St. Landry democrat., 1886-03-20
st. Landry Parish.
Home and Farm.

Of St. Landry. The rich alluvial soil is
found east Of Bayou COurtableau along
the numerous bayous, To the north of
rs are fine forests Of long-leaf pine.
The soil is similar to that of all land
where the pine tree gross. High roll
ing land. upon which the poplar, mag
E'nlia, hickory, etc.. grow, is to be found
NEAR Washington, west of the Courta
bleau. Poor prairie in the western
part of the parish, but iD this vicinity
a. rich prairie land as can be found on
the continent. Our prairie is nowhere
more than five miles wide. The timber
ahincent to the prairie consists of hck-
cry and every species of oak, with some
elm, sassaf"as and smaller trees. Lum-
her can be bought at one mill for from
s. 10 SS per thousand, all pine, with
from fourteen to twenty miles to haul.
Ten miles TO the east OF us are mills
where either cypress or pine lumber can
be bought at from Sc to $40 per thOus-
and according to quality. If one owns
90 woodland oak, fence posts can be
bought for cents and cataIpa, as dnra
z, hle us cedar, for 5 cents each.
Wood for fuel seems to he not much
nf an object. Soon after my arrival
here met an old gentleman as | was
going to get a load of wood, and, upon
learning that intended to haul wood
three miles from my own land, pointed
to his woodland and advised me to get
nv wood from his land. found plen-
tv Of timber lying on the grouuI-trees
from which two or three cuts had been
taken for fence posts or rails.
find the soil of woodland much in
feric, to that of prairie in this locality.
which is the case nowhere else that ]
have been in Louisiana or Texas, | do
not mean to say that our prairie land is
equal 10 the best alluvial lands, but
much superior to the woodland ada
cent to our prairie. have already
turned over some of this land. and have
no hesitation in saying it is the most
friahle land ! have ever seen. | can
pillow deeper with a pair Of $40 ponies
than with pair Of 1925 mules on the
light black hnmmock lands OF Southern
Texas. or the light poplar lands OF East
Louisiana. What these lands will do
when deeply plowed in the fall and
thoroughly cultivated, remains to be
seen. The experiment as far as !
tsuow, has never bnen tried, From the
time cotton is all picked ont (and fire.
a,lently hefore) stock Of all descriptions
lfave the run OF the fields till grass be-
gins to grow on the prairies. When it
il nearly time to plant we rush out 10
profusf persplration and begin TO p'oW
that lis, we scratch up enough loose
fsrrth to hide the seed. Plows were
pretty geuerally going last week, and
one party planted corn; nevertheless
the fields hereabnuts are a hinge com
mon, cattle still make their home
IL them From the best information
can obtain, the land gives An average
Weld of about half bale of cotton, and
about twenty five bushels of corn.
1t is quite possible that do not know
what good farming and good cultlva.
;e, I hopa hann north Ot
Mason and Dixon's line. Ii is also pos
sihle | do not know what good land is
know I am familiar with the best
lands in Louisiana and TexaS-landt
which pro,}ace from one to two and z
half bales of cotton and from two tt
four iIogsheads of sugar per acre, anf
forty to fifty bushels OF corn with poor
cultivation-I mean ms to corn, because
Oh large cotton and sugar plantat'on!
corn crops are neglected. | can say
this much have never seen any lant
that would produce half a bale OF cot
ton or twenty five bushels OF corn witt
such cultivation as prevails here, II
am TO Judge the whole performance b,
the initial steps. Therefore | an
sarnawhnt increduiOus as to the report
.,,d Yields. That the yield, whatever
is, can be easily quadrupled wlthon
any great outlay for fertilizers is
plaFtec WHICH ttauDilS VI NV
Yes, the people are poor = they ar
pious. They ars no poorer than N
large planters on the allnvlai iands
though appearances would mdicat
otherwise. The great wonder Is tina
ret,plt who work ON capital borrowed
at from so TO $50 per cent. exist at al
Is there any part OF the country wher
1000 feet ct lumber, or 5OO POUNDS
rice. or $50 pounds of fresh PORK .
beef can he bought for ten bnsheIs q
corn All that can be done here.
v;,ia pl.tta Ia. ID. G. David.
Col John S. Young hopes TO nav
tht, revision of tho statutes coTpte,e
NV the tire tile Legislature assenhpe
How much wiser it w0nld nave use
had the committee seen to having "
5muarfant work completed, ana y
prlncipal features given to the press
the State, in order that 4 genefiai an
fhorougl discussion of what 10 Pr
nost,d TO be the controlling laws OF y
commonwealth might have oeen ~
sonably had. Now, such investieatlo
int, the merits vt the proDnsed ehaI
Innnts. whatever there is OF II, must
made during the business and dlstra
tion &C in active legislative sesslo
The failure to property utilize the foi fo,if
,nonths that have elapsed since Y,
work was ordered may result I'D Pu'
III misfortune.-City Item.
George Washington, the first Pres
r.t yyr,taj StafnG never SD