The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1881-09-03
GRANT PARISH.
A Fine Home For the Immigrant.

ing front on Red river of about
forty miles. The N. o. Pacific rail-
road runs along the west bank of
Red river, within from one to five
miles of the western edge of the par
ish, for distance of twenty miles.
In addition to this road, in a few
years we will have Morgan's Little
Rock road running direcly through
the center of the parish. In order
to be free from bias in commenting
apon tue merits of Grant, we shall
confne ourselves to facts set forth
in Prof. Hilgard's Report on the
Cotton Production of the State of
Louisiana, with Discussion of the
General Agricultural Features of the
State" According to this authority
the population of the parish is 6,lSS,
of which 1920 are white and 2,S6S
colored. Area. 642 square miles,
divided as follows: Woodland and
central prairie region, ITO square
miles; long leaf pine hills. ASP squai e
miles; Red river bottom, so square
miles. Cotton product, SIS bales;
average cotton product per acre, 0.49
of bale-that is 600 pounds of seed
cotton, or 220 pounds Of lint cotton.
In regard to the prairie region of
Grant, the report says: "These soils
are ill-draiDed. and partly on that ac-
count, and partly because of the diff
ficulty Of obtaining supply of water,
they are not as much settled as their
intrinsic fertility would warrant" AS
to the fertility of-our so square miles
of Red river alluvial lands. there is
no need of comment, it's productive
ness being of world wide fame. But
there is ono feature of the bottom
lands in Grant parish that recon-
mend them over any other lands
along Red river. They are from fire
to ten feet higher than any other aluuiat
lands on Red riuer, and neUer ouertaoac.
Iu addition to the river bottom and
inland prairie lands, which Prof Hill
gard mentions, we have thousands
Of acres of creek bottoms and lake
sides that are remarkably fertile. In
fact We doubt if there is another
parish in the State as well supplied
with clear running streams of water
as Grant parish. First, there is Iatt
lake, into which runs Iatt creek, then
Nantachie lake. out of which runs
Nantachie creek. Then comes Hud-
son creek, Clear creek, Gray's creek,
Fish creek, Mill creek, Bear creek.
Big creek, and Black creek. Next
we have Bayous D'Lartago, Rigolette.
Darro and Boggy Bayou. Along the
entire eastern boundary Of the parish
runs Little River, a stream naviga-
BILE to the junction of Bayou Castor
nearly all the year. In addition to
the streams mentioned, there are nu-
merous spring branches Of smaller
nature, in nearly all of which fish
abound in great numbers. Beside
fish, game of all kinds are plentiful,
such as deer, turkeys, rabbits, squir-
rels, coons, opossums, cartridges,
etc. In the winter wild ducks are
plentiful, and frequently wild geese.
Although the report of Prof. Hilgard
places the average product of cotton
| in Grant parish at only little over
half bale to the acre, yet we know
of many farmers who think they are
doing poor business if they do moi
make full bale to the acre, and
with anything like attention to fer.
tilizing and cultivation, the most Of
our lands can be made to bring as
much. One thing should always be
borne in mind when regarding the
productiveness of our soil, and thai
is Louisiana formers do not use tertili
zers. When piece of land becomes
SO meagre in productiveness as moi
to pay handsomely for cultivating it
they throw it away and clear more
land, to go the same way in time.
There are several thousand acres
, of government land in this parish