New Iberia enterprise and independent observer. (New Iberia, La.) 1902-1944, 1911-08-19

ment and the average value o!
their crops is $22.75 per acre.
Diversified Farms Succeeding
Plantations.
Government markets having
been opened by the extension o!
new lines Of railroad and the
building Of cities in the midst OF
rapidly-grotng industries, !;
change has been wrought in Lou
isiana's agricultural practices
Diversified farming has been in.
tfoluced and it is fast succeeding
the old plantation system. In
tellietnt effort applied to a few
acres in several crops will get
more profit from the soil than
enormous labor applied to large
number of acres in one orr two
crops. The small farmer, in 9th
/er words, has shown that under
the new conditions he can make
more money on his investment
than the large planter.
Plantations are being cut up
into small farms and sold or rent
ed for the purpose of growing
such produce as the markets offer
a good price for, and not so much
attention is being given to the
raising Of a single crop on an eX-
tens:ve sdald. Potatoes, vege-
tables, fruit, stock. poultry and
dairy products are most profit
able in the diversified list. but in
addition to these there is limited
acreage being given to cotton,
corn. cane and rice, the staple
crops, which are easily managed
iinrotation with trucks and for
lages.
While the plantation lands are
usually rich, easily worked and
well improved. there are oppor-
Itunities equally as good for the
diversified farmer on the cheaper
cut-over or timbered uplands,
where conditions are favorable to
'every kind of fruit and vegetable
grown in the South. These lands
are to be had close to towns and
cities, and they are attractive for
the reason that they will usually
provide timber sufficient to fence
and improve the farm.
! Topography, Soils and Streams.
I Louisiana has 30,O0O,000 acres
: of tillable land, this area being
Eequally divided between valley
and upland. Only about one
Iisixth of the land available for
farming is in cultivation. but from
these 100000 acres crops are
gathered each year to the value
of $15O,O0O,OOO. Between the
Mississippi and Ouachita Rivers
the land is level, excepting for an
intervening spur of hills juttins
out from the north and extending
the length of three of the
arishes. The soil of thu
Ivalley i an alluvium, Of which
there are two kinds. the light
loans lying nearest the banks OF
the river, and the "buckshot
soils of the back lands, which are
of great value to the farmer be
cause of their easy tillage and
productiveness.
The Ouachita River thus form:
the western boundary of the 1icf
Mississippi Valley and the eastern
boundary Of the uplands, for be
yond this stream the country Ii
high and rolling, well timberet
Iand watered with numerou,
streams, which are confined with
lin high banks. Along the tribu
taries of the Ouachita, particular,
the Boeuf River and Bartholomew
Bayou are extremely fertile bot
tom lands. The Bastrop Hills '
,Morehouse parish, upon which i
situated the parish seat, is sur
rounded by lying lands OF i'm
mense fertility. upon which ar
some of the oldest and most prop
erous plantations.
Through the bluff regions near
est the Mississippi Valley ar
! scat cred pieces Of prairie with
soil somewhat different from eth
er the bottoms or uplands in tina
it is light clay. Seymour an
Duball prairies are in the nortf
ern part Of Morehouse parish
Prairie du Bois is in Souther
Ouachita and Prairies Mer Roug
and Jefferson are at the easter