The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1877-09-01
IMMIGRATION.

The Inducements which Louisiana holds forth
10 the immigrant are manifold. and 80 manifest
to the residents OF the State that these residents
themselves seem to be under the impression
that her advantages must also be plainlyap
ent to all the world.
Her soil OF SURPRISING fertility, her rich pro-
i1uctjons of a temperate and tropic zone. her
climate genial and healthful. her unlimited ia
cilities for cheap water communication and
irrigation with all her vast resources utilized
and developed, should render this State the
most attractive portion Of the American CONT
nent.
Now that perfect peace prevails within her
borders the reign of law and order has been re-
established and civilization has resumed its
sway. every objection to settling in the State has
been removed and there should be no unnatu-
raj obstacle to keep out the westward tide of
emigration that has for so many years swept
past this magnificent region on to the plains
and prairics Of Texas.
Before the sudden and complete revolution
ling of the labor system in the Southern States,
there was not that great need of immigration
which exists therein ut the present day. and
which has already partially compensated for the
great loss in labor resulting from the late civil
war. The reliable compulsory labor system
then prevailing. though wrong on strictly
geous to the complete development Of the
Southern country. and while it brought coms
Portable support to the laboring class and adj
vaneed the wealth Of the landowners, 1t created
a large and valuable trade with other sections
and served valuable end of political economy
that of utilizing nearly all the available muscle
of the rural population. When the labor sys-
tenn was radically changed very large part of
this available muscle chose to remain idle and
dependent upon that portion which worked for
sustenance, or 1t lived by constant depreda-
tions on the fruit of honest toll, or worse
by the rascally trade of corrupt politics
Yet many point to the fact that the crops pro-
dueed by the South now are as large as those
produced before the war under the old labor
system and hence argue that the old laboring
class is as industrious voluntarily throughout
our entire section as It was under coercion.
But the former laboring element, though 1t has
undoubtedly increased in numbers. does not.
and will not, produce more than one-half as
ms much now when working for themselves as
they did formerly when compelled to work for
others Fortunately for the South. Immediately
after the war almost enough white labor was
obtained to supply the great deficiency In pro-
duction which would have resulted had the
country relied entirely upon the former labor
ing class to till the fields. Now an annual cot
ton crop of 100000 bales is made but more
than 100000 bales are cultivated and harvested
by white labor. so is also very large proper
zion Of the sugar crop Of Louisiana. the rice
crops of Georgia and Louisiana, and every
other staple which was formerly almost exclu-
sively the product of negro labor.
q OF this large element of white labor now cul-
tivatiDg the great cotton sugar. and rice fields
of the South fair proportion Is made up of the
hnx,, 4
States since the war. Texas. whose production
has increased far more rapidly than that of any
other State, received far lager proportion of
immigrant labor. whose value cannot be told
ii has not only vastly increased the productive
ness and prosperity of that State but It's bene-
ficial effects have been felt in remote sections.
and the Texas trade. based principally on the
products Of immigrant labor, has become an
object Of contention between the great cities of
the Mississippi Valley.
II such vast benefits arise from immigration
In one instance. such an enormous increase In
productions and prosperity in one State of the
South, why not in another, or in all the others?
There are hundreds of thousands of acres of
lands In Louisiana far more fertile and pro-
duotive than the richest river bottoms of Texas
In Southeastern Louisiana there are over half o
million acres of land that could be In two or
tion. after the planting of other valuable crops
for thorough preparation. In the same sec
ton are large areas which could profitably be
planted in rice. In the Southern part Of the
State extensive prairies with perennial verdure
and abundant water. form one of the finest
stock countries In the world, while In North and
Central Louisiana cotton produces q bale to the
acre. and corn. under careful cultivation yields
forty bushels There are several million acres
OF lands in the districts we have named which
are always on the market at prices which can
soon be paid from the net returns of the lands
by thrifty and industrious farmers.
In these lands one able-bodied. industrious
man can produce thu cane for ten hogsheads of
sugar and fifteen barrels of molasses, with corn
and vegetable supplies enough to last himself
and team for year. after twelve months labor:
or he can produce ten bales of cotton and sup
plies In ten months work; or he can make one
hundred and fifty barrels of rice after eigh
months toll, from seed time to harvest.
There are several different share systems in
raising cotton. sugar and rice. under which an
Immigrant could work advantageously without
requiring more than a hundred dollars capital
10 startupon. The wages paid in this section
are suficient to be an indueement to attract or
binary farm laborers; they are fifteen dollars
per month. with food. fuel lodging. ground for
gardens. use of teams and implements when
needed. and other peruuistes. which bring the
gross wnges up to moro than thirty dollars per
month.
But men possessed of a small capital, say
enough to start working for themselves, pur-
chasing their own supplies for the first year
are those who would succeed earlier in our
agricultural industries than they would In tn sse
OF any other part of the country.
The acreage of Louisiana actually under Gull
hyation produces more than like area In any
other part of North America. Over the south
ern portion of the State the lands. without
being forced. produce three farm and garden
crops In the year without losing their fertility.
and here the great staples yield those magnih-
cent harvests which formerly made this State,
as they will make 1t again. the richest agri-
cultural region in America. The development
OF Its MAGNIFICENT lands is only question of
Hme Their com nlatp apvalopmapt will s,,,1,x