The Opelousas courier., 1888-09-22
st.. Landry Parish.
Its Fertile Soil, HeaIthful Climate ana
Abundant Resources Described by
one Of it's Citizens.

DIR. D. w. Foster, one Of our most
esteemed citizens, has written "a letter to
the Ruston (La.) Caligraph, from which
we make tho following extracts:
In the first place, we have not only a
beautiful country, but a pleasant, and
healthy, and productive one also. |
will soon be ga years old, and have
travelled q good deal in the United
States and out of them and | have
had extensive experience in the prac-
tico of medicine in various ATTITUDES
and climates, and during most of the
time | have been connected with plant
ing also, and l ought therefore to be
prepared to give an opinion as to the
salubrity and productiveness of this
country, where | have resided mainly
for more than a quarter of a century,
and I have to say that | don't know
any other country that combines so
many natural advantages in tho way
of all the necessary elements for com
fort and prosperity as are -atforded
here. But to be fully appreciated. orr
delightful and desirable country must
be seen and to be fallen in love with,
needs but to be seen.
People need not hesitate to come in
any month in the year to our climate,
which | have found really more pleas
ant as well as healthy at all times than
| have experienced in the North, sum
mer as we'll as winter and as to max
ing crops here, about as good cotton,
potatoes, peas, &c, may be made the
first year as any, with really less labor
in tne cultivation, as there will be no
crab grass to contend with. The vir
gin soil may be plowed here for these
crops, including cotton, as late as Feb
ulary or March. 1t is frequently done
successfully. And rs to health, with
prudential care there is no more risk
here than in the North or West, and
missed our refreshing sea breezes while
| was up there. 1t is ii we'll known fact
that there are more suDstrokes-pros
t%rations from heat-np Nortl, than
down South.
And | would advise all you good PEG
Pile mp there who may not be satisfied
where they are to come down and see
for themselves. For if | were to fill
your columns describing our country
and its advantages 1.-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 its topography,
| will divide the parish into three par
allel zones running north and south.
The eastern zone is bounded by the
| A kaIo e. larn riunr 81 dom tnuIunh ln
stream, along the banks of which are
plantations of wonderful fertility. In
the northern portion of that Zon some
of the land is subject to overflow, but
is densely covered with valuable tim
Der, and intersected wi.h bayous along
whose banks are some high and very
productive lands in cultivation. In
the southern part of that same eastern
belt are rich prEiries :ld bayous with
woodlands. In the middle zone, which
is the most choice portion of the parish,
are gently undulating prairies covered
with waving grass and grazing herds
of cattle and 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
breezes from the Gulf of Mexico which
is only about one degree south of us.
And while these breezes are cool and
refreshing and healthful in summer,
they are soft and balmy in the winter,
and thus our temperature is rendered
uniformly mild and pleasant all the
time for both man and beast, The
stock live and feed throughout the year
without attention from their owners.
Our soil is a loose vegetable mould
about I2 to l6 inches deep then a hard
pan of clay exists which is so impervi-
Gus to water that all fertilizers put
upon the land is retained, and the land
can be kept to fabulous productive
ness forever. Our soil here in its virgin
state will yield from 25 to 40 bushels
of corn, 40 to 60 of oats, I to | bale
(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 we'll here, and of curse this is an
excellent stock country. AS fine horses,
cows, hogs, and sheep IA be raised
here as anywhere.
The Morgan Railroad from New Or
leans to Alexandria on Red river runs
through our parish north and south;
the Texas Pacific runs across the north
ern end, and the Southern Pacific near
the southern border, and there is steam
boat navigation three-fourths of the
wear from Washington to New Orleans.
Land sells according to location,
quality, etc.; unimproved at $3.50 to
$3.50; improved at So to $25. SStock
sells, u grass raised horses, from $50
to $50 and $75 milk cows and calves