The Opelousas courier., 1888-06-23
st. Landry Parish.

st. Landry Parish.
Its Fertile Soil, Healthful Climate and
Abundant Resources Described by
one of its Citizens.
DIR. D. w. Foster, one of our most
esteemed citizens, has written a letter to
the Ruston (La.) Caligraph, from which
we make the following extracts:
In the first place, we have not only IA
beautiful country, but a pleasant, and
healthy, and productive one also.
will soon be Ga years old, and | have
travelled u good deal in the United
States and out of them and | have
had extensive experience in the prac-
tice of medicine in various latitudes
and climates, and during most of the
time | have been connected with plant
ing also, and | ought therefore to be
prepared to give an opinion as to the
saIubrity and productiveness of this
country, where | have resided mainly
for more than a quarter of Il century
and | have to say that [ don't know
any other country that combines SO
many material advantages in the way
of all the necessary elements for com
fort and prosperity as are afforded
here. But to be fully appreciated, onE
delightful and desirable country must
be seen and to be fallen in love with,
needs but to be seen.
And I would advise all you good peo
pie up there who may not be satisfied
| where they are to come down and SET
for themselves. For if | were to fl
your columns Describing our country
and it's advantages ''the half would moi
be told.' But with your permission
will attempt to give some outlines o
our st. Landry parish.
For convenience of description ant
better understanding of its topography
I will divide the parish into three par
allel zones running north and south
The western zone is bounded by thu
Atchafalaya river, a deep navigablt
stream, along the banks of which ar,
plantations of wonderful fertility. II
the northern portion Of that zone som
of the land is subject to overflow, bu'
is densely covered with valuable tim
Der, and in%tersected with bayous along
whose banks are some high and very
productive lands in cultivation. II
the southern part of that same western
belt are rich prairies and aayous Will
woodlands. IGP the middle Aone, which
is the most choice portion Of Rpe. parish
are gently undulating prairi8 covered
with waving grass and grazing herd
of cattle and horses, dotted with high
land lakelets, and traversed by mean
dering water courses, which are skirt
ed with narrow woodlands, whicl
make up enchanting landscapes, whicl
are constantly famed by fresh sci
breezes from the Gulf of Mexico which
is only about one degree south of us
And while these breezes are cool ant
refreshing and healthful in summer
they are soft and balmy in the winter
and thus our temperature is rendered
uniformly mild and pleasant all tn
time for both man and BEAST TIL
stock live and feed throughout the yea
without attention from their owners
Our soil is q loose vegetable menlt
about IL to Is inches deep then a hare
pan of clay exists which is so impervi
GUS to water that all fertilizers pu
upon the land is retained, and the lant
can be kept to fabulous productive
ness forever. Our soil here in its virgin
state will yield from IS to 40 busheli
of corn, 40 to 60 of oats, 4 to | ball
(450 lbs.l of cotton, ETC., etc. Garden
of all kinds of vegetables thrive sprinl
and fall. Such fruits as peaches, pears
plums, figs. ETC., do well here. All pro
auctions adapted to southern climate
do we'll 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
through our parish north and south
the Texas Pacific runs across the north
ern end, and the Southern Pacific nea
the southern border, andthere is steam
boat navigation three-fourths of th,
year from Washington to New Orleans
Land sells according to location
quality, etc., unimproved at $3.50 {,
$3.50 improved at SO to $25. Stool
sells, our grass raised horses, from So
to $50 and $75; milk cows and calve
$12 to $18 and $40.
Buffalo Express Country boys az
not such squash-heads as they some