Richland beacon., 1878-02-23


shaped clay Jumps. vegetable deposit
and more or less sand This latter
i, considered very productive. hut is
not as desirable as the other kinds "f
soil, because il is wetler in the spring
and is nearly always subject to mum
daiion during our periodic or yearly
overaows. With proper drainage
and protection from overflow, il could
be made very valuable for the pro-
duc;ion OF many articles OF agrIcul-
turr. although II great deal Of il Is
now regarded as worthless. This
burk--hol land is distributed all over
our parish, and serves az natural
drains Tor our ridges. and is covered
with fine tinaer, such "a bitter pecan,
hickory, asb. gum. oak, cypress and
many varieties OF IA smaller growth,
and ~ the special home Of the pal
melto, hicb grows in great ahun-
dance and luNurianre all over il.
Wha; are known as switch can Hats"
NAV also be cia>scd with this soil,
though it is probably no, as productive
as the burk->hot proper.
Most Of our farms and plantations
are at present situated upon the ridge
lands, which are decidedly the most
productive and desirable land. in the
parish. All the BGuf river country
may be placed in this class. The soil
is an ailuvion, or dark sandy loan, OF
great depth and extremely fertile.
while il is he easiest Iand cultivated
that we ever saw. containing just
enough sand TO make it loose. prevent
its packing or sticking TO tools even
when it is wet.
The Bayou Macon hills comprise
only snail portion of the eastern
portion of our parish, situated on
bluff west of that bayou, which rises
from 20 to 80 feet above the low lands
lying along the margin Of tina. stream,
aud is divided into ridges by the na-
tural drains running into the Macon.
The soil, though not SO rich as the
B9uf river lands, is fertile, and the
country along this ridge is. we think,
the most desirable for residence in the
parish. from The fact that it is high
and dry and well drained. The soil
contains more clay. and is. cOnse-
queD,Iy, no, so easily cultivated and
dues not slaad drought as well as
the ridges. We speak Of this coun-
try as the macon hills" not because
they are really hills, tut to designate
them from the rolling country ada
cent, that is dogwood ridges. A vis-
itur from bill country would call
them small ridges and designate our
ridges as dead level. intersected by
nar shes and sloughs; though really
we have no marshes, but plenty Of
sloughs or natural drains All our
soil is entirely free Of stone and
gravel.
PRODUCTS.
Our people devote 80 much OF their
time and attention 10 the cultivation
Of cotton, that they have heretofore
had but little time for experimenting
with other products except Indlan
cOr0 and potato"s. In fact, this Is
truly cotton country, situated as II
is. in the very hear, of the great cot
ton belt, with an extremely ferlil soil,
peculiarly adapted tn the production
of this grra, Southern staple. How
ever. actual experiment has demon
! tk h.. al Ia, In,
the following articles of agriculture,
as well a. all the gardeG vegetables
produced in any country, can he pro-
/ duced. most of them in the greatest
abundance. aud all Of them with profit
to the producer: Corn. rye, oats. bar
ley, peas. beans. pumpkins. potatoes
! ("t all kind>). peanatS, rice. sngar
cane, all kind, of melons aud all The
gras>e-; aud especially do we cou-
slider the Macon hills peculiarly adapt
ed to The production Of clover, because
we have sreh as fine clover growing
there as We ever saw in anv country.
Wheat grows well here. but is subject
TO rust-so inuch so as to render it
very uncertain crop.
The following fruits can be pro-
dncrd in great abundance and to per-
fiction: peaches. pears. aprIcots. nee
tariues, figs. pluns. pOn'egranates, ap-
pies. grapes, cherries, and in fact. al
most all desirable fruits, except
oranges, bananas aud lemons. a
great many pecan trees grow in the
woods Of North Louisiana, and can
be rransplantel and cultivated with
profit.
The truth is. the climate and soil
both combined make ours one Of the
most desirable agricultural countries
iu the world. Aud there are
thousands Of acres Of this fertile
land, that gives to Richland parish
the appropriate name it bears. that
are lying idle, for want OF hands 10
fell the forest timber and till the soil.
while thousands Of industrious men
are toiling among the stones ou the
bill sides o. the eastern countries.
day after day, to barely exc out q