Claiborne guardian. [volume] (Homer, La.) 1877-188?, 1881-06-01

while on the east the entire country
with the exception of few hundre,
yards, and sometimes mile or tw,
along the bank, is rolling. Their
are no prairie lands, although i
would seem from the appearance o
the country, size of timber anc
absence of underground, that in b,
gone days the western side was
prairie country.
The soil east of the bayou is thin
on the hills, yet produces we'll. The
creek and branch bottoms are
general quite rich. The exceptions
are occasionally tracts of cold, stifi
soil, known in the ordinary vernaca.
lar as craytish lands. Such soil ia
not common. Occasionally will be
found a red soil, very productive,
producing cotton quite well, yet
specially adapted to the growth of
wheat, oats and corn. With the
exception of this red soil und the
rich loan Of the creek bottoms, the
lands are generally sandy-eitber
black or light sandy, easily cultivat.
ed, aud yielding, without fertilizers,
twenty bushels of corn to the acre,
one half bale of cotton, peas, pOta.
toes, peanuts, sugar cane, etc, IN
abundance.
West of the Dorchete, as above
stated, the entire country is fat,
except a tract of land known as the
Spanish grant. This is a strip run.
ming north and south, aud very
like the hill country to the east.
These flats generally produce corn
and cotton quite well, and when
they are sandy, potatoes, peas etc,
The grazing on the range here is
fine. Instead Of the heavy uuder.
growth common in the hills, on the
west we have grasses of various
kinds upon which cattle grow sleek |
and fat.
TIMBER, NUTS, BERRIES AND MIN.
ERALS.
There is an immense variety of
timber, the principal varieties being
pine. The various kinds of oaks,
cypress, chinquaPiH, sweet aud
black gum, hickory, beech, maple,
ironwood, dogwood, willow and wal.
nut is abundant in localities. Other
Of timber are not so numer.
Gus as those above named, yet one
might give the names Of scores of
trees and shrubs which are not un.
common. As only one. fourth of the
parish is cleared il will be seen that
there is timber enough to supply
the natural demand Of the country
for years.
Mention should here be made of
The wild nuts and fruits of the coun.
try to be found in Webster parish.
In addition to the hickory, walnut,
1eechnut and chinquapiD, We are
Iold that the pecan tree does we'll,
,s does the bazle nut. Persimmon
rees grow freely over the parish.
The pawpaw, haws of various kinds,
black berries, dewberries, buckle.
,erries, cherries, sl0es and other
berries, the names of which cannot
ust now be recalled, are plentiful in
heir season.
Although the stones found upon
he surface Of the soil seem 10 con.
ain iron, yet no ore Of that or any
'ther metal has as yet been dis
overed within the limits of this
,arish.
The water in the earth 10 the bed ;
# lake Bisteneau where bayou Dor.
hete empties into IT is strongly
aline, aud when boiled down yields 4;
pure white salt. When the wa. .
er dries up in the summer there
ct may be seen the ruins of the
alt works constructed there during
he late war. Thousands of persons
rom Louisiana, Arkansas, Texas /,
nd Mississippi came to this place .
ither TO make or buy salt. AL. .
hough the works we're very rude,
of hastily constructed !;
ock furnaces, into which were !,
sstened pots and kettles of various '.
ICES, an immense quantity Of salt =
'as procured. Experts declared :
be waters to be the strongest in !.
aline matter they had ever seen. ',
N attempt was made to produce !
alt by direct action of the sun. A
'erman gentleman OF experience
ad charge of this work, under the
uspices of the State government.
! is not known what success At. .
,nded his labors. .