St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1892-02-20
ST. TAMMANY PARISH.
ITS POPULATION AND PRO-
DUCTS RAPIDLY IN
CREASING.
HEALTHY, FRUITFUL AND
PROSPEROUS.

and development OF st. Tammany
parish, its rapid increase in popu-
latiOn, in wealth, in products, in
manufactures, and the important
position it occupies in the eyes of
the world as health resort, all en-
title it to something more than a
passing notice.
In the last ten years st. Tammany
has doubled her population; be-
tween 800 and 1000 new farms have
been opened within her borders:
new saw mills have been erected,
equipped with the latest and most
improved machinery; brickyards
have sprung mp from one end of the
parish to the other; notable among
these, and the finest in the State,
are those at Slidell, st. Joe. few
miles further in the interior. others
on the Abita, one or two on the
Bouguefalia, Bayou Lacombe and
BOnfOuca.
The culture Of cane has assumed
important proportions in the last
twenty years. Every farmer has a
cane mill, and not one Of them
needs to travel outside of the limits
of his own farm for this sugar and
molasses, while its export, which
is large, is shipped by steamer,
schooner and the East Louisiana
Railroad.
Its truck farms, with their pro-
ducts Of corn, potatoes, fruits and
vegetables come to perfection in
the parish.
The output Of her tar, turpentine,
rosin factories, the sand, wood and
charcoal industries give profitable
and remunerative employment to
hundreds of men and fifty or sixty
schOoners, as witness the statistics
of the arrivals and departure of yes
sells from and to the Old and New
Basins daily.
The culture Of the fleecy staple
also has become of no mean inn
portance in adding to the income Of
the St. Tammany farmer.
The grape is indigenous to the
soil, and the vineyards of st. Tam
many have attracted the attention
of every visitor and stranger, and
wine Of no mean quality and IN pay
ing quantities is produced.
l come now to speak of the culti-
walton of . cereal which sixteen
years ago was started as a mere
experiment, and which has more
than realized the widest dreams Of
the most visionary farmer who ever
entrusted one of its grains to the
bosom of mother earth. l mean
rice, and in order to understand
fully the gigantic growth and pro-
gress of this branch of the industry
of our parish, l may be pardoned
il digress and give brief history
of the cultivation of this important
product in the State of Louisiana.
In 1876, think, or thereabouts,
the United States governments re-
port showed that there were three
rice producing states only, in the
forty-four composing the union,
namely: South Carolina with 100,-
600 barrels a year; North Carolina
81, 900 barrels year Georgia, 5o,-
600 barrels year Louisiana show
ing up with the merely nominal
number of 5000 barrels a year.
The total amount Of barrels from
the four states, as will be perceived,
being PIC, 600 barrels yearly. But
mark the change-it sounds like a
fairy tale-Loulsiana III 1890 comes
to the front with a record Of $780,
600 barrels Of rice, and in the year
Just closed it is estimated that she
with increased acreage added 3d.
600 or IS, 900 barrels mole to the
output Of the previous year, ma
king total Of over 400 900 barrels,
thus more than doubling the rice pro-
duct Of North and South Carolina
and Georgia, the three and only 9th
er rice producing states Of the Union.
OF this crop of 1891, over 400, 900
barrels, the parish of st. Tammany
has contributed 80. 900 barrels, one
half Of the total rice crop Of the
state of South Carolina, which UNI
til q few years ago. held the posi-
ton and was considered as the fore
most, and banner etate of the-Union.
in this respect. Is not this just
cause Of pride, that st. Tammany
should produce 80, 900 barrels. one
eighth Of the rice crop of the entire
iifty-nine parishes Of the state!
: In addition to all this, anu not
least, after the most careful re-
search into facts and figures, the
United States governments official