The Meridional. (Abbeville, La.) 1856-1906, 1891-01-31
Impression of Louisiana.

AID florida was very much sur
1,r1sed at the difference in the soil
and crops Of Louisiana. This is a
clayey loan, gray black in general,
aud its wonderful fertility no one
would suspect from its appearance.
In Algiers, a suburb of New Orleans,
just across the Mississippi river,
market gardening is carried on al
extensively as, or Long Island, and
much finer vegetables are grown.
Celery 10 particular is very fine;
every crop seemingly is raised on
The drill system. Vegetables alto
getller superior to those Of Florida
or Georgia, and raised at much less
expense. For instance, in their
drilling, the lower part of the.cab-
bage leaves was eighteen inches to
bottom Of furrow. This must be
done by a shovel pillow. Cabbage
drills four feet apart, all as perfect
ly clean as our best kept market
gardens. On my way to Lafayette
we passed through miles of sugar
cane, all as yet standing and as far
as the eye could reach this sea of
green has a most pleasing effect. Ia
Lafayette parish counties are here
so termed) find same quality Of land
as in Algiers, and four feet deep, Of
clay loan. | fail yet to find a subsoil.
Tho leading industries are cotton
and sugar caue-a large proportion
Of the latter yet standing uncut and
uutogathered. Roses, camellias, ETC.,
in full flower. A bouquet OF Maria
Lonisa violets has just been brought
me from the garden where I am at
present visiting-as fragrant as any
at the East. Sweet potatoes from
-four to seven pounds; one of five
pounds weight | had cooked to test
its quality; | never ate better; per
fectly mealv and of fine flavor.
Passing q colored mans house I saw
some long cayenne pepper shrubs
six feet high, five feet through, filled
with red and green fruit. The wo.
man told me she sowed the seed
two months arter Christmas" Their
calculations are all made from that
time.
Please bear in mind that the above
results are produced from the soil
no manure of any kind being
used. The negroes are too lazy to
apply it, and the farmers does not
think it necessary. Irish potatoes
50 called, in yield, size and quality
equal ours; also with no manure.
To prove further the quality of the
soil | measured this years growth
on three years old pear trees; it is
ten feet long, not spindly or drawn,
but fine, thick, healthy wood. Inotice
none properly pruned for spur wood
for bearing, presuming that they
depend on nature to give what she
will. Evergreen oaks are Of rhe
following dimensions: 96 feet in
diameter (of top; trunk, 2 feet from
ground, l8a feet in circumference;
Is feet high; extreme ends OF
branches 6 to q feet from ground:
above ground roots, branches
botanicaily) 5 feet and 2 feet in
covered with white and
green moss up to trunk, white clover
sod aud grass. Suspended in festoons,
this Southern moss, with the green
back ground Of leaves, has a most
pleasing effect. All their pastures
are so; not a bare spot in any that
I have seen. Cattle are a good
grade, surprising the general run
of Orange country. Prices run from
SIS to $25; land is worth $25
per acre.
visited a sugar mill owned by
Mr.. A. Cayard, whom I found to
be a most intelligent gentleman,
thoroughly up in his profession. /
select this one to show what a small
is like, of the requisite size for
his farm of thirty acres. There are
sugar mills in this vicinity costing
over half a million Of dollars, Of
interest to the commercial mar and
to takers about the wealth Of our
country. The buildings. including
a twenty-horse power engine, plat.
form scales to weigh FIVE tons, watts,
throughs, h~ogsheads and barrels,
cost $l40O. Mr.. Cayard conducts
his business on q cash basis, paving