St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1890-11-08
LOUISIANA.
Climate, Rainfall, Topography,
Soil, Industries, Etc.

We give below a condensed statement
which has been prepared by business
firm in this city in answer to many ques-
tions in regard to Southwest Louisiana:
That portion of Louisiana between the
| Atchafalaya river on the East, the Sabine
on the " est, the Gulf Of Mexico on the
South, and North to the pine hills, is
| known as Southwestern Louisiana. This
| region possesses the most marvellous com
| blnatlon OF beautiful prairicS, valuable
| woodlands, naVlgable rivers and ch tr,ujn,r
lakes, with one of the healthirst and most
| genial climates upon the globe. and a soil
superlatlve in every element of production.
CLIMATE.
The climate is soft and mellow. ranrfnr
| from AZ to 70 degrees in winter and from
! 80 to 96 in summer, rarely reaching, the
| latter point. The rapid evaporation from
| the Gulf cools the atmosphere to about 50
| degrees. At this temperature it is driven
over the land by the atmospheric currents,
becoming slightly elevated by the higher
temperature Of the earth 1t is thus al
| ways cool and delightful in the shade, even
IN the warmest weather. Northern men
can work on the farm all summer as safely
as in Iowa
THE RAINFALL
Is about 60 inches, distributed quite evenly
through the year. 1t is as pure as crystal
requiring no titering. In summer it falls
| IN showers Of short duration seldom inter
fering with continuous field labor. Farm
work is not interrupted by the winter, ex-
cept occasionally by excessive moisture,
and that for short time
HEALTHFULNEss.
Ii the same care were exercised in Lou
lslana to keep the system in order as in the
Northern States, the average health of the
family would be much better here than
there. There is very little malaria in the
prairie region of Southwestern Louisiana.
and that is easily managed by ordinary
care. The rolling pine timber lands are
very favorable for health. The climate
operates most benefcially in cases of
rheumatism, neuralgia, catarrh weak
lungs. nervous prostration, etc. There is
scarcely any danger from yellow fever.
Before there was any effective quarantine
established in Louisiana there were few
cases of yellow fever-none since in the
rural districts. The last case was thirteen
years since.
TOPOGRAPHY. ETC.
Along the Gulf coast and from thirty to
seventy miles Northward, it is prairie in
tersected by rivers and interspersed with
picturesque lakes and woodland North
of the prairie is a vast forest of yellow
pine oak, hickory, beech, gum, magnolia
ETC., of great value for lumber. The sur
face is quite rolling near the streams, but
more remote rises into slightly undulating
table lands.
In the Eastern portion of the prairie belt
the soil is a deep, rich, black or brown
clay loan, quite similar to the river bot
toms of Illinois. In the Western portion
the subsoil and the bottom lands are the
same as in the Eastern prairie parishes,
but the ridges have considerably more
sand, enough to be classed as sandy loan
soil, about right for fruits and vegetables
PRODUCTS.
Most any farm crops produced in any
portion of the United States do well here
Irish potatoes, cabbage, onions lettuce
beets, turnips, etc, can be produced album
dainty, and of the best quality All the
above, except the Irish potatoes We're ex-
cellent winter crops.
The sweet potato can be grown at the
rate of 100 to 200 barrels per acre. 1t is a
good corn country as soon as the soil has
been worked enough, and there is an i'm
menSe production of ii in Louisiana
On some plantations oats are grown
quite extensively as winter crop, and to
a less extent rye.
For stock, sorghum is grown to some ex-
tent and does exceedingly we'll.
RICE,
;, - g., T
lana. The method Of blowing, sowing.
harvesting and threshing in rice culture is |
almost precisely as in wheat, with the |
same machinery. Rice culture differs
from wheat in the flooding of the fields |
with water during the growing seasonal |
very simple process The chief advantages |
of rice farming over wheat are:
l.. The long period during which prepare
tons and sowing may be continued.
2. The greater value of the product.
Preparations can be carried on from |
October till June, and sowing from March
till July. Harvesting continues from
August till November.
In the season of 1899 the average yield
Of rice in Calcasieu parish was II barrels
per acre, worth $4,000; in 1890 the aver
age yield is considerably greater, in many
cases averaging 20 barrels per acre, worth
$1,000. few fields have reached 80
barrels per acre. Many farmers have &C
quired large wealth in few years in rice
farming.
SUGAR CANE.
The cultivation and manufacture Of
sugar cane is even more profitable than
ice. but requires much more capital to
conduct the business, owing to the cost OF
he sugar mandatory, but the business
S rapidly increasing and seems to be on a
oid basis
One of the most profitable industries in
Southwestern Louisiana is tobacco culture,
where parties understand the business :.
Two crops per annum can be raised, OF :
'ery superior quality. Five hundred dol )
ars per acre has been realized j,
COTTON. t
The old staple cotton crop is still re- L
liable. and with more care and better c
aiming. is one of the best cash crops IN Il
be South. On good land well titled, the q
verage product per acre should orlng
orty dollars. One acre in cotton IN South v
yestern Louisiana may be counted equal u
, six acres on the uplands of Mississippi o
r Georgia.
HAY.
This is one of the most natural grass re- "
ions on the globe. The production of d
ay for the New Orleans and Lake Charles fl
arkets is a profitable industry. Crab d
rass, Gazon, pea-vine. millet and ber- p
uda thrive abundantly. II
,ooK PARMING-HoRsEs, CATTLE AND
sHEEt.
Horses, cattle and sheep in large mum