The Opelousas courier., 1893-12-30
Soil, Etc.

varied in its general appearance, and
character as to constituent elements, it
produces good crops with results gene
rally satisfactory to those engaged in
its cultivation. In the alluyial 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 OF
crops. 1t is fine for rice, cotton, corn,
COW peas, ETC., but will not turn ont
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 a black to a greyish soil,
and is generally underlaid by a good
clay suAsoil 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.
Further west the soil is not so fertile
and the principal and most profitable
crops grown is rice, bnt in the hands
of the intelligent and systematic agri-
cnlturist, 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 on
tiguous sections of country. The Ian
contains a good and tenacious clay
snbsoiI, and a judicious 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 we'll timbered and watered and
possess a variety of hill, bottom OF
hammock lands. The upland or hill
lands are not profitable for agriculture,
bnt are good grazing lands aud the
time will come when, apart from the
value of the timber they contain, they
will be made remunerative to theil
owners, as furnishing ranges for vast
focks of sheep. The hammock OF
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 transpor
~tation, which must in the futnre ira,
verse this country, they must con
tribute to tue worlds supply IN i'm
mense quota of fruit of such varietis al
the fig, peach. pear, qnince. several VA
~rieties of the apple, plnms strawber
ries and grapes, all of which do vel
here under intelligent management
The prices of these lands are to-day al
most nominal, but we opine that it vii
not be far in the distant future wheI
they will rival those of California as
grape-producing 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 p%,ofitahly raised
iute and ramie and barley and tObae
co grow we'll here, as we'll IA such va
rieties of the domestic grasses as clio
yer. red-top. millet alfalfa, lespedez'
or japan ciover, and no doubt in TIL
future will be cultivated to Ii consider
able extent, when the people of thi
country recognize more fully tho ne
~cessity for diversified agriculture. AL
of the escnlents grow here to perfec
ton, and could be raised witt
profit, If enough people would engag
in trnek farming to Justify the railroad
i'm making special preparations. as i
done on the Illinois Central railroad
for handling that species of traffic, an
thereby enable them to offer a freigh
rate that w0nld stimulate and encour
age investment in this line of business
Cotton, sugar cane and rice are or
mostimportant money producing crops
bnts they are affected by several draw
backs, viz The overprodnction of cot
ton and the low prices conseqnen
thereon an insnficieDcy of sugar re
fneries, and the uncertainty and diff
Guilty of disposing of the crop at re
m~nnerative prices after the o =
raised. and the absence OF rice mills j
the territory where this cereal il pro
duced. The subject though is nov III
dergoing ON agitation aud the pros
poets are that sugar reineries will b
multiplied and placed in greater pros
unity to each other, thereby affordin
tIle caue raiser the benefits of a health
full competition for his produce, an
presenting to him ample O~pportunitie
for les disposal. The spirit of resent
ment engendered IN the rice produce
and the local merchant against the az
ton ofthe proposed recent rice trust wi
he rminate in a healthy state of affair
: locally, and eventually result in th
erection, by home capital, OF nc
mills in the country, at several Impoi
: tant points, which will relieve the rle
grower from the manipulations an
extortions of the city mill men.
TT is a question with some as to whic
: is the most profitable crop, rice or q
aar.cane. but to one c0nversant wit
the cultivation and average yield I
81 both. all doubt soon becomes dispelle
and the general verdict is in favor
cane. where the proper facilities ext
for it's disposal. It is not an overe'
innate to assert that at least $50 vi
result to the nj grower as q n
! profit on his average production
= while with rice neither his gross sale
nor his average profit would be qnil
Z ID large. The average yield Of cal
: per acre is abont 20 tons, while tn
ahout 10 harrnIs ftann