The patron of husbandry. (Columbus, Miss.) 1875-1883, 1879-05-03
From the New Orleans Times.

From the New Orleans Times.
OUR NATURAL ADVANTAGES.
THE following letter, it will be seen, is
from Major w. H. Harris, past Secretary
of the State Grange of the Patrons of
Husbandry of Louisiana. Since the war
during which he served with distinc-
ton on the staff of Gen. Wheeler, in the
Confederate army-Major Harris has
been constantly engaged in cotton plant
ing in Pointe Coupee parish, and there
are few men in the State more competent
to write upon our agricultural interests, in
which independent of all other consider
atoms, as member of the board of con-
troll of the Louisiana University and Me-
chanical and Agricultural College, he
takes the greatest interest We commend
Major Harris letter to the consideration
of the readers of the Times:
Pr -SMITHLAND, CoUPEE PARISH, LA.
April 9th, 1879
Editor Times:-I arrived here to-day;
after delightful run on the steamer R.
E. Lee.
A trip from New Orleans on one of
these floating palaces, which navigate ma
lures great water without tax or trib-
ute, cannot fail to impress one with the
great natural advantages of the State of
Louisiana.
From the deck on either side of the riv-
er, appears continuous field of sprouting
! cane, corn, cotton and rice. The orange
trees in bloom-but | leave the aesthetic
part of the view to the pen Of the daintier
sex, many of whom will soon migrate by
this route to the summer resorts.
1t is of practical things that wish to
write. An occasional sugar house is pass
ed, the roof covered with litchuns and the
chimneys and gables mantled with cling
ing vines and ferns. The fires have long
since gone out; the planter is bankrupt!
AT Bonnet Care and Morganza, the
waters of the great river laugh at Captain
Eads Jetties and Captain Cowdon's "short
| road to the sea-" and impatient of control
rush over the feeble barriers of man and
spread themselves over thousands of acres
of fertile land. Some plantations, both
sugar and cotton have been turned OUT
because they did not pay"
Along the river negroes are seen bust
ly digging stubble,' working corn and
planting cotton. Sugar planters say there
never was finer season SO far.
The croakers among the cotton planters,
in view of the light rain fall this season, are
| looking for a powerful wet spell' soon.
The planters, freedmen, and even the
| mules are pricking UP their ears with fresh
spirit this fine weather, and seem to be
| making 'pull all together to raise the
mortgages which I am told hangs over
three fourths of the cotton plantations in
the State.
About that time look out for "a sermon,
from agricultural journals, on the text
"plant less cotton and more corn" This
is urged as panacea for our troubles; but
experience has shown hat where neigh
borhoods in the South have needed this
advice and planted more corn THAI was
needed for home consumption, there has
been no sale for it, even at price below
the cost of production. The planter is
compelled to raise product that will sell
readily for cash.
Louisiana is very poor corn country,
and very good cotton country, and vet
in producing this staple our planters are
getting poorer every year. l think that
the remedy would be found in diversified
industry.
History shows that no country has
grown rich by exporting raw material
ana importing manufactured articles.
The State of Georgia cannot comnare
with Louisiana in fertility, and vet she is
prosperous, through her cotton mills.
Let us learn wisdom from her example
The exodus of negroes from the Miss
issiPpi Valley, has created apprehension
IN the minds of the old planters on the
river This is serious matter and re.
CURES to be met with promptness. The
laDor is gone and cannot be replaced this
season 1t is bound to affect the future
welfare OF the State. Next year general
stampede may follow, and it behooves the
planters to recognize its possibility, or
rather probability, and to be prepared
! for it.