St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1891-04-25
To Agriculturists.
CIRCULAR ISSUED BY THE BUREAU OF
AGRICULTURE OF THE STATE


AGRICULTURE OF THE STATE
OF LOUISIANA.
In the beginning of another planting
season, we desire to impress upon the
planters of the State that the Bureau OF
Agriculture is established and admins
tered for their benefit. 1t is therefore
confidently expected that all commercial
fertilizers not regularly tagged, and all
spurious articles sold as such, will be re-
ported at this office. The law relating to
fertilizers will be rigidly enforced against
dealers who violate its provisions.
We request suggestions and the hearty
cooperation of all producers, during the
year, in the detailed reports, which will be
issued from time to time, of the acreage,
condition and yield of crops.
For the purpose of helping the farmers
at home and to test different cereals for
the betterment of agriculture, we have,
during the months of January and Febru-
airy, distributed large quantities and many
varieties of seeds throughout the State.
We hope greater diversity and more re-
munerative crops may follow the distribu-
ton. To the honorable secretary of agli-
culture and out members of congress, our
thanks are due and are hereby rendered
for their generous response to our demands
for these seed.
At the risk Of being charged with I'M
dertaking tas TX of superrogation, we beg
to submit few practical suggestions per-
tinent chiefly to our hill planters, and we
ought to be pardoned for SO doing, since
we have not only plowed by "proxy," but
have been between the s'handles" many q
long summers day, from daylight to dark.
The fine alluvial lands of the Mississippi
valley, planted to cane and rice, will only
partially come nnder these observations.
1t is lamentable fact that our friable
rolling lands are rapidly deteriorating
under the present system of farming. 30
long as our sandy loans were fresh and
full of humus, the application of CONNER
cial stimulants caused them to make gen.
erous returns for the labor bestowed. But
clean and clos cotton culture, repeated
year after year, rapidly wear out and ex-
haust them. Ia addition to this, these por-
GUS hill lands suffer much from Indifferent
"circling" and the absence of properly
constructed terraces, causing washes and
unsightly guliies. Another cause Of their
loss of fertility is teaching, witch takes the
pulverized parts out of the soil. Deep
blowing is preventive to a great extent
to washing and teaching. Break thor
oughly and deep before planting and cul-
tivate shallow.
1t should not be forgotten that land is
the farmers capitalists chief stock in
trade-and he should ever strive to add to
it's value. The free use of barn-yard,
muck and homemade manares, besides
being cheaper, gives more lasting benefit
than commercial fertilizers to our land
The planting of crops which draw nitrogen
from the air and deposit it in the soil
should be freely and frequently practiced.
And there is no better nor cheaper agent
for this purpose than the field pea, which
has not 1naptly been called" the clover of the
South" Turning under pea vines and all
vegetable soil food which contain phos-
pilates and potash, is of the utmost i'm
portance. and no field should be planted to
corn without one laying by planting
from half to bushel of peas per acre.
The same memorable law that follows
man follows his primitive element, dust.
Rest, absolute rest, is essential, in season,
to man, brute and earth. A field ex-
hausted by continuous services should be
turned out to rest, and every farm should
be subdivided SO that one third could be
left implanted every third or fourth year.
There is as much labor needed to cultivate
a poor field as ore that is rich. Intensive
farming, diversified crops, rotating each
year, should be the rule and not the ex-
ception with the cotton planter. He
should as far as possible be self sustain
ing. The garden, dairy and poultry yard
should supply him with most of the neces.
saries, many of the luxuries of life. We
have relied too much on cotton alone to
meet our necessities, until to-day we are |
confronted with ruinously low prices of |
that staple, and, owing to the short grain
crops, an advancing tendency of all food |
products. The policy of depending solely |
On q single crop, with it's fuctuatiDg price
in the markets, will inevitably lead to
debt, and possibly bankruptcy: We there
fore desire, thus early in the season, before
,he crop is planted, to impress upon the
cotton planter the prime Importance of
reducing the acreage in cotton the ensuing
season, so that more remunerative prices
nay obtain next fall and winter, and the
wise policy of making cotton a revenue
,rop. by relying as far as possible on sup
,lies raised at home.
We felicitate the farmers throughout
he State on their energy and enterprise,
md trust kind Providence will continue
o crown their labors with success.
T. s. ADAMS, Commissioner.