St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1890-06-28
DOWN IN DIXIE.

DOWN IN DIXIE.
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Messrs. Editors-As am b,
birth . Raltimorean, and have been
here fifty years, being now Is years
OLD and still enjoying health and
strength In this delightful climate,
| thought I would give your rsadenl
. few notes Of this country aud cor.
rect some false impressions.
Louisiana IL the great sugar state
Of the Union. The western portion
MSS settled by the French, but We
are In e lstern Louisiana, once q part
Of Florida, and still called the Flor
ida parishes Of the state.
st. Tammany parish lies on Lake
Pontchartrain, . beautiful sheet Of
water p miles vide and 40 miles
long, and separates us from New
Orleans, which We have connection
with by scho ,ners, steamboat and
daily railroad trains, giving n easy
and quick access to the beet mar.
ket in the country.
COvingtOn, the parish seat, the
healthy town Of . healthy parish, lies
on Bogue Falia river, 10 miles above
the Lake and IS miles north OF New
Orleans, contains - stores, four
churches, one weekly newspaper,
and lovely girls and many pretty
flowers, and gives ready market to
our farmers, who bring trade
from 50 miles around. This would
not pay in grain bu. It does in cot.
our farmers are within easy
reach Of m srkets.
Many persons In the Middle States
suppose that our State b . low
marshy country subject to overflow.
II b true that the Mississippi river
runs throu ,h rich bottom, 20 or b
miles vide; this alone overdows,
While the rest Of the State, exc .pt
some salt marshes on the Cult, IL
high and rolling. We have beautiful
hills and lawns, four times higher
md I've times healthier than the
Eastern Shore-pneumonia and
consumption being rarely known.
This b the testimony Of your own
doctors.
We have the mos: beautiful and
'aluable pine wood, on earth, trees
lear Of limbs from so to 80 feet,
md this long leaf pine makes the
'est lumber in the world. The
Foods are like an endless plain OF
.rass. which grows bright and beau
iful everywhere, giving the best
'asturage for stock.
About one-third Of our parish is
till public land, designed for set
lers; l6O acres are given to every
cad Of . family and the same to
very son or daughter 81 years Of
&c, simply by paying the entrance
re Of tl4. Much Of this land would
ell for from three to I've dollars IN
ere, just for the timber. but Il
.nnot be bought ut any price, ~
Ne Government only gives it to &C
,al settlers, who get full rights in
sc years, and then they can sell II
they choose. |,
Why don't some Of your land
Enters come and take hOmesteads
ere! They will find . healthier
'untry-rarely see ice or snow,
ne sea breeze in summer, and our
inters are like your spring, always
'een forests and blooming flowers
'Ough the sod in many parts IL
Nm, q little fertiliser makes
,undant yield. We raise sugar
me, rice and cotton. Poor peo- !
e cannot make sugar, machinery d
'sts too much, but all can make the I
ut molasses, cotton and rice. &
otton Is the pretticst crop on earth. .
ran and white. Girls and chill
en- can gather II, and it is delight Il
I to see the whole household pick b
out the snowy lint. Many real d
. $40 to $50 an acre from molas- >
3, rice and cotton. IL
Wheat and corn are not raised ,!!only d
Z home use, because cotton and .
e are 20 much more profitable, in q
me cases IN acre producing 500.
ITS and Irish potatoes do well we b
We sweet potatoes all during the ..
ar. A mill for molasses costs Y
90. Many haul their cane to the i,
lie Of their neighbors to be ground. e
'e juice Of the cane is healthy for {,
ildren, and they eat It all day long. o
are neglected. Oranges Il
.w upon the Lake shores, but D
y won't grow on our cool hills, p
{ apples, peaches, pears and 6,
inns do wen; yet the apples win
I keep through the winter. lbs
Now . farmer should never stay o.
the Eastern Shore and rent land,
en with . few hundred dollars.
$500 and upwards. he could
ter upon l60 acres Of land for el4, :,
{ up . log house with timber y
'wn upon the spot, and girdle =