St. Landry clarion. (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921, 1898-07-23
STOCK RAISING
IN ST. LANDRY.
Address of TIlos. HI. lewis, Esq.
Before The Farmers
Institute.

: + p
Mr.. Chairman, Ladies and Gem
tlemen: Some time since / was
asked to prepare paper to be read
I before this Institute, and not wish
ing to decline to contribute some
thing toward the programme, and
by way OF showing my interest III
so worthy a public Institution, /
consented, and chose for my sub
4 ject "The Agricultural Population
Of Southwest Louisiana" subject
which has aninteresting social and
historical aspect and of which [
thought myself better qualified to
treat than Of any Of the branches
OF agriculture.
When / received your program
and saw myself billed for an ad-
dress on aStock Raising in st. Lam
dry Parish," Twas surprised, and
my acquaintances looked upon it
as joke at my expense. I trust
that the assignment of such a sub
ject to me by Major Lee will not
suggest a comparison Of this Insti-
tnte with the Grange, an organiza-
tion which some wag described as
consisting of DOCTORS without pa
tients, lawyers without clients and
farmers without farms.
/ know ofno reason however why
the subject should not be intelli-
gently discussed from the stand
point of observation, and by one
not actually engaged in that branch
OF industry. While have been all
3of my life devoted to the practice
of my profession, yet ! have always
felt deep interest in, and been a
close observer OF, the agricultural
and industrial pursuits of the peo-
pie of our State and specially OF
our section.
Some years since a New England
author published d book upon the
subject OF the Neglected Indus
tries" of that sterile section, which
produced sensation among those
people, and not only brought har-
vest OF money and fame to the au-
thor, but pointed out so clearly
some OF the neglected industries OF
that section that new fields Of en-
ployment for labor and capital
were at once opened up and wide
spread benefit thereby conferred.
I regard stock raising as one OF
the neglected industries of Louis
lana, d neglect to be accounted for
only upon the theory that our rich
soil and.favorable climate have led
our agricultural population to en-
gage exclusively In. the business OF
eultiyating the soil, while our far
mers like the farmers of the Mid
die and Western States should
make stock raising as much a part
OF their business and occupation as
that Of cultivating the soil. No
portion of the United States is as
we'll adapted to union of these
two industrial pursuits as South
Western Louisiana. The climate
Is sufficiently mild to enable stock
to winter without shelter, if they
9 be kept In good condition. And We
have q native grass called
littI., gazon, or carpet grass, thai
grows abundantly everywhere ant
that furnishes ample pasturage the
entire year except during the montl
of January and February. This
grass also makes fair hay Whe1
cut on ground upon which stocl
are not allowed TO Craze. We have
also the Bermuda grass upon oul
aliuyial streams, which is a grass
Of great value both for grazing
purposes and for cutting as hay.
The beef and mutton fattenet
upon Bermuda grass is OF exceed
ingly fine flavor, in fact much bet
ter than that pastnred upon th,
ordinary carpet or gazon grass
though cattle pastured upon th'
latter thrive and grow very heay,
and fat, making good marketable
stock.
Twill first notice briefly the sheel
raising industry in st. Landry. /
is not carried on to large extent
only restricted area being wei
adapted to 1t on large scale.
know OF only a few large f1ocks Il
this Parish, and they would be con
sidered small fiocks in sheep rails
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