The Opelousas courier., 1892-05-14
correspondence.
NASHVILLE, La, May 9, 1882.
Editor COURIER :

hEho AANSb AHt "~"J
Editor COURIER:
The dry weather which has prevailed dur
ing the past ten days begins to show its ef
fects on the corn and cotton crops. During
the month of April we had an excess of rain
Since the month of May set in, the wind from
the south prevailing, together with a warm
sun, has dried the land very fast, causing ii
to work rough and cloddy.
All crops are late this year. Very little
cotton chopped out to a stand to date, and on
the places where it was planted with the
land full wet, the plant does not look as
healthy altogether as it should.
The acreage of corn is greater than that OF
last year, but most of it is young yet, and
that which has been worked out is apparent
ly growing slow.
Plant cane is UP to a very fair stands
small yet, but beginning to grow, ana Will
improve as the season grows warm and
with the proper amount of rain fall to Keep
let's to take up the fertilizing elements In
the land, will make a large yield.
Stubble cane is very poor so far as we can
learn, but will no doubt improve some as the
season grows older.
Rice-growing, which is a new industry for
last year by Rev. MIR. Fem, living O few
miles west of this place on Cocodrle. Mr.,
Fem had some trouble at the start, the work
being new, pumps to arrange, etc. He was
late getting started, but his push and energy
overcame all difficulties, and finally in the
end he harvested a bountiful crop of beautiful
rice. Last year rice-groWing was more of an
experiment with Mr.. Fem than otherwise,
and proved to be so satisfactory that it was
found it could be made profitable to the farm
ers OF this section of country not only so,
but Mr.. Fenn's enterprise has put others to
thinking and to work. Planters living on
Bayou Beuf, in the parishes of Rapides,
| A Unual1ao md 60 Tnnlnr mill trr nfnn 4hta
year for the first time. Mr.. Fem has over
one hundred acres now up to a fine stand.
Mr., Chas. Knoll, 6fthis place has some fifty
acres up to a good stand. Messrs. Lyle and
Knoll have between seventy-fve and one
hundred acres planted, There will probably
be in all eight hundred or more acres in
rice along Bayou B@uf. Should these plan
ters meet with anything like success this sea-
son, another year will see the acreage largely
increased on Bayou Bout and Cocodrie.
While the Rev. Mr.. Fem has the honor of
introducing rice growing by irrigation, Mr..
Slocutnp, living in the hill districts west of
COcodrie, has demonstrated the fact that
paying crops Of rice can be grown in the
uplands. Mr.. Slocomb has succeeded ad-
mirably with rice. For several years past
he has grows from twenty-five to thirty sacks
of A No. l rice per year on his homo hillIplace
in st. Landry.
Besides making an abundant corn crop,
HSap u Jul SoC no0 SSNSANL houcohA
pounds to sell, he has milk and butter, chick
ems and eggs, and lives at home confronted.
Why, it's all a notion about the hill lands of
st. Landry being so worthless. The fact of the
matter is, there is as much in the man often
as in the land or more. Don't you think SO?
Did YOU ever take a look at Makanda, ILL.,,
and the surrounding country2 1t is on the
Illinois Central railroad. There are hills on
top of hills, hollows, rocks and dales. Well,
the land is not so rich but my, look at the
fruit these Makenda people grow. 1t stag
gers one to think Of it much less to see it.
Well, let me tell you, believe it or not, the
St. Landry hills will, when brought under the
same hands as Makenda, be the fruit
growers Paradise.
Our letter has grown long; SO, with q
few local note . added we must close.
Two hundred bales of cotton have been
shipped from this place during the past few
days.
Maj. F. Wharton and Capt. Sam Haas, of
Chicot, paid our village a visit last week.
Capt. C. Strouse and Mr.. Snider, while
here on a visit dropped down to Opelousas
last week, and expressed themselves as de-
lighted with the rising city and pretty coun-
try.
Mr.. A. Calicote and Col. Dave Bass, of
ELM Bayou, gave our town a pleasant call on
Saturday last.
For want of space we fail to personally
mention others.
Yours. ILLINOIS.