St. Landry democrat., 1880-11-06
"In providence we trust"-everybody else cash
Immigration.

parish, the next thing we need is immi-
grafton. We have a large population
already, 10000; but it is small compared
with our territory, 1,405,0O0 acres,
and the most of this is good arabic
land. Land is such a superfluity here
that we try to cultivate too much, and
consequently the cultivation is bad, and
there is q useless waste of time and
labor. We have plenty Of good land,
but it is not valuable, because it is not
scarce and in great demand; it is only
when it is such that it is well cultivated
and made to "bloom and blossom as
the rose" Our farmers are all behind
the age in the use of improved agricul-
tural implements. They adhere to the
old system of ante bellum days, when all
farm work was done by slave labor by
"main strength" They continue in the
old ruts, and cannot get out. Preach
ing to them will not change them. They
require the example Of improved agri
culture plainly set before them. Exam
pie is better than preaching. When a
person sees the error Of his ways by the
light of another's example, he is apter
to reform than lie would be from having
his error preached to him. He has never
seen others do better than himself, and
therefore he believes no one does do
better. Example only can convince
him. A king in tropical Asia wanted
to have an EDglishman put to death for
lying, because he told him that water
froze in England, became ice, hard like
rock. He did not believe this because
he had never seen it, and nothing of the
kind had ever happened in his part of
the world. Nothing would have con-
WINGED him but trip to England or
some other cold country, as ice factories
were not known then. So, if you tell
some of our farmers or farm laborers
that one man up West, with machine,
can open the drills and plant and cover
four rows Of corn checked, all at once,
as fast as two horses can walk, he will
think you are lying. And he will con-
tinue to think you are lying if you tell
him that up there one man can cultivate
forty acres Of corn, working it five, six
or seven times, besides the attention he
gives oats, wheat and other things. He
does not believe cows give four, five
and six gallons of milk day. He does
not believe that hogs weigh as many
hundred pounds net as these wonderful
COWS give gallons of milk. He does not
believe large mules and horses can be
raised in southwestern Louisiana,
though it is by nature eminently stock
raising country. Up North they cut all
their small grain by machinery-with a
reaper drawn by horses. Maybe the
people there would think we were ying
if We were to tell them what we have
seen lately and every season for several
years: We have seen the large rice crops
of our section entirely harvested by the
sickle, cradles having just been partially
brought into use; and we lately saw a
man whose crop was estimated at sixty
barrels, threshing it ont by whacking ii
across the sharp edge of split log.
Talking and preaching will not change
these things; practice, in agricultural
matters at least, is far better than
theory. We want people who are &C
customed to and practice the improved
methods Of agriculture, that have sue
ceeded SO well elsewhere, to come and
settle among us, and teach our people
by their example. We mean our labor
ers, those who do the work for they
are the ones who most need to learn
We see some large plantations enclosed,
and only partly cultivated and that
part badly. IEimmigrants, such as we
have mentioned, could be induced
to come here, and the proprie-
tors Of these large idle plantations, and
of vacant lands along our railroads,
would sell them some cheap and on
easy terms, the remainder of their land
would De more than doubled in value,
and the country at large would be bene-
fitted beyond estimation. To get i'm
migrants an effort must be made; other
places have made the effort and sue
ceeded. We have good soil, a healthy
climate, and m.iy other natural adj
vantages peculiar to this section; and
now, that we have two railroads through
the parish, with the prospect Of third,
in addition to our steam boat navigation,
the time has arrived when an attempt
should be made to get good immigrants
If we want them. The railroads would
also be immensely benefited by such
immigrants settling along them, and
their owners no doubt would cooperate
with our citizens n an effort to get them
We hope some one or several will take
up the matter, and organize some sys-
tenn by which good class of immigrants
may be induced to come here. Once
they come and look at this country
they will be convinced there is none
more beautiful or that possesses more
advantages for those whose business il
farming. Now is the time to strike,
while the iron is hot; while railroads
have just been built and are being built.
If those who occasionally come here
now with the view Of immigrating, are
repealed by exhorbitant prices for land,
they will leave for good and give the
country bad name on that score. We
should have an immigration society or
company to induce immigrants to come