The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1913-06-27
BRUNER GIVES DATA
COMMISSIONER OF AGRICULTURE
GIVES INTERESTING FIGURES
TO HOMESEEKERS.
SMALL AREA IN CULTIVATION
100000 Acres In louisiana of
Which Only 100000 Are Being
Cultivated.

Western Newspaper Union News Service.
New Orleans.-FolloWing Is an ad-
dress in part Of Hon. E. o. Bruner,
commissioner Of agriculture and i'm
migration, which he delivered to a
party of hOmeseekers in New Orleans:
Louisiana has the greatest body of
alluvial lands existing anywhere in
the world, and only a small portion
IL subject to overflow from the Missis-
sippi. Nearly all are protected by
evees maintained by the state and
national government.
Louisiana is composed of 2S,000,000
acres Of land and only about 100000
are cultivated, and from this are year
~ produced crops valued at nearly
S100,000,OOO.
Louisianas climate Is admirable,
breezy, cool in summer, mild in winter,
healthful at 81 times, not subject to
cold in wintez
Louisiana's products are varied and
abundant. Sugar, corn, cotton, rice, to-
becco, oats, wheat, sorghum, jute.
ramies, grasses, cloves and forage
crops, millet, potatoes, vegetables, or
anges, lemons, olives, figs and berries
are produced with great profit and
little labor.
Louisianas live stock consists of
horses, cattle, mules, hogs and sheep
Louisian'as railroads are extensive,
accommodating convenient and mod
ern, and traverse over 100000 miles
OF territory.
Louisiana has more navigable riv-
ers than any other state, and great
or length of navigable waterways.
Louisians's rivers, bayous and lakes
are mostly all navigable and many run
north and south through the entire
state. They furnish transportation ia
cilities for many communities and ere.
ate competition in rates. They fur
nish water for irrigation, are deep
running streams which abound in fish
and furnish water for stock. Ev.
cry parish except four can be reached
by navigable streams at some period
during the year.
Louisiana produces IS per cent of
the cane sugar raised in the United
States and more rice than any other
state in the Union, and she heads all
the states in acreage value of her
crops raised This is a census fact.
Louisiana's forests are inexhausti.
BILE and magnificent, and the varieties
Of her timbers numerous. They are
oaks, hickories, ash, elm, gums, mag
nolias, pines, cypress, maple and a
quantity of others. Louisiana has the
greatest area of long-leaf pine of any
state in the union, and has more cy-
press timber than any other state, and
she is now the second lumber pro-
ducing state in the Union, ranking
next to the state of Washington.
Louisiana's mineral wealth is at.
tracing worldwide attention. She has
within her borders the greatest sui.
phur mines the world has ever seen
1t is taken out Of the earth SO per cent
pure. Her fuel Oil and natural gas
fields are unsurpassed in the United
States. Some of her oil wells have a
record of three million barrels of oil
each. She has the greatest deposit of
pure rock salt in the Western Hemis-
phere. 1t comes up 8 per cent pure.
Louisiana's health is good. The
death rate is far below that of many
states in the Union. Many years have
elapsed since there were epidemics
and the thorough knowledge and mod
ern treatment of yellow fever makes
the disease one that is only not fear
ed, but Of little danger to the patient
Louisiana's cities and towns are pro
gTessive, thriving, business-like and
anxious to welcome people from other
sections.
Louisiana's people are peaceful
courteous, generous, liberty lowing
loyal and always ready to extend the
hand of good fellowship and hospi
tality to the stranger in her borders.