The Opelousas courier., 1888-06-30
st. Landry Parish.
Its Fertile Soil, Hea1thful climate ana
Abundant Resources Described by
one of its Citizens.

one Of its Citizens.
DR.. ID. w. Foster, n of our most
esteemed citizens, has written a letter to
the Ruston (La.) Ca~ligraph, from which
we make the following extracts:
In the first place, we have not only q
beautiful country, but q pleasant, ana
healthy, and productive one also. l
will soon be GA years old, alsI have
travelled II good deal in the United
States and ont of them ; and | have
had extensive experience in the prac-
tice of medicine in various ATTITUDES
and climates, and during most of the
time Ihave been connected with plant
ing also, aud ought therefore to be
prepared to give an opinion as to the
salubrity and pro~ductiyeness of this
country, where | have resided mainly
for more than a quarter of q century,
land | have to say that | don't know
any other country that combines so
many material advantages in the way
ofAll tho necessary elements for COM
fort and prosperity as are afforded
here. But to be fully appreciated, II
delightful and desirable country must
be seen and to be fallen in love with,
needs but to be seen.
And | would advise all you good peo-
pie up there who may not be satisfied
where they are to come down and see
for themselves. For if | were to fill
your columns describing u country
and its advantages "the half would not
be told But with your. permission |
will attempt to give some outlines Of
our st. Landry parish. ,
For convenience of description and
better understanding of it's topography,
[ will divide the parish into three par
allol zones running north and south.
The western zone is bOundedn by the
Atcllafalaya river, ii deep navigabie
stream, along the banks of which are
plantations of wonderful fertility. In
the northern portion of that zone some
of the land is subject to overflow, but
is ccnselv covered with valuable tim
Der, aud intersected with bayous along
whose banks are some high aud very
productive lands in cultivation. In
the southern part of that same western
belt are rich prairies and bayous with
| "ODuldlluS. LII bIiC lou LoHCt "hiS'i
is the most choice portion of the parish,
are gently undulatiDg prairies covered
with waving grass and grazing herds
of cattle aud horses, dotted with high
land lakelets, and traversed by mean
dering water courses, which are skirt
ed with narrow woodlands, which
make up enchanting landscapes, which
are constantly famed by fresh sea
brcpzts from the Gulf of Mexico which
is only about one degree south of US.
Aud while these brceZes are cool and
refreshing and healthfnl i'll summer
they are soft and hnimy III the winter
and thus our temperature is rendered
uniformly mild aud pleasant all the
time for both man and beast, The
stock live and feed throughout the yeal
without attention from their owners
Our soil is a loose vegetable moult
about IL TO Is inches deep; then Il hare
pan of clay exists whfsh is so impervi
, Gus to water that az fertilizers pu'
upon the land is retained, and the lane
I. can be kept to fabulous productive
ness forever. OuEsoil here in its virgin
state will yield from 25 to 40 bushels
OF corn, ~ 10 OU vi odCs, I W L oal'
f (450 lbs of cotton, etc, etc. Gardens
!, of all kinds of vegetables thrive spring
) and fall. Such fruits as peaches, pears
plums, figs, ETC., do we'll here. All pro
auctions adapted to southern climate
! do well here, and of course this is al
excellent stock country. AS fine horses
cows, hogs, and sheep a be RAISED
= here as anywhere.
The Morgan Railroad from New Or
!, leans to Alexandria on Red river run
krough our parish north and south
the Texas Pacific runs across the north
ern end, and the Southern Pacific neaI
the southern border, and there is steam
boat navigation three-fourths of thu
year from Washington to New Orleans
Land sells according to location
quality, etc.; un%improved at $3.50 t.
l$12.5 SO improved at So to $25. Stool
j, sells, our grass raised horses, from $2(
to $50 and $75; milk cows and calves
1920 $18 and $40.