The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1889-02-07
LOUISIANA LETTER.

Lake CHARLES, La, JAN. Sd. 1889.
Editor Herald:-
We left Nebraska by rail on the 22d,
and went to Kansas City, thence to Ne,
vada, Missouri; to Parsons, Kansas
Vinita, Indian Territory; Denison, Tex,
as; Houston, Texas; thence by Southern
Pacific to Lake Charles. 1t rained con-
tinually while on our Journey from Indian
Territory to this place and continued for
the next two days.
Lake Charles is city of over 5000,
situated on the east bank of lake two
miles wide by three long. The lake is a
widening of the Calcasien River which
empties into the Gulf of Mexico about
thirty miles south of here. The lake is
surrounded on the north and west by
heavy pine and cypress FORESTS extend
ing many miles north. To the east for
many miles and south to the gull is as
pretty level prairie as you would wish
to see. Shortly after coming here we
made the acquaintance of Profs. Knapp
and Thompson, formerly of the Iowa
Agricultural college at Ames, Iowa. The
Professors invited us to their beautiful
homes and showed us many varieties OF
fruits not known i'll the north. Here we
saw the orange, fig, ounce, peach (that
bear fruit one year old), figs that bear
the first year by cuttings; the fig does
not blossom, but the fruit comes out the
same as leaves. We saw over fifty yarie-
ties of fruits growing on less than two
acres of ground. But the greatest euro
sity to us was the banana with fruit not
yet half matured, lima beans that had
borne green beans for more than ten
months continually, and rose bushes that
has had roses in full bloom for more than
year. The next day we made the ac-
quaintance of Mr.. J. B, Watkins, presi-
dent of the Watkins Land and Loan Co.
This company owns many thousand
acres of the best lands in southwestern
Louisiana. We find that Mr.. Watkins is
a very pleasant gentleman and live
wideawake business man. He invited
us to 60 with him and Prof. Thompson
to visit their large fruit and stock farms
several miles southeast OF the city On
these farms the gentlemen have been ex-
perimenting for their own benefit. To
say that they have made a success would
be putting it mild. Here we saw the
largest orchard and greatest variety of
fruit we eyer saw, and we doubt very
much of their being one to equal this.
There are thousands of pecan, English
walnuts, almonds, and many other nuts,
besides all the fruits raised north and
south. We saw potatoes, peas, beans,
radishes, etc.. that were planted since
Christmas coming through the ground,
and saw nice potatoes dug from The same
garden at the same time. We find all the
vegetables on the market fresh from the
garden. Potatoes are planted every
month in the year as well as all other
vegetables. Prof. Knapp gave us two
radishes of the variety usually raised in
northern gardens for early market; the
seed was sown in September. These
specimens measured nine by twelve inch
es and We're crisp and Juicy. In fact, a
man coming from the north meets a sur
prise evry time he starts out to see the
sights. This is comparatively new TN
developed country, numbering being
about the only industry earned on here.
l think SouthN estern louisiana has as
brigh prospect as any locality in this
country. As to health lave not seen a
half d"zccin sickly looking persons in The
nearly 5000 who live here and all say
there is very little sickness here.