The Lake Charles echo. [volume] (Lake Charles, Parish of Calcasieu, La.) 1876-1898, 1886-01-16

y Oobe Oelee cOuntrys buc sui VudtSGs
in appearance slightly, assuming .
grayish cast. The country remains
beautiful as before, and the grass
equally luxuriant, the native grass pro
ducing three tons Of excellent hay per
acre; fruit and other trees doing equally
well when planted, though some ele-
ments of plant food seem to be want
ing and to secure good crops Of pota-
toes, corn, cotton or sugar, it is neces-
sary to fertilize to some extent, but it
is admitted by all that the
LAND RESPONDS READILY
to fertilizers, retains them with ten
naeity and improves greatly under cul-
tivation Those best acquainted with
it believe that thorough cultivation,
even without fertilizing, will make this
Sc ction as fertile, or nearly SO. ae that
of the "bluff deposit" This region OF
which 1 now speak, embraces the West
ern part of st. Landry, and of Vermil-
ion, and the Southern half Of Calcasieu.
In the Northwestern part OF st. Lam
dry aud the Western and Northern
parts of Calcasieu begin those extern
sive, long-leayed pine forests that ex-
tend far Northward, afordlng most
ExCEILENT AND CHEAP LUMBER
for the development of the country.
and shielding IL effeetually from those
"Northers" that occasionally sweep
over the most favored portions OF
Texas, and this forest protection in
sure Southwestern Louisiana as q re-
liable fruit country Like the Cote
Gellee country, this is well watered,
though in Calcasieu the prairie is wider
and wood is not so convenient to some
portions Of it,. Along the Teche there
is no Government land, aud there is
little, il any, in the "bluf deposit
district, bnt in the prairie west, there
is still considerable. The State lands
were acquired by Louisiana under the
swamp land grant, and most OF them
have been taken up by speoulatols.
Throughout Southwestern Louisiana
long.leaved, hard-pine l1mber is very
cheap, probably averaging Si2 to $l4
per 1000. Cypress, which is nearly
indestuctible and is very highly priced,
Is couple of dollars higher Oak
fencing posts can be had for 2 or 3
cents apiece; cypress pOsts-they will
last fur 80 years--for or q cents
THE WATER rs GOOD
and is obtained in abundance at a depth
OF from Is to 25 feet, though most Of
the natives use cistern water, tile els,
terms being huge cypress tanks and
above ground, aud most excellent such
water Is. About all Of the Northern
men saw had wells. During the
months of December and january there |
is q rainy season, generally, Of about |
six weeks duration, and q storm some
dimes lasts three or four days. Through |
the remainder Of the season the rain
fall Is sufficient for the crops, which
seldom are short il planted early. IL is |
aimed that failure OF crops has
never been known, / am told that
THE RxTRESIE OF COLD
Is 29o above zero, as far North as |
Opelousas. As you approach the |
Gulf it grows warmer Snow is seldom |
seen, and then rarely reaches the |
ground. Thin ice sometimes fornts
during the night. The cold is very |
chilly though and there are occasional
days through the winter when fires are |
indispensable and when 1t Ia uneom-
Portable outdoors unless actively at |
work, OF this weather, though, there
is but little. Like onF own, the weather |
il extremely variable and subject TO
considerable changes Of Temperature,
and those often rapid, Most of the fall
and winter weather IS perfect and
THE AIR HAS A pELIoIoUs soFTNEss
Al, -. .z.z...,,.k u, l,,a,fkaI ,,1 ,,x,,aR n,
experienced to be realized, Northern
people here (and upon their testimony
] chiefly rely insist that the heat OF
summer is not SO great as in Iowa, and
that it is endured with comfort for the
reasons:
|, The seasons are so long that work
in the field need not be pushed as fur
ther North,
2. That however hot the day is, IT is
always cool and comfortable IN the
shade.
3. The nights are always delightful,
the sea breeze tanning you to sleep.
They scout at the notion SO prevalent \
North. that white men cannot work in
this climate, and that other-that the
climate Ia eneryGting As to the first,
they speak from experience,
HAVING LABoRRD DAILY
at the hard ,st outdoor labor for the
two seasons last past, without ineon-
yenienee or injury AZ to the second /
they referred first TO their own expe-
rience, and second, enqnired Why snch
charge should be laid to Louisiana.
when no one thinks oF making IL |
against Florida or southern California
Countries with climates Identical with |
that OF Louisiana? | eonfess 10 ina
bilitY 10 answer In this connection i |
may remark that within the past three
years principally within the past two,
some
THHEE HUNDRED NORTHERN PEOPLE
principally from Northern Iowa, have
settled here. part IN this parish, but |
more in Calcasieu, aud are doing we'll |
aud are delighted with the change,
The climate Is very healthful Typhoid |
fever, dipthelia, and diseases Of that
nature are almost unknown, There Is
some malaria, but not more THINK |
than in Page county. saw and heard |
of hut little sickness, either among ne.
tiVos on others. The region is not as |
good for corn Az Southwestern Iowa.
though the yield q from 25 to SO bush.
els per acre. II pat IN early ii is y GER
tain crop The natives raise but little |
aud ply but little attention To II,
scarcely ever cnltiYating Il more than |
once, Rud that With ploW that 6 Page |
county farmer would not allow 10 he |
seen on BIS farm, much less used The
price rangss from 400 to sl00 per
bpshel sometimes higher than that, II /
ought NJ he saaeessful crop Potar
toes, both sweet and irish aFe easily |
raised aud yield abupdaHtly, Two
crops per scar are raises Qu the same
ground, They command 4 COED prise
ana are pr0hfahlo crop haYe aeen
many bae higss, ana tlipse engagsi ~
It claim filst iiis eeaptly and cIimate 1
are peculiarly adapted % tfat culture
GEass grove with