The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1914-08-15
ILLINOIS |HOi)n5Es VERDICT.

Conditions in Louisiana ReveIa
: tion-General Resources OF Stat
WonderfuI-soiI as Fertile a
That CT Famous Nile Valley.
BY +. NJ. HIGGINS in Better Farming, Chicago
Illinois.
Through the courtesy Of F, [
Chapman, publisher of Better Farm
:ng at Chicago, the editor of tn
News had the pleasure CT making
tour Of Investigation through tn
4 state. of Louisiana
The trip was made at the invita-
lion OF the governor and agriculture
department of the state, backed by
the mayors of al the cities and com
mlttees of leading citizens. The in
Vltatlon was issued to twenty of the
leading agricultural journals of the
north and west, and was for the pur
pose OF showing Louisiana's resource:
as they really are, and we went as the
representative of Better Farming.
/ Conditions in Louisiana are a rev
| elaton to anyone not familiar with
the state, for here are two classes
Of land waiting for men to work it
the reclaimed land, fertile as the val
ley OF the Nile, but not requiring ir-
ilgatlon, and the large plantations,
which Will be cut up into farms as
| soon as men can be got to work
| them.
IN the reclaimed district, thousands
OF acres have been scientifically
drained and made ready for the
planting of crops. On many of these
tracts, the owners will erect houses
Tor purchasers and give inducements
to set settlers onto the land.
here was an impression prevail
ing throughout the north that the
people of Louisiana were selfish,
that t-ley did not want any one to
come into the state and interfere
with their magnificent methods of
life.
The cane, cotton or rice planter
ilVed in feudal grandeur on his TWEEN
5ty thousand acres with his mules
and n5ggers, and under the benign
influence of semitropical climate
and a tariff blanket the money
poured into his Golfers in a golden
stream, but changing conditions
brought a steady decline in prices of
cotton and sugar. The planter re
FUSED to recognize these conditions
or adopt more economical. methods of
production or living until, as the
years went by, the shortage in reye-
nues was transferred to the planta-
+ fy1 tI4o- i
which was increased from year to
year, until now many of the planta-
t1ons are carrying all that money
lenders are willing to advance with
out a change in the plan of farming, |
and the planter, as rule, can't |
change. The sugar planter has been
a sugar planter for generations, the
negroes on the place have been train
ed to grow sugar and they know
nothing else, SO it is up to the own
ars OF the land to get men who un-
derstand diversified farming to come
N, buy the land and change the plan
Of agriculture. With this end in
view, some very attractive terms are
offered On land either in large or
small tracts.
As to the fertility Of the soil, it
S unquestioned. We saw crops of
corn, oats and potatoes grown ON
and which had been in cane for
more than a hundred years, and the
Eield of these crops was equal to the
ertile lands of Wisconsin or Illinois.
The soil is formed by the silt car
led down the Mississippi river for
lges mixed with the humus produced
" the almost tropical growths Of veg
etation, SO that a deeper ploWing
S all that is necessary to bring new
'oil into use.
AS a matter Of fact, Louisiana has
very factor for a great agricultural
tate except men to work the land,
nd there is little doubt that with
he increasing price of land in the
forth the tide Of immigration will
urn toward the southland and there
viii be builded upon the fertile soil
# Louisiana an agricultural common
wealth which Will place the state in
he forefront of production of all
.inds
The general resources Of the state
re Wonderful-salt, sulphur, lumber
nd oil in unlimited supply. The ter
itory south Of New Orleans is the
reat citrus section of the state, al
hough the Satsuma orange is sue
essfully grown as far north as Ham
1ond and Baton Rouge. The truck
arms around New Orleans have al
eady made fortunes for their owners.
Dairy and beef cattle, hogs, sheep
nd poultry are grown successfully
Fherever tried, and in many par
she's of the state the cattle tick
as been eradicated and the quaran-
me raised
We would say to any man who is
boxing for an opportunity for invest
lent that it would be well worth
is while to go to Louisiana and in
the conditions there or
rite to the secretary Of the cham
er of commerce in any city Of the
tate for information.
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