The star-progress. (Opelousas, La.) 1917-1921, 1919-11-08
ST. LANDRY FORGING
TO FRONT in THE
CATTLE Line
Breeds of Livestock Being
Rapidly Improved and Flu
ture Seems Bright
NOTABLE INSTANCES OF
MANY GREAT SUCCESSES
Dipping for Destruction of the
Ticks Has Put New lime
petus on Industry

The story of cattle raising in
st. Landry dates back almost to
ancient times. 1t reads almost like d
fairy tale, and when we realize that
some of the old-time fortunes were
laid through success in this line of
husbandry, it recalls wildly and con-
cretely to mind that wealth still
lies in the same channel of human
endeavor. When the vast prairies Of
this parish lay unfenced and tenant
less great herds roamed at will over
the expanse, feeding on the succu-
lent grasses of free range. Then
this soil was thought valueless and
only fit habitation for the .cloven
footed creatures that furnished
cheap meat and cheap leather for
mankind.
That day, however, has vanished
among the misty things that were
and the great "vacheries"- the
open ranches were known-are but
a tabled dream of bygone time.
The younger generation knows moth
ing of these "vacheries" except by
hearsay and the poor description OF
few and almost empty words does
not awaken in the minds of men
the slightest curiosity as to how
these ranches were operated and the
great profits derived from them.
Cattle were cheap, tbs true, but then
labor was correspondingly cheap
and the cattle cost practically moth
ing to raise.
The once worthless land is now
all under fence. The unplowed acres
of the long ago are farm lands and
are producing great crops OF corn,
cotton, rice, sugar and hay. The
population having increased, 1t De-
came necessary to convert the great
cattle ranges into fields in order TO
Sunish food and raiment for men,
Co the cattle business on the old
+;na vast scale simply gave place 70
the blow, the seeder, the harvester
and the mower The herds that roam
I'D and browsed in the fenced past
,,ros-restricted as to the extent
of their meandering and coming up
at night to the barn lot gate ana
1ooLino on man as their protector
and master. +bo
Cattle dropped in price and the
1ord was too valuable to be utilized
n such a "sinful waste" Hence 81.
Landry dropped out of the game ana
It's former prestige passed into the
ni,.h+ Of oblivion. But as time went
on and the demand of people IN
Tho cities and towns for meat ana
stilI more meat became stronger
and went unappeased, the spirit OF
growing more cattle in order to NIL
the demand and, at the same time,
produce wealth for the grower, be-
came too strong for resistance and
farmers began to turn their atten-
ton to cattle raising once again.
This time, however, they did not
gravitate back to the raising OF
the old wild and vicious long-horns
but looked forward to better things,
and while thinking along this line
they naturally turned to improved
breeds that were we'll adapted to
soil and climatic conditions. Exper-
imenting along this line, many lost
considerable money in trying out
breeds that were popular in other
sections. But this money was not
lost, after all. In fact, as exper-
fence is always the best teacher,
the money spent was well spent af-
ter all for it opened the eyes of
the farmers to what course they
should pursue in the future, and
having once learned, they followed
the beaten path to everlasting sue
cess.
There are several breeds of cat
tie well adapted to our conditions,
any one of which will lead to for
tune and fame, andwhen all the far
mers of thiscountry awaken to this
absolute fact, their pathway through
the future will be paved with bright
American doliars-and that after
all is the very apex of human de-
sire. Drifting from worse to better
things is an indication that mankind
IS on the up grade and steadily MAX
ing for himself and his progeny a
better place in which to reside and
living from the bosom of Mother
Nature sustenance and raiment to
feed the crying wants of the stom-
ach and the protection of the per-
son from the inclemencies of the
elements. To grow better and more
cattle-cattle that will produce mora
meat and leather at Lose ovnar.o