St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1890-03-15
Agricultural Notes.


through the agricultural department Of
the Picayune:
These are but few texts and hints
touching the vast and varied resources of
Louisiana. We feel that we are acquainted
with this subject and that we are neither
booming lands for our own benefit, nor
blowing horn to call immigrants in this
direction.
The 2, 493, 900 acres of prairie comprise
much very rich land All of these lands
are suitable for passurage.
At present, oysters, shrimp and fish
orlng an income annually of over 81, 0O0,
OOO to those engaged in these industries.
Louisiana has more than 5000, 600 acres
of pine land; the other 100000 acres
are most of them very rich, the rest very
good.
In 1879 cane was cultivated on only 49,
GOO acres in % parishes Sugar cane
grows very well in all of the parishes in
the pine lands.
On the good uplands and bluff lands,
the prairies and other lands, the State
may make 100000 bales of cotton, and
largely more than that.
Louisiana has 8, 615, GOO acres of arabic
alluvial land well adapted to the sugar
crop, and millions of acres of other lands
we'll adapted to this crop.
When jute and ramie machines come
to the front as an actual success. Louisi-
ana has lands that may p.oduce these two
crops and bear grass and other fiber crops
in almost llmitless quantitiis.
The eco 200 acres of pine land, con-
sidered tie poorest lands in the State may
be made to rank with the best of lands in
the production of fruits, vegetables and
grasses, and most all farm crops.
Louisiana, on her arabic alluvial lands
alone, may make more than /, 900, 600 tons
or 1900. 900 hogeheads of sugar yearly,
and molasses in proportion, more than
enough to supply the United States
The 1,5S7,O00 acres of bluff lands are
among the best in the State-easy of cult.
walton, very productive forests on these
lands of tall and noble oaks, ash, magnolia,
gum, cottonwood and other fine timber
The 3,615, 900 acres of arabic alluvial
lands are among the richest lands in Amer
lea Some of these lands produced six
hogsheads of sugar to the acre. or more
than three tons, in one season, besides the
molasSes.
/ The fruit and vegetable business may be
greatly extended canning fruits and vege.
tables and shrimp, oysters and fish may
yet ing many million dollars to the State
annually and forever if these industries
are judiciously managed
Manufacturing cotton snd woolen goods
from cotton and Wool made in the State,
and manufacturing jnte aud Ismie, nay
become important branches OF industry
Our damp climate is admirably adapted to
spinning cotton AID woolen yarns.
The tin Der resources Of the State, cy-
press, pine, oak, ash, magnolia, gum, etc,
will be turned to valuable account. Wood
enware factories, paper factories for work
ing bagasse into paper and paper barrels,
ETC., will doubtless by planted here.
Farmers are learning not only how to
make two blades of grass grow where one
grew before, but how to make 10 bushels
of corn and 10 bushels of wheat grow
where one grew before. And they have
learned how to kill grass and weeds in
their crops much faster than formerly.
These arabic lands of Louisiana made
nearly fifth of the rice crop of the United
States in 1879, and can devote 8 million
acres to rice on large surfaces in the south
ern and sugar parishes that are too wet for
in rice in 1879. The State has lands for
two or three million barrels of clean rice,
$50 pounds net to the barrel
The 1888 900 acres of coast marsh, and
we may add 100000 acres of shallow
coast bays and lakes, which may be re-
claimed like the marshes and lakes of Hol-
land, may all become productive and val
liable. A Hollander who has acted as en-
gineer in reclaiming the wet lands of Hol-
land, visited these marshes of Louisiana
some years since and pronounced the soil
better than that of Holland.
If the State were highly cultivated and
fertilized' and supplied with all the best
tools and farm machinery of modern times
and numerous factories established for
manufacturing wood, iron and various
metals, and cotton, wool, silk, ramie, jute,
etc, that the State might sell from farm
and factory and all other labor sources a
billion dollars worth of products annu-
ally. ($1.000. 000,0O0)
Louisiana may excel any other State in
her hay and grass crops, and in breeding
cattle, mules and horses, and hogs. The
sea marshes are the hogs empire. Dairy
ing may in time become exceedingly pro-
fitable in this State, where tons of Ber-
muda hay may be made from an acre, and
single acre of white clover and Bermuda
grass may keep COW seal fat from March
to December. We have seen this done in
southern Louisiana
If Louisiana soil were as well cultivated
as it will be in the next century, or as well
and generally cultivated as some of the
other Western States, its productions
would simply be astounding. Notice these
facts: Louisiana has 10000 square miles
of land besides water surface, shallow
lakes and bays that may be reclaimed and
cultivated, or 26 000. 900 acres; cultivated
in 1878, 1,700,C COO; not cultivated in 1878,
"a, SOC, GOO; reckoning 10 acres cultivated
to the hand, 113 1888 hands; population of
Louisiana in 1870, 726, 915; not engaged in
agriculture, 613, $50 Possibly 100000
acres of land out of over 26 600, 600 acres
in the State will be cultivated in $780,
Considerable of this surface is In pine land
farms. Many of them cultivated with
light teams, poor plows and poor supply
of farming utensils generally, and usually
the land not fertilized
The Brookhaven MISSY Leader says:
Probably the oldest man living in Lincoln
county is Mr.. James Stewart, who is 101
years of age. He is an interesting person
age. He lives with an unmarried daugh-
ter on Stewards creek, eight miles south
west of Brookhaven. Mr.. Stewart was
one of the earliest settlers of Mississippi,
having come when young with his father,
John Stewart. to the territory eighty-fve
years ego and taking up his residence in
what was afterwards Lawrence county, in
the same neighborhood where he now
lives. He is q well preserved man, IN good
health, and last year worked i'll the field
and made tolerably good crop. He has
lived under all the presidents, from
Washington to Harrison, and voted at
every presidential election since the State
was admitted to the Union in 1917. He