The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1877-03-22
Contaminated
VAST AND VALUABLE REa0U RCE3 OF
snTJiSIANt

Some persons appear to think that ne
make extravagant estimates on the 81
rieutural capaeitiea Of Louisiana, Let
us appeal 10 well known facts.
In 1870, according to the census re-
ports, the crops Of Louisiana were
valued at $4,000, 900; the farms on
which these crops were made as 872,-
oO0, 900.
A competent Judge, thoroughly nc
duainted with the topography OF Lou
isiana, has estimated the tiilAble lands
OF the State TO be ample for the en-
ployment Of eight hundred thousand
Held hands, 400, 900 In the cultivation of
cotton, 100000 In sugar and 100000 In
rice.
In 1870 not over 100000 i.ald hands
were employed In oil the CROP Ia this
State.
Much OF the land that year was poorly
cultivated. DisorganiZed labor, want
Of means, crushing taxation, q bad State
government, all bore heavily on the In
dustries of the State. The poverty OF
many OF our farmers was so great that
they could not obtain good teams or
suitable farming utensils and much OF
the richest lands In the State was culti-
waited by colored labor, which is infe-
rior to skilled white labor.
BY the use OF better teams and impIe-
msnts, and skillful white labor, 5000
farmers could produce ten times the
crops Of 1870
Eight times the value Of tho crop Er
Louisiana In 1870 would be s41e. .000, 900.
The above field force could cultivate
sixteen million acres OF land, and that
would leave ten million acres OF wood,
| timber, sea marsh and other waste
lands In the State.
| II 1e, coo, 900 acres Of land were In o.
high state Of cultivation in this State:
IL the leyees were strong, and proper
our agricultural interests, the State
treasury would be full and taxes light.
Louisiana, with such field force, and
such lands, should have ample means
to make strong levees, reclaim her
swamp lands, and, like Holland, she
could reclaim her marshes, and make
her wet lands worth 800 an acre. They
are now not worth slime an acre,
though they are ranked among the rich
est lands In the State.
With these lands reclaimed, she could
add two hundred thousand hands TO her
field force, and could then employ q
million In place Of eight hundred thou
sand men liz her fields, vineyards, or
chards and gardens.
| True, these enormous crops would
greatly reduce the price OF the staple
articles. This would result In moro di-
versified crops, In raising finer and
more stock, In extending our factories,
In working up numerous smaller indus
tries now neglected, and In developing
the mineral wealth OF the State.
| II our State was well settled up with
farmers, mechanics, miners and lumber
men, and her resources well developed,
she would send to the markets OF the
world more OF the products OF industry
yearly than would cover the present.
assessed value of the whole State, with
all Of its movable property OF every
description, in city and country.
Gould not geologists, agricultural
chemists, observing statisticians and
learned agriculturists, fnd much In all
the parishes OF the State, 80 prolific 10
natural wealth, that would be interest
ing and important to our laW-u1akergs
to our people and TO the world ?
DANIEL DKHxErT.
City Hotel, New Orleans, March 2ist.