St. Landry democrat., 1889-01-26
LOUISIANA
AS a Home for Immigrants.

AS Home for Immigrants.
The South Illustrated.
Within the last four years several thous
and immigrants, mainly from the western
states, have settled in Louisiana. They
came if not unforbidden, at least unsolic
tied, for little had been done by the PEG
pie to attract immigration here. Visiting
Louisiana for pleasure or business, the
first corners were struck by some OF
the advantages it held out to them. They
had come for few days; they remained
permanently; and, selecting one of the
bleakest looking and apparently least
promising sections of the state, they set
tied here and prospered and thrived
from the very start.
Their success invited other Immigrants,
and this colony and the numerous others
that have followed it into different por-
tions of the state, have long since passed
the experimental stage and have proved
the success and value of immigration.
They have shown conspicuously two
important facts First, that the people
of Louisiana did not fully estimate the su-
perior advantages of their own state as
compared with others +; and, secondly, what
is of far greater value than capital even.
The new corners from the most prosper
GUS, successful of western agricultural
states have borne the strongest testimony
to the superiority of Louisiana in climate,
products, fertility and natural resources.
The Lousianians, on their part, have been
able to realize what source of wealth the
immigration of industrious and intelligent
men and women, who bring with them
no iIooc on1 1f,ro 9TH
DDS, and assure the development of natur-
al resources far better than any amount of
capital can do.
These are the circumstances which have
induced the people of Louisiana to make a
bid for immigrants to lay before the
country whose eyes are turned upon the
South, the superior attractions and advan-
tages that their state offers, and to give
immigration all the aid and encouragement
it needs. 1t came here without any assist
ance, hitherto, with meager knowledge of
Louisiana. What may we not hope for in
this line with vigorous, energetic immi-
grafton policy?
Louisiana is the most fertile and 49,
ductive state in the Union, matp
largest yield per acre of any, the be-, ,snd
turn for labor and capital employed. s we'll
1t is the first cotton state in the owaite
and it yields to-day, and has Away. yie.a.
ed the greatest amount of cotton per
acre of any state or country on the globe,
q bale an acre on it's front lands. and its
cotton "Orleans" ranked as the finest sta.
pie produced and has commanded the
best price. Its lands, cultivated in cotton
for nearly a century without other fer
tilizer than the seed, yield to-day as they
did in 1890.
1t is the first state in the Union in the
production of sugar, crop which yielded
last season 1870 pounds of sugar and "A
gallons of molasses to every acre cultiva
ted, of the value of $104.67 although
this crop has been grown on the planta-
lions for century and half instead of
affecting the fertility of the soil, the land
yields more per acre to-day than it ever
did before.
1t is the first state il the Union in the
production of molasses, and it's molasses
mas commanded better price than that
produced in any land, at home or abroad.
It is the first state in the Union in the
production of rice, crop especially suited
% small farmers, since it requires little
,apital to cultivate, and little labor save
n the planting and harvest season.
It produces, in it's perique, the finest
obacco grown.
1t has the oldest, largest and most profit
lble orange groves in America, some of
which have been planted for century,
'iedling $50 an acre.
1t haepne largest number of fig trees of
ny Gate, of mespilus and of pecans, and
ther nuts and is equally adapted to the
,rowth of the peach, the pear, the ounce
nd other fruits, more than 100, 900 trees of |
which have been set out in one parish in |
he last two years.
Its lands produce larger yield of corn
er acre than those of any other of the
ulf states, and an equal yield of oats,
otatoes (both Irish and sweet and other
tandard crops.
Lying in the semi tropics, the sugar
ane and the orange can be grown with
uccess, while it yields all the early fruits
nd vegetables month in advance of
very other state save Florida.
1t grows the greatest variety of staple
rops, cotton, corn, rice, sugar, wheat,
ats, potatoes, fruit, ETC., and offers the
eatest variety of lands, alluvial, prairies,
nd uplands.
1t produces all the cultivated grasses,
a addition to the native varieties, afford
lg pasture to cattle throughout the year,
ithout a month of feeding and without
lelter. Herds have fed upon the Ope-
usas prairies since the country began,
nd from them are descended the immense
roves that cover Texas and the territories
lille the lake coast of Louisiana is pro
ounced by the government expert the
sst sheep country in America, where wool
n be produced at the smallest cost, yet
the very highest price.
1t contains the largest area of timbered
nds in the Union, with the greatest va
ETY. and the greatest quantity of valuable
Gods. 1t has more yellow pine than any
her state, and more cypress, and its tim
n is larger and better while its net
ork of bayous and other streams offer to
ggers and millmen the best opportunities
get the logs to the mills and the lum-
II to the market. And throughout it's
rests, hanging upon the trees is com.
ercial commodity, moss, which yields Z
Q pickers $500, 900 year.
Although no geological survey has been
ade, and the minerals discovered within
limits have been stumbled across by
Ciucnt, tHelo nave already Deen IOunO
9 largest and purest deposit of mineral I
America the largest mine of pure sui ;
lur, as well as petroleum, iron, coal,
mite, marble, limestone, mari, gypsum,
G.
It has more miles of interior waterways g
an any state in the Union, $500 square
les of interior landlocked and navigable
1es, 3771 miles of navigable rivers and
yous, as well as 1860 miles of gulf coast,
acing nearly every plantation or farm
thin easy distance of stream open and :
,e to all, and upon which lines of steam
ats or other vessels run. {