St. Landry democrat., 1889-03-16

| Will De certain. we OughL TO commend
our Lespedeza strata Japan clover Der
muda grass, and. the various paspalum
| Carpet grass), as wonderful summe
grasses but space forbids. Suffice it t,
say, that with proper management by com
bining the summer and winter grasses (al
the former we rank as winter grasses) pas
| ture of the most luxuriant and nutrition.
character can be had the year round. Hay
making from carpet grass has become 1
pronounced industry among the immi
grants in Southwest Louisiana. We ex
pect 10 see Timothy hay exported from
New Orleans to New York by sea, in Large
quansties, within the next ten years, the
product of Louisiana's soil.
We ought not to forget what large
business is horse raising in Southwest
Louisiana, the famous ''Attakapas," living
Oh grass the year round and with health
fulness and bottom having no rival in the
country.
Sheep and hogs do superbly. The reasons
are easily explicable. In grass they have
the most healthful of foods almost the veal
round; and, if the cultivated grasses, here
tofore mentioned be seeded, pasture car
be had the year round. In the forests
there is great variety of ''mast" many
varieties of the hickory nut, the pecan
many varieties of the oak, beech, ETC. Then
hogs find great many worms and other
food, and have the exercise of unlimited
range. The breeds that are an undoubt
success, are Poland China, Berkshire, Els.
sex and Jersey Red or Duroc. Ofcourse the
natives are included. Some of them
grow to good size, and they are very hardy.
The Guinea too, may be included.
Sheep are very healthful, and even in
the parishes where the country, being gen
orally very level, would seem to be against
them, because, to the superficial observer,
not giving them dry enongh foot" great
success has attended the industry. The
animal is very fecund in Louisiana, sew
enty i've per cent increase per annum be-
ing an estimate within bounds. Their wool
is even fbred, and is in demand. In much
of the area it is not "burry." Owing to
their healthfulness, twins are common, and
sometimes triplets are born. Not being
subject to the many diseases incident to
the transition from green food to dry in
winter, and from dry to green food in
spring, and other COMPLAINTS of a rigorous
climate, but havipa cent, $50 GO ,herbiver-
GUS sustenance) al, Chaeyear here, they
have almost no de nd"A. "Scab" we be-
lieve is unknown. o,a 12t-rot rare. The
only thing that may ~ aca lpnted an enemy
is the ubiquitous cur, a. 4 this will be a
and in parts of the State is an insignificant
obstacle.
Before passing from the topic of live
stock, we ought not to fail to impress the
fact that young mules and horses incur no
set back or ''stunt" here, but grow right
on through winter. Another most striking
fact is that both these animals, owing to
the mildness of cur climate, are remarka
bly, free from troubles of the throat and
lungs. And mules seldom have the "big
jaw"
GRASSES.
The most unobservant traveller, in
the richer lands of Louisiana, must
surely have noticed how wonder
fully white clover thrives there. 1t
lasts, much if no. all the year, but is at it's
best from December to June. In the lati-
tude of New Orleans, it is sometimes in
bloom by the middle of January, and in
our richest lands frequently attains the
height of fifteen to eighteen inches.
Red clover has been tried at many
points in the State. In some parts it is
growing in profusion, for miles along
headrows, and near the tracks of railroads.
Timothy is another grass that has been
more or less sown, and that demonstrates
it's adaptation to our soil and climate
kentucky Blue grass is beginning to
make it's way zone knows not how and
scarcely can a locality be found where
more or less of it cannot be seen. The
f,NKx ,I,1h I'D Jr
satisfied with it, and in combination with
Bermuda grass, it will, in q few years, be
the favorite with the intelligent stock
raiser for perpetual evergreen pasture.
The Bermuda is the most nutritious of all
grasses, is never killed, and rarely in
jured by any drought; will support
greater number of stock to given area,
than any grass known; and is good pasture
from May or April according to latitude),
until killing frost. Kentucky Blue grass
comes in when the Bermuda gives way,
and continues until the Bermuda is in
force in spring. They flourish together,
and will last indefinitely and thus, on the
same area, the greatest two grasses of the
world flourish on evergreen pasture in
definitely.
Meadow Fescue we have never seen
tried but from the way it holds on in
Audubon park, where it was sown during
the late great Exposition, it would seem
to be all that could be desired, as a winter
grass. 1t is there wonderfully luxuriant,
and has been subjected to repeated sum-
mer mowings for four or five years.
Of other grasses, we have not so salts
factory knowledge; but all natural con-
ditions are even more favorable here than
in our sister State of Mississippi, where al
most all grasses known have been for years
demonstrated an unquestionable success.
VARIOUS CROPS.
The immigrant ought to be assured that
ne need not quit the crops of his old home
oy coming to Louisiana. If he prefers to
lot try rice, sugar cane, cotton or peas, he
IAN raise corn, oats, rye, barley, wheat and
These last three many may
ell him he cannot raise but it is not the
act.
AS to corn and oats, some prodigious
;rops have been raised and at scarcely any
agricultural fair but one or more prizes
re awarded for over one hundred bushels
# corn per acre.
We desire to emphasize the point that
'ur future agriculture will be pro MINT
n production of sea- island cotton. 1t has
'een successfully raised between New Or
cans and Mobile years ago; and there is
10 reason why our gulf front, west of New
orleans, may not thus be utilized.
SUGAR.
Our sugar industry is promised revo-
ution under the diffusion process, and
he epoch of central refneries and small
arms will then come in vogue. The
and owner will raise cane, and sell it at
0 much per ton, to the sugar refner.
rom fifteen to forty tons per acre can be
aised at a cost of one dollar and fifty
ents, after the cane is planted, which