St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1890-11-08
The ST. LANDRY DEMOCRAT.
Value of Land in Louisiana.

homeseekers and residents. If grass i
the measure of the value of land land
Isl, then these lands must have a yer,
high value. 1t is the best natural gras
country In the States, growing the hes
qualities, and some varieties the whole
year. People have fallen into grav,
error regarding quality OF grass This Ii
q country of abundant rainfall, and. nat
urally, our lands have insufficient drain
age, the grasses are washed and lose mucE
nutrition, which they readily regain by
artificial drainage; clovers and tame grasses
do well and require less attention than in
the North.s
In the North, land Is worth all it will
pay five per cent upon. After seven years OF
practical observation, | believe that these
lands will grow grass to the value of five
dollars per acre over expenses of cultiva-
ton and harvesting, either in pasture OF
meadow, or both, for we have the whole
green year to work in. Then we have a
good fruit and vegetable country, and
with the competition of our North and
South railroads the market will be all that
can be desired-being able to put fruits
and vegetables on the Northern market
before they can even deposit the seed in
the earth or see blossom on the earliest
fruit trees. We dare not measure the
value of lands near railroad stations that
can be devoted to such use; the crop of a
season may reach hundreds of dollars per
acre; then we have three leading cash
crops-cotton, sugar and rice. The pos
sibilities of cotton crop are over 800
per acre; the seed will nearly pay for
picking, leaving 800, less cost of raising
say $40. This is possibility. The avers
age for Louisiana is one bale, value $50;
cost of raising, picking, ginning and
balling $25, leaving $25 profit, or five per
cent. upon $500 per acre. Sugar cane
has possible yield of three tons of sugar
per acre $4,000. and an average yield of
fifteen tons of cane, worth at mill to grind
four dollars per ton, $50, at an average
cost of less than $25 per acre, leaving $35
per acre profit, or FIVE per cent on 800
per acre.
Then Southwest Louisiana is a natural
rice country by climate and q peculiar ma
ture of soil, with hard clay subsoil, almost
impervious to water, solid enough for the
best machinery (rainfan enough for the
crop If gathered as it can be, and in moss
cases without machinery. Attention it
called to the practicability of a system of
canals for drainage and irrigation, begin
ming at the headwaters and running south
through our prairies, furnishing channels
for drainage and water for irrigation. The
possible yield of rice is over 80 barrels or
100 bushels per acre. at an average value
of 50 per barrel. An average yield is ten
barrels, value $50, raised at cost of 81
per barrel, leaving $50, or five per cent
upon $400 per acre. With fair system
of irrigation and thorough cultivation
there will be an average profit of $40 to
500 per acre, or five per cent upon $500 to
$1,000 per acre. In 1888 the State averaged
fifteen barrels per acre.
To show the value of machinery to this
crops six acres can be harvested at even
less expense than on acre by hand. Four
years ago, without machinery, about $50
car loads were shipped to New Orleans
between Lake Charles and Lafayette. Last
year (machinery used in harvesting) there
were shipped nearly 1000 cars from the
same points, and a conservative estimate
for the present season IS that more than
1000 cars will be moved between these
points. Q
But the census of 1880 Louisiana heads
the list in value of products per acre with
$50, New Jersey, good second, with $14,
Mississippi $12, and the great Northwest
ern States an average of So. The value
of the agricultural lands of Louisiana is
only $5S, 600, 900, with value of products
81, 100000, being product of four-6f |
the value of the land, while in the great |
Northwest the value of the products is |
only one fifth the value of the land, an. d |
yet we can buy good prairie lands in this |
favored location at SIS to $40 per acre.
And why are these lands sold at such |
low prices compared to their
value7 Simply because the labor and arce
Or citizens questions have been wrongly |
Judged by the Northern press, which in
iuences our best and largest customers.
Now, let me say, we of the South, have
he most efficient and peaceful labor in
he world, and the Southern people have
practically and peacefully settled the race
question Gcmigration being large fac
or, and from this time on property in
he South will be valued by the per centum
will pay.
We have not spoken of timber, of which /
he country has superabundance, both
lard and soft woods of wonderful growth
md best qualities, easily accessible. be-
ides textile fibre plants of most valuable
'arieties, hemp, okra, jute, rice straw,
otton, stalks, ramie, ETC., the most ex-
ensive oyster beds and fisheries; game in
bundance, and good health, even down
0 old age, without the elixir; still plenty
t that If you need, and no dotage.-ES.