The Opelousas courier., 1893-02-04

city which in the popular belief of tn
Northern people, is the abode of pesti
lence and disease. On account 0
the rapid evaporation on the Gulf 0
Mexico, the temperature of the atmos
phere is lowered and driven inland b,
atmospheric currents, thereby ~relievin!
the heated term ofmuch of the sultri
ness and oppressiveness peculiar to eli
mates where the air is more rarllet
than here, rendering the nights pleas
ant, endurable and r%estfnl, and max
it possible for persons to engage ir
outdoor labor, without detriment tt
health, during the whole of the heated
term.
Rainfall.
The average annual rainfall is about
60 inches in this section, and of quite
even distribution, bestowing upon Vi
immunity from the excessive drought.
of Western Texas and portions of the
arid districts of the northwest. Il
falls in showers during summer, anG
though we sometimes have p~rotracteG
spells of showery weather, it hardly
ever falls in such volumes as to infliet
much injury, aud in winter it seldom
becomes too wet to prevent the prose
cutlon, in some manner, of the oraina,
ry labor demanded on the farm at tina
season of the year.
Soil Etc.
The soil of this section in most in.
stances is extremely fertile, and though
varied in its general appearance, and
character as to constituent elements, il
produces good crops with results gene.
rally satisfactory to those engaged in
its cultivation. In the alluvial lands
are to be found several varieties Of
soil, the sandy loan, the clay loan,
consisting of red, black or gray clay
and the mixed soil of sand and clay
loan. All of these soils are extremely
fertile, but the pure clay is not adapt
ed TO the production of all kinds oil
crops. 1t is fine for rice, cotton, corn,
COW peas, ETC., but will not turn out
the quantity of sugar yielded by the
less tenacious soils.
The soil in our prairies is in some
places a black, sandy soil, and ranges
in color from q black to a greyish soil
and is generally underlaid by a good
clay subsoil which is very tenacious OF
manure, and for this reason is suscep-
tible of wonderful improvement. Along
the eastern belt Of this prairie section
the land is extremely fertile and pro-
duces in profusion all the vegetables
and staple crops grown in this latitude.
EurFhor vuasE tho coil 10 not VI fort;lo
and the principal and most profitable
crops grown is rice, but in the hands
Of the intelligent and systematic agri-
cultarist. who would introduce and
employ the improved methods of agri-
culture and pay some attention to sup
plying the wants of his land, it could
be made extremely productive and
would produce any Of the crops grown
by its naturally more favored and con
tiguous sections of country. The Ian /
contains a good and tenacious clay
subsoil, and a judieious use of the cow
pea, the clover of the South, would
soon enrich this soil, supplying it with
the elements of plant food, and make
it produce far beyond the expectations
of its most sanguine inhabitants.
Our pine lands, covering the western
and northwestern regions of this ter
ritory present about such an appear
ance as the pine forests of other sec
tions of the South. They are gene
rally well timbered and watered and
possess o variety of hill, bottom or
hammock lands. The upland or hill
lands are not profitable for agriculture,
bnt are good grazing lands and the
time will come when, apart from the
value of the timber they contain, they
will be made remunerative to Stheir
owners, as furnishing ranges for vast
focks of sheep. The hammock or
bottom lands of this section produce
well, not only vegetables and the sta
pie crops, but some day, when they
become accessible to lines of t~ranspor-
tation, which must in the future ira
verse this country, they must con-
tribute to the worlds supply an i'm
mense quota of fruit of such varietis as
the fig, peach, pear, ounce, several va
of the apple, plums strawber-
ries and grapes, all of which do we'll
here under intelligent management.
The prices of these lands are to-day al
most nominal, but we opine that il will
not be far in the distant future when
they will rival those of California as a
grape-prodneing district.
Products.
The staple field products are cotton,
corn, rice, sugar cane, oats, and pota-
toes, both Irish and sweet, though 9TH
er things might be proftably raised.
jnte and ramie and barley and tobac-
20 grow well here, as we'll as such va.
of the domestic grasses as clo-
YER, red-top, millet alfalfa, lespedeza
Japan clover, and no doubt in the
will be cultivated to a consider
able extent, when the people Of this
country recognize more fully the me-
for diversified agriculture, ALI
of the esculents grow here to perfec-
ion, and could be raised with
profit, if enough people would engage
n trnck farming tojustify the railroads
n making special preparations, as is
lone OF the Illinois Central railroad,
or handling that species of traffic, and
hereby enable them to offer d freight
ate that would stimulate and encour-
lge investment in this line of business.
Cotton, sngar-cane and rice are our
nost important money producing crops,
,nt they are affected by several draw
viz The oYerproduction Of cot
on and the low prices consequent
; an insuficiency Of sugar re-
and tho uncertainty and diff.
ulty of disposing of the crop at re-