The Lake Charles echo. [volume] (Lake Charles, Parish of Calcasieu, La.) 1876-1898, 1886-11-06
Written for the Echo.I
Advantages of Climate.
BY s. L. CARY.

In order to provoke discussion and
diffuse knowledge of the utmost i'm.
portance to man, / give a few sugges-
tions derived mainly from experience,
My first suggestion is that extremes
are injurious to the best interests OF
man. The life Of man, beast or yege.
table is dwarfed, shattered or killed
outright by our cold climate and are
injured to some extent by torrid heat,
the exceptions being the superior de
velopment of vegetable and animal
life in the tropics. In the struggle
for life natures greatest effort, her
largest expenditure of force, is to
counteract the vicissltudes of climate.
Then it follows that the polar region
is most untitled for the abode of man
and the temperate zones most favora.
bic to life and its proper development.
Now, man having power of choice
and means of transportation should
faily consider these conditions and
place himself where be will receive
most benefit from climate, seeing that
climatic condition cannot be changed
but mans condition may be. Then
comes the question, what part of the
temperate zone is most favorable 2
and for present purpose let US say
of the United States
Then | say (other things being
equaD where you can have most of
life's blessings, with the least expen-
diture Of labor, also where we require
least protection from extremes and
where most of the necessities and
comforts of life can be produced on
the spot where we can raise the
gratest variety and where we have best
markets and means of exchange.
Where have we the most even eli
mate and the cheapest protection
against extremes ? l answer, conf
IDENTITY, the coast line of the Gulf of
Mexico. One season merges almost
imperceptibly into another; extreme
heat and cold, about 70 . and climatic
changes very gradual, about 200
covers the changes of the "a hours,
and set to TO- from month to month.
Corn can be planted from February to
July and gardens made from January
to November, and fuel and lumber at
nominal prices, wool and cotton at
lowest price, stock of all kinds roam
over the pralries at will and are never
fed by the hand of man.
The cereals here require same labor
as further north, but at a more season.
able time. Fall sown crops mature
and are harvested in May, while sugar,
cotton, hay and rice are harvested
from August to January. There is
little to do during the heated term,
And for fruits, delicious fruits, luxu-
ries of life, necessities of health, So
lace of our leisure hours. Where are
our orchards, to-day2 Follow the
coast line and you will see nearly all.
The peach king of the world, Parnell,
of Georgia; and for pears, Thomas
vile of same State; for tropical and
semi.tropical fruits the coast line
alone. While figs, apricots, prunes,
olives, grapes, pomegranates and ber-
ries are in abundance. Go to the coast
for fish, oysters, game, sugar, rice,
cotton, tobacco, corn and textile
fabrics.
Walnuts, pecans, almonds and most
nut bearing trees. It's emiuently a
tree bearing country-a prairie only
by accident,
But, says the northern man, living
comes too easy you will lose energy,
your vigor will abate, and ignorance
and indoleneo will be your inheritance
Does it follow, ,r is it not u fact, that
snccess induc energy, and failure
brings dependency aud sloth When
NV efforts are successful will | not
renew them? When plao, " success
lul orchard will not enl rge il
The results of uhfavorable condi-
tions are often mistaken for results Of
climate-(slavery for instance,) That
the very highest degree Of success has
been attained in similar climate, all
will admit. Il refer to Greece and
Rome.) The successful raising of
fruits is one of the fine arts; good
orchard is the work Of a noble man.
Does chilling the body improve the
miudH Does freezing improve the
quality of man, beast or vegetable 7
Does the heat Of a tropical sun give
energy or ambition Neither ex-
treme is favorable. But give me a
genial CLINE, generous soil, clouds
laden with moisture, and skies spark
ling with dow. A land where human
effort meets kind return where
fruit trees grow to maturity in short
est time, and where returns are made
with largest liberality,
Men are only thankful for favors
received, aud always respond promptly
to the touch Of plenty. Pinching
cold, chattering teeth, frost bitten
limbs, awake neither intelligence, en-
terprise, thankfulness OF genius, in
man. We love to work in comfort
neither hot or cold, but on the middle
plane no cold to freeze or heat tS
burn. And this most favorable place
and these most favorable conditions
we fnd in Southwest Louisiana-th
future home Of the orchards of Amer
lea ; where the finest quality Of fruit
are raised without irrigation, with Ii
Tie care, on clay soil, which give
best favor and gives best success !
| raising trees from cuttings, thereb
avoiding the expense, Of bud
ding and grating, insuriug NOR
abundant crops Of the finest varieties
and so situated that fruit picked b,
day can reach seaboaEd market 4
The next morningl and tho home ot y
most entegpriaing aud prosperous peo
pie. A land Of grass, Q land OF fruit
land Of easy conditions and gFea
natural a9Fantagea,