The Opelousas courier., 1888-08-18
Southwestern Louisiana.

1T is the Southern Prairie Region.
This beautiful prairie belt is traversed by
more navigable rivers than any other country
of equal territory, affording cheap transporta-
ton to the markets of the world, and inter-
spersed with more magnificent lakes than any
other portion of the South.
On the north and skirting these rivers are
immense forests of,timber, that surpass in va
riety and quality any in the world, providing
endless labor for the lumbermen and cheap
and beautiful material for the settler. On the
south that vast inland sea, the Gulf of Mexico,
fans this prairie with constant breezes, tenn
ptred by the waters of the topics, giving it an
atmosphere always mellow and balmy. The
soil is a rich, fine, clay-loam, susceptible OF
high cultivation. The eastern portion of this
tract-The Teche country-has long been re-
garded as the Garden of louisiana and has
been sought by the wealthiest planters of the
state The western portion, when brought
fully into cultivation, seems to be equally pro
ductive.
Climate, Healthfulness and Longevity.
The influence of the gulf breezes upc4l this
semi-tropical region causes an evenness of
temperature rarely equaled. The breeze is
far more constant than upon the great prairies
of Dakota and Iowa. 1t cools and refreshes,
Dll SLilt0, PaoNhStAS g uH
known except on the Gulf coast. With nutri
tious food and such reasonable care as intelli-
gent people exercise in all countries, this re-
gion will be found very healthful to northern
immigrants, owing to the constant breezcs and
the possibility of living in the open air at all
seasons.
Thus far it has proven to be a perfect SAM
tarium for persons troubled with catarrh, dys-
pepsia, cbsonic costiveness, dryness of the
skin, certain forms of rheumatism, etc. Many
northern people are purchasing residence pro
perty at Lake Charles and other points for a
health resort. Colds are rare. One gentle
man remarked that he had heard more cough
ing du12hg one sermon north than in a six
months residence at Lake Charles. A very
reliable old gentleman, who has resided near
Lake Charles twelve years, stated that he be-
lieved any person could live on these prairies
forty years and never require the services OF a
physician.
There is ALI occasional case of malaria ABOUT
the same as in Illinois or Iowa.
Productions.
In the variety and the perfection of its pro-
ducts it is a most marvellous region, apparently
capable of producing all the trees, shrubs,
fruits, cereals and grasses grown in semi-tropi-
cal and temperate climates lice, corn, oats.
millet, sugar-cane, sorghum, cotton, tobacco,
Irish and sweet potatoes can be produced
abundantly.
For vegetables it is equal to the best known
countries of the world. Onions, cabbage. tur.
nips, collards, beets, carrots, etc. sown in the
fall grow all winter and can be grown exten.
sively for market or for stock. Irish potatoes
mature in March and April. The strawberry
season extends from March, to July L. All
kinds of berries grow almost spontaneously. In
the woodlands are thousands of blackberries.
Trees and Fruit.
Southwestern Louisiana is pre-eminentIy a
timber and fruit country. Trees grow rapidly
and the timber is of superb quality, nrThe pc
can grown here is larger, richer, has a softer
shell and brings a higher price than when,
grown in the interior. The pecan has no
enemy and will bear for more than a century.
The crop yields the farmenip manNinstances
over two thousand dollars pei acre.
Engllsh-walnuts do equally as well as the
pecan.
The Gulfcoa produces the best figs grown
anywhere and the crop may be relied upon as
safely as a grass crop. 1t is produced from
the cutting and commences to bear at three
years old. With the abundant and cheap fuel
figs can be canned or dried at a cost merely
nominal.
oidhSUo pCaSHcSp pcdAS, ucCbk1klHcS, dpliCUtS,
apples, pluus. grapes, %citrons, ounces and
persimmons are grown with little care. Seed
ling peach trees at two years old produce ON
an average half a bushel of peaches; at three
years old the trunk is frequently FIVE inches
in diameter. 1t must be remembered that
these results are achieved with no more care
and fertilizers than would be required for fruit
culture in Iowa or Illinois. It does not re-
quire the making up of a soil as in Florida,
nor expensive irrigation as in California,
The soil is rich and deep, showers are regu-
lar and abundant, and transportation to the
markets of the world by rail or water very di-
rect. In a short time the cultivation of
olives and of jute will become prominent in
dustries.
A remarkable feature of the fruit industry
is that nearly everything grows from cuttings
apples. pears, peaches, plums, etc, This
simpliies the whole problem of fruit
propagation.
The Grasses.
It is the most natural grass land upon the
continent. not excepting the great prairie states
of the northwest.
As soon as the wild grass is thoroughly
trampled by the stock, the entire soil is covered
with "gazon'-carpet grass-(paspalum) and
Bermuda grass, the gazon taking the dryer por-
lions and the Bermuda the rich bottom. Gazon
produces broad, juicy leaves as abundantly as
orchard grass, but it has these advantages over
grass
l.. 1t forms a dense sod.
2. 1t withstands the frost better, and is rel
at all seasons of the year.
3. 1t possesses five per cent more n~utritive
material. tt makes excellent hay. In the
green state it is relished by stock better than
any other grass except Bermuda.
The grazing period on good gazon pastures
will average ten and a half months in cold
winters, and the entire year in average VIM
sers.
On the high lands it is profitable to feed
'ome hay to stock during a portion of the win
Such stock As can nave access to the
'alt grass upon the coast will keep fat during
he winter, and from such pastures large num-
of we'll rounded beeves are shipped annu
lily in January, February and March,
Stock Water.
The water in the small streams is soft and
At All average depth of sixteen
eet there is a thick vein of fine sand. This
furnishes a grand supply ofpure cool water
Insects.
The old notion that southwestern Louisiana
5 a country pestered with all kinds of trou-
,lesome insects has been thoroughly exploded.
Flies are less numerous than in most northern
tates and mosquitoes, except. for a few days,
long intervals, when they are brought by
he wind.
On the higher prairies there are very few
insects to trouble the stock at any season,
in this respect a most favorable compare
on may be drawn with the best grazing Sec
ions of any country. Cattle, ho.ses, mules
nd sheen do well Shean nan ha sbearaa