, about nineteen
miles below this city. This enormous
crop, he declares, was raised on about
| 400 acres, the remainder of his planta-
| ton under cultivation being reserved
for seed cane and truck patches for his
laborers. The net profit from this crop
Of $S5, 900 was about $41 ,00O-$S0 an acre
per annum clear profit. 1t is tHle that
there is large capital invested to pro-
duce this return. The sugar house
and machinery alone cost nearly
100000: The hands employed in
cultivating and harvesting the crop are
paid $16 per head per month, with
house rent, fuel and garden patch free,
and rations OF five pounds OF pork and
one peck Of meal per week. And this
outlay must continue every Saturday
night the year round, without any re-
turn till the sugar crop is marketed.
But there are more than SO, 600, 900 on
deposit in two banks in this city, every
dollar Of which would be advanced to q
thrifty planter who required the capital
| W ulhho SuSul CEODs
of these lands 50 productive are
but insufficiently protected from
overflow, and all Of them are, at high
water seasons. In some danger from
crevasses in the levees. The expense Of
ditching, of repairing levees back and
front, is of course considerable, but all
this, as we'll as the cost Of production.
manufacture, and marketing, is deduct
ed, and still Mr.. Kernochan has left a
clear profit of $4,000.
There are vast tracts OF alluvial lands,
just as productive as this, subject to
overflow and grown up in canebrakes
and tangled underground, which might
be reclaimed. The Federal Govern
ment is asked to do this, because it is
too gigantic an undertaking for the
State, impoverished as 1t Is by carpet
bag rule.
But sugar growing Is but one of the
profitable industries Of this region.
Cotton planting. is equally important,
and, according to the capital invested,
quite as remunerative. The cotton
$40 to $40 per acre without the outlay OF
a single dollar for the cultivation of the
scrop. and only a small pittance for an
overseer to look after his interests dur
ing the picking and growing season.
To conduct a plantation on this princi-
pie he must, by liberal fair dealing, OBJ
tain class Of negroes on his land who
are reasonably thrifty and indus
trious. He will then lease the land
to them for SO many pounds of lint
cotton per acre, with certain num-
bles thrown in. II the planter
is business man and attends to his
own plantation the year round he can
do still better. He will employ his
hands at from $40 to $15 month, and
furnish them quarters and garden land
and weekly rations. He will have
store on the plantation, and every
Saturday night the negroes will receive
their tickets, which will enable them to
receive their weeks wages either in
cash or its equivalent in goods, or part
Of each, as they elect. Or, IL he desires
to encourage in his employees habits of
them all the supplies-the mules, i'm
plements Of labor, grain and provisions
and allow them one-third the net
product of lint cotton, less fraction
for interest on capital invested in sup
plies and wear and tear of machinery.
A plantation Of 1000 acres in the Red
River country, skillfully and economi-
cally managed on either OF the above
described systems during an ordinary
season. cannot fail to net the proprietor
from $4,000 to $4,000. The land can be
bought--the best Of it-for twice or
three times that amount. In the up
lands, away from the rich river bottoms,
Of course the profits will not be SO
great-but with proper management
even in the uplands from SIS to $40 per
acre can be netted in cotton growing.
In Northwest Louisiana, through all
that region traversed by the Black,
Ouachita, B9uf, Tensas, and their nu-
merous tributaries, all navigable dur
all varieties of grain, vegetables
and fruits can be grown that are
produced in the Middle and Western
States, and in addition cotton and sugar.
Then, in the prairie country in South
western Louisiana, along the upper