Class Book-^ SjLi i'f-.y* DISTRIBUTED BY The Louisiana Commission At THE Cotton States and International Exposition ATLANTA, GA. 1895. =n UttlHIGHflTIOJi flSSOGIATIOIl, ■ ^>^^ ^?^-^^ ^^'^^ No. 620 Common St., NEW ORLEANS, LA. OF^F^ICERS. HARRY ALLEN, Presiubnt. 1st District. JOHN DYMOND, Vice-President. 2d 3d 4th 5th 6th LUCEEN SONIAT, S. L. CAREY, SAM^L LEVY, Jr., URDLH MU.LSAPS, WM. GARIG, GEO. MOORMAN, SeCy ani> Treas. exeOUTIi^© CO?W57iiSITT©©: F. A. DANIELS, New Orleans. ROBERT BLEAKLEY, New Orleans. F. B. BOWES, New Orleans. W. C. STUBBS, New Orleans. M. LEE, Monroe. W. W. DUSON, Crowley. C. E. GATE, Hammond. ic TK HMND-BOOK OK LOUISIANA. . GIVING . GEOGRAPHICAL AND AGRICULTURAL FEATURES TOGETHER AVITII Crops that Can be Q Description of each Parish, Climate, li Education, Fish and Oysters, Rail roads, and Watercourses. COMPILED AM) AVKITTEN BY REQUEST . . . FOK . . . The State Immigration Assocldtion, WM. C. STUBBS, Ph. D., DIltECTOR . STATE EXPERIMENTAL. STATIONS. NEW ORLEANS: PRINTED BY NEW ORLEANS PICAYUNE. iSgS. IF you know of a farmer who desires to better his condition, you will do him au act of kindness by handing him this pamphlet. Louisiana can furnish homes for thousands of farmers who will be welcomed. Those desiring information about location and lands should address, HARRY ALLEN. President, State Immigration Association, 620 Common Street, New Orleans, La. V OC I 190i? D. ot D, SUGAR EXPEKIMENTAL STATION, Audubon Paek New Ouleans, La., Jan. 1st, 1895. nis Excellency MuEPny J. Fostei;, Gorcvnoi' of Ijf)iiisiana : SiTi— I Linnd you licrewitii tlio M. S. of tlu^ liaiul-book of Louisi- ana, which your Excellency requested uu' to write f(U' publication through the StnU' Immigration Association. It h;is scarcely been a month since this request was communicated to n;e and the veiy short lime ;dU)wed lias ])roven inadetjuate for an exhaustive (realise upon so fertile a subject as Louisiana. Besides, my ol'iicial duties have been [tarticularly heavy during' the grinding season, and hence only a small portion of the time given me was available for the work as- signed. However. I have collecteJ hastily, the salient fiicts relative to Louisiana and trust they may subserve th'e purpose of attracting: to our State laany worthy imuugrants. I have freely used all reliable data obtaiuablo without giving credit to any one, since such a pamph- let nrist be largely a " com[>ilation." Respectfully submit te minutes aud :>3 degrees north latitude, and the meridians of 89 degrees and 94 degrees west longi- tude. The Mississippi river splits it in twain, with far the larger portion, aljout 37,000 square miles, upon it.s western banks. Exclusive of lakes and bays, it has '15,440 square miles of territory, of wiiicli about 20,000 are of alluvial origin and the rest are uplands of varying character. In north Louisiana the hills attain to the height of 500 feet, and from this height may be found every altitude, until 'we reach the sky-skirting prairies of the southwest, where the general topograiiliv is only 30 to 50 feet above the sea level. CLIMATE. Its proximity, to the gulf of Mexico se- cures a prevalence of southern winds. cool and moisture laden, which mitigate the extremes of weather, experienced bv states to the north. Though our summers are prolonged, the heat is never oppress- ■ ive, the thermometer rarely reaching;- 95 degrees. In carefully kept records of" the three experiment stations for the past eight years, 98 degrees has been the hii;h- est recorded temperature at New Or- leans, 99 degrees at Baton Rouge aud 100 degrees at Calhoun, in the extreme north- ern portion of the state. These maximums have been rarely reached, not oftener than one or two days in a summer. The winters are usually mild, with an aver- age temperature of about 53 degrees in the southern, and about 45 degrees in the northern part of the state. Occasionallv the tail end of a northwest blizzard, which has spent its greatest violence in more northern regions, reaches this state and remains for a few days to destroy tender vegetation and chill its inhabit- ants. These visits are not frequent, rarely occurring more than once or twice in a season. They are, however, so destructive as to force the culture of tropical fruit (oranges, etc.) to the immediate sectiou bordering on the gulf. In 1880. during the prevalence of one of these blizzards, the temperature at New Orleans fell to 17 degrees Fahrenheit, the lowest ever known. Since that time 20 degrees has been the minimum attained. But for these occasional blizzards tropical fruits could be grown over most of the state and or- dinary summer vegetables raised the year round. RAINFALL. The average yearly rainfall at New Or- leans is about 70 inches, decreasing in quantity as one goes northward, with 45 inches as an average in the extreme northern portion. The heaviest showers fall in summer during the growing sea- son. Winter comes next in its quantity of rainfall, while our springs and au- tumns are our dry seasons, with only oc- casional showers. Such seasons are con- ducive to the welfare of our stai)le crops, cotton, sugar cane and rice: dry sprinirs, permitting a successful planting and cul- tivation of these crops aud dry autumns. LOUISIANA. so essential to the rapid and economical liai\ eoUiiji ot them. Oar regular rums are frum Luc doutuucdt; yet lu suiximer liny so_ucliuieci cijiiie iruiu me uuiluwesc, aud wiitu LiiLy uo, liiey are usaaiiy accoiu- pau.cU I,.) lnuuder and ligutnins'. The climate ui' the enure si.,ae, from Oclouer im i\iay, is an iUeai one, at- tracii.\e aiiJie lo ine iuvcilid and luarisc, ana tuousanas ol visiiors Iroiii Lue noi lu are yeany acuviug tuis sCaie m queat ot' heaun or eiijojuieac. The hoteis oi Aew Oneaua luni.ou aiiraclive hoix^es lor tne opuJiiiL and iasnionable, wnue lueii of moderate means can nnd cheap and ex- celieiiL nomes m the smaller no.-sLelries and pruaLC uoardiiig-hoi.ses of tnis ciiy, in tne lowus and v.Uages scattered over tnis siaie and along ine guil coast of ilississ.ijpi. UKULOGICAL FEATURES. An erroneous impression generally pre- vails LnaL i^o.iisiana is wnouy aiiuiiaj — a low-lyuxg suainp which has to be diuin- ed, iiitened and le\ eied to make inuabic- able. An examination of the figures gneu above refutes iu unmistaUable terms tuis t'rrur. Jsot only the larger area of tne state is upland and above any possible Hood, but a sught majority of tne (supuia- liou of the state, outside of the ciiy of New Orleans, reside on these itplaiids. To this portion of the state belongs nearly seven-tenths of her rural white popula- tion. GEOLOGICALLY ipeakii'g, Louisiana is a very young state, it had no existence at the end of ihe paleozoic age. Only a few closing vhnp- .ers of the world's history are here re- .•orded, and these have been written by .vater, which is now, as ever, Ihe great factor in landmaking in this state. CRETACEOUS. A small portion of cretaceous strata, !onsit>ting of hard limestones, gypsum, salt, sulpluir and marls, have bedi laid iown at the close of the mesozoic age of )ur eartli at the bottom of a deep hut ;radually ♦'..illowing sea, extending fr( m Arkansas into norlliwesteni Louisiana, ind on in a southeasterly direction :hrongh the state to Avery's island (salt jvorks). which rises out of tlie salt uarshes of the gulf of Mexico. This geo- ogical period is found now only in iso- ated spots, ancient peaks of this vidLie, former cretaceous islands in a tertiary sea. Onteroiip' of tli'« Iieriod are found in Bienville, Winn, Rapides, St. Landry and Dther parishes, but no prominent topo- graphical features are given to tlie co ii- try iby its presence. It forms the back- Dr lignitic. While the above groitps wore being de- posited, the dry laud w.as slowlv ••niorjr- ing from the gulf and the rivers and creeks were sculpturing a landscape similar in topographical features to that presented to-day. P.ut here the scene changes and a slow submergeuee takes place. Muddy shallow seas prevail and a heavy dPi)osit of grav clay is placed over all the hills of north Louisiana. These clays arc called by Dr. Lerch ARCADIA *CLAYS. "They cross the state from east to west, resting upon the deeply eroded sur- face of the lower lignitic, marine Clai- borne aud upper lignitic formations, reaching northward into Arkansas, west- ward into Texas and eastward to the flood-planes of the Mississippi and south- ward to the calcercous marls aud lime- stones of the overlying Jackson and Vieksburg groups." They are of the high- est economic importance, since thev form the water-carrying beds for the springs and wells of north Louisiana, and enter largely into the composition of the soils of the creek bottoms. The water coming from them is remarkably pure, while the soils made from them are cold, tenacious and hard to drain. When mixed with the sands and sandy clays of the surround- ing hills, they give soils of fair fertility and susceptible of great improvement. In Bossier and Webster parishes they constitute the soils of the large flats which characterize this section of the state. These clays can be used for pot- tery and, when properly mixed with sand, make good brick and fire clay. THE .TACKSON AND VICKSBURG GROUPS. have not been clearly separated in this state. They occur, resting conformably upon the Arcadia clays, in the southern portion of the hills of north Louisiana, and constitute the "black prairies" of this section. They run in a band about thirty miles wide across the state. From the preliminary report upon the hills of Louisiana, made by Dr. Lerch, under the auspices of the experimental station, and published as Part II, Geology and Agriculture, the following is extracted: JACKSON GROUP. They are of high economic importance, not alone on account of the litholojiical material they consist of. but especially on account of their position. They enter and frequently make up the soils of a vast extent of couiitry solely, cause an entirely different vegetation, of which hawthorns, persimmons, black haw and crab apples are et^pecially characteristic, and are the cause of the black bald prairies frequently mentioned. The soils derived from this formation ure generally LOUISIANA. very fertile, though not easily worked. In the territory {hey ocuupy they freciuoiuly protrude through the thiclc cover of red, jsaudy clay and drift, ishuid-like. coii- spi;-uou.s through the broalc iu the vege- tati;,ii. as well as through their liiholog- ieal material, mostly iudurated yellow uiarls gradating downward iuto calcare- ous gray clays, especially exposed along their uorthei'u boundary line. Kreiiuer.tly while and yellow limestone bowldei-s are srattered promiscuously over the outcrops, more rarely limestone ledges a few feet in thickness are found cai)ping the hills. Zeuglodon boues have been found on the edge of the parishes, the most character- istic fossil of the Jackson of Mississippi. The outcrops of the lower series are fouud frequently on a level with the Jack- son beds, on account of the deep erosion they have sustained l)efore these strata were deposited upon them. THE VIOKSBURG GROUP. If it were not for the paleontological evidence found in these strata, mark- ing a different© geological horizon, they hardly could be distinguished from the underlying Jackson bods. Perfectly couformable. they rest upon them, and no change iu the topog- raphy of the territory they occupy, nor ii\ the vegetation growing upon their line of outcrops, marks a uew geological sub- division. With the underlying beds they have the bald prairies aaid the lithological material iu common. They mostly consist of "yellow calcareous fossiliferous marls." are similar, if not identi'^al, in composi- tion, with that of the Jackson group. The waters found iu the region are like those carried by the underlying formation, of bad quality, and the soils possess the same qualities, like those of the former group. In a narrow band, their northern boundary very irregular, though sub- parallel to the northern boundary of the Jackson beds, they cross the state from west to east, with a south boundary co- inciding with the boundary of the grand gnlf rocks, beneath which formation they disappear. Their outcrops are frequently marked by the drift, appearing ruly iu isolated spots in the sandy sheet. They are of the sane economic importance as the Jackson strata, THE GRAND GULF ROCKS. This formation, though the poorest of all described, is of the higliest econonuc importance to Louisiana on account of the immense territory it occupies and the in- fluence it has on other regions of the state.' Along the .south boundary Inu: of the Vicksburg marls the sandstones and claystones and massive clays of the grand gulf group overlap them, and in a line of hills and bluffs cross the state from west to east, dipping southward, but under a far steeper angle than the underlying formations. Examining its northern boundary line and advancing in a southerly direction, we notice a rapid tliickcning of the strata and soon lose all sight of the contact of the underlying formation, notwithstanding the hills and bluffs are steep, not unfrequently rising along this boundary line over 150 feet above the country drainage. More than any of the previous regions described, it has the plain structure preserved, tliotigh erosion has chiseled out dilferent forms. Instead of tlie well rounded hills and more gentle slopes of the ridges occupy- ing tlie region uortli of its boundary, it slopes from its deeply deutated and broken north line southward under a sleep angle, rapidly towards tlie gulf, present- ing a plateau in which the rivers liave <'ift wide valleys with steeii walls, and their tributaries; narrow gulleys with broken and dentated embankments, sev- eral over 100 feet in height. I'''re(iuently the country roads wind along a narrow ridge, falling steep to either side for many miles through this section. The features of erosion resemble somewhat the country north of it, where tlie drift- sands have accumulated, forming sections almost equally steep. They lessen in height in a southerly direction. The landscape these rocks offer is very mo- notonous. The open woods of the long- leaf pine, as far as the eye can reach, and the green turf, interrupted by bare spots of the gray sands, derived from the underlying sandstones, sometimes crop- ping out in high knolls along the road, or from the sands and gravels of the drift which generally cover the rocks of this formation in a thin sheet. The waters of streams and creeks are swift, rich iu tish, especially trout and perch, and almost of crystalline clearness, unless they \vind along a swampy bottom, and springs are even more numerous than in the north- ern )iart of the state. TUB RED SANDY CLAYS. The strata of this formation, deposited at the close of the tertiary in Louisiana, cover all the territory north of the Vicks- burg, Shreveport and Facitic Raili'oad, and can be traced, though frequently in- terrupted by drift materia) and out- crops of the underlying formation, al- most to the north boundary of the grand gulf rocks. They cover the eroded sur- faces of the gray clays, the Jackson and Vicksburg rocks, and sometimes even mantle the outcrops of the laminated clays and sands of the lower series of tertiary rocks. To a large extent, the soils of the region they occupy are di- rectly derived from them, sometimes they enter into their composition with the drift tind, mixed with the clay of older formations, they form the bottom soils and the covering loam-sheet of the di- luvial flats. There cau be but little doubt as to the circumstances under which they have been deposited. Throughout their deposits they show the fluviated structure. To judge from their geographi- cal distribution in this state, it" seems that the sandstones of the grand gulf rocks formed their southern shore and that the shallow basin deepened towards the north, having a connection with the gulf through the wide Missis- sippi valley. Everywhere the formation is largely denuded and their outcrops can bo seen in great abundance in the territory tliey occupy. They wnsist gen- erally of highly ferruginous sandy clays, mottled and streaked and sometimes studded v.itli pebbles derived from the underlying gray clays forming lines of stratification. The irregularity of these lines which show so clearly their process of deposition have been mentioned before. Ferruginous sandstones and claystones. which frequently cap the hills north of the Vick.sburg, Slireveport and Pa- cific Railroad. are seldom found south of that lino, and wiih the exception of a few locali- ties in the Dolct hills none won' seen. The fossil wood, hov.ever, leinanis to be a characteristic feature of this formation, and like in the n<>rtli<'ni Icj- ITS ADVANTAGES! ITS CONDITrONS ! ITS PROSPECTS I calities, it is found south of tlie rnil- rond in jjiojit alinndirii'p. irciiorally on tlie coutnct o£ tlie roil sandy clays and undci'- lyinij' forniatiiius. I'fri-ii.siinoiis fossils are frequently found, fd'tou assotdated wdtli jdiosidiatic iiodnles in feirugiiious clay.stoues. (Jceupyinjr more tliau one- half of north F^onisiana, they impart to the country largely its eharacteristie topoj^raphy and \egetation. The liills of the territory they underlie are eansed by erosion in this format Ion. thousli fore- shadowed ill tlie older terli;'.ry strata and the short-leaf pine, o;ik varieties and sums and hickory grow most luxuriant- ly on soils derived from it. In the eenlral part they almost solely make up the surface material, in the western, eastern and sonlhern parts they are more or les.s maiked hy the sands and jrravels of the drift and by diluvial loam deposits along the larger river courses. The coujitry iu which their deposits predominate is easily tilled, and by far richer than any of the other regions of north Louisiana, with the exception of the alluvial bet toms of rivers and creeks, and tlie black prairies. '■Cji si The Sands and Gravels of the Dpift Sm Not alone one of the most interesting for- mations from a scientilic point of view, but also of the highest economic interest, especially on .iccount of its stratigraphi- ca! position, forming the covering mantle over all that is beneath. Its sanda spread in a thin sheet over the northern portion of Louisiana, forming immense deposits centi'ally from M-est to east, and thinning out and spreading again, sheet- like, over the grand gulf rocks. Two gravel streams, many miles in extent, accoinjiany the diluvial valleys of the Red river and Ouachita (Mississippi) river to join about fifty miles south of the Vicksburg, Shreveport and Pacific llail- road, and to spread from there over the whole territory. Its sands are a compo- nent part of all the soils of the region. The alluvium along the present river courses, the loam sheets of ancient river bottoms and recent swaniiJS. the soils of the hilly uplands, all with the exception of the red lands, centrally located from north to south, from \vliich recent erosion has removed them, are partly derived from these deposits. The well waters are cleared and filtered by them, espe- cially ill sections where these sands have reacluHl sullicier.t thickness, all certainly features which make them worthy of our consideration. "Wherever they are exposed they show stratiticatiou lines like in the underlying formation of irregularity, however not nearly as irregular as found in those deposits. In their lower portions they gradate into the underlving red sandy cla.vs which are some times found restratitied in the drift, though generally the contact line of both these formations is well and sharply defined. Their direc- tion is from north to south, and their stratification and material (well-rounded gray and ferruginous quartz sands and gravels) leave no doubt that they were ■deposited in waters flowing in a generally southerly direction. Silicilied corals, favosites and cyathopilum have been found among the gravels north of Alex jindria. Mostly they consist of quartz varieties and hard silicious sandstone pebbles, and on reaching the grand gulf rocks they are mixed with bowlders de rived from this formation. A few granite bowlders have been found, and also worn. They consist of a gray granite, with black mica and hornblende; and al.so sev- eral smaller pieces of gray and flesh-col- ored granite. The sands consist general- ly of alrao.'^t pure quartz grains, well- rounded, and then again of deep, loose red-colored quartz sands, the grain being coated with peroxide of iron. In the northern portion of the formation con- glomerates have been found in extensive layers, consisting of the pebbles of the drift imbedded in an iron matrix, due to a process of lixiviation of overlying sands. There can be no doubt that these sands and gravels represent the southern drift. Probably the glaciers reached to their northern boundary and the waters arising beneath them carried the sands and grav- els, spreading them over the southern territory. The uniformity and thickness of the gravel deposits show that currents of gi eater force, likely derived from the main glaciers, rolled them southward to the drainage channels of the country, preceding the glacial period, were filled \j-ith the sands washed out from the northern mo-aines till they seem to have coveied north Louisiana completely, with the two larger currents, the Red river AW i Mississippi river, west and east. When finally the streams derived from tlie subsiding ice sheets censed to fur- nish new material, a large amount of the gravels and sands were removed to the sea. and the narrowing rivers, still of enormous size and lake-like appearance, deposited at their bottoms gradually the fine mud. forming now the loam slwets of our upl.ind flats, skirted with the peb- bles of former more violent floods. LOUISIANA. COAST FORMATION. In the extreme soutliejistoi-n and in the ex;reuu' soul li western portions of tliis Btate. iiiciiuiing a part of tlie parishes of St. Taniinauy, Tangipahoa and Livingston in the east and Calcasieu in the west, occur low "pine flats, ' or 'meadows," the exact geological position of which is not yet fully determined. Field examina- tions are now being made, with a view of throwing some light on this subject. This formation may be anterior to the '•blue clay" (ChampUiin) period, or coin- cident with it. The entire country is covered with small, scattered lonii-leaf pines. Most of it is covered with "orange sand," which overlies a partly marine and partly fi-esh water fornuition. consisting mainly of gray, mossy clays, wliich gives the imiiervious stra+um to which these "pine tl.its" owe their peculiar features. To the eastward they extend beneath the littoral allnvium of lakes Maurepas, Pont- chartrain and LSorgne. and perhaps form the clay bottoms of these '.akes bevoud •rtie sand and clay deposited by the tides and streams running into them. This forma- tion is found along the entire Mississippi coast, and is reached at moderate depchs in many of the wells, rendering the water therefrom unrtrinkabie. In the west, in Calcnmieu parish, it is covered on the south by the silty prairie, a subse- quent form.ition, as explained above. THE BLUE CLAY. LOESS AND BLUFF. may togetlier be classified as the Cham- plain formation. Striiriy .speakiug, all of the soils of the larse 'bottoms of this state are not alluvial. The rivers have cut their way through a thick deposit made long be fore the existence of our present chan- nels. From Memphis and Shreveport to the gulf the entire bottoms are underlaid by a stiff clay of variable depths, through which the present rivers have carved their channels. This deposit was made at a time when the entire valleys were depressed belo.v their present levels and were stagnant, continuous swamps. By subsequent elevation sutii- cient fall was given to produce currents strong enough to establish channels, tlirough which the rivers liave been ever since enii)tying their floods. Ui)on this clay (blue in the Mississippi l)ottouis) these rivers liave ever s'nce been deposit- ing their alluvium. Freiiuently, however, large areas are found still uncovered, and when cultivated give us the famous "buckshot" soils. These buckshot clays are the lowest strata of the ChamiWaiii formation, whose higlior ones give ns the "loess" and "bluft" of the cane hills on both sides of the Missi!'S;i)pi and of the southwestern prairies. The bluff region in this state is under- l£ id by a calcareous silt belonging to the loess formation, and this in turn is overlaid by a rich brown loam, the lime bluff formation varyiiig in thickness fi-om a few inches to S or 10 feet. At Port Hudson tliese formaticns are together well exposed, superimposed the one above the other. At the foot of the blulf occurs dark-colored clays, with calcareous and ferruginous concretions, fossil wood, stumps, cypress knees, etc. From these clays the buckshot soils already men- tioned are derived. Above these clays oc- cur the calcareous silts of tlie loess, while nearer the surface are 7 feet or more of brown loam, the thin surface soil of the bluff formation. The following conuensed table will give the geological ages and groups found in Lo-iisiaiia and the material and fossils of each ; GEOLOGY OF LOUISIANA. AGE NAME OF GROUP CHIEF MATERIALS. Alluvium. Second b()lt(mis. Bluff lands. Loess. Blue Clay, Drift. Yellow sand.v clays Coast formation." ^ Grand Gulf group. K \ Vicksburg group. 2 J Jackson's group. H \ Arcadia clays. g / Upper Lignitic. ^ I CI:iiborne V Lower Lignitic. g J Uipley. Soils. Soils. Brown loams. Calcareous silts. Clays. Sands, pebVdes, etc. Sands, loams and clay Sands and clay. Light clays and white sandstones. Marls and limestone. Marls and limestone. Gray clays. Dark-colored clays. Marls. Dark-colored clays. Marls and limestone. KIND OF FOSSILS FOUND. Living plants and animals. Living plants and animals. Living shells and trees. Living shells and trees. Living shells and trees. Plants partly oxtiuot. Marine anim tis. Marine animals. No fossils. I'lants— Lignite. Marine animals. Plants— Lignite. Marine animals. Only three of the principal geological periods are here represented, and one of these by its uppermost group, with only an occasional outcrop. While all of these gro ips are represented in Louisiana very few -^f them occupy excessive surface development, and therefore take but little part in the formation of coils. ITi AUVANTAGEM ITS CONDITIONS I ITS HKO^plv -'^^— X^ >4»^— C^^*^* Extent of Th^se Formations. (C-s^'W c^y^ Beginning iu the southern part oi the Btdte one tinds the coast marshes, con- Kisiiug of the blue clay of the Champlaiu perio trcce the exact pusiaon in former times. Upon the western haiilcs of bayou Macon may now be plainly discerned the bluff" formation constituting what are known as bayou Macon hi.;s. Thifie bluff's fol- low this streajn tlirongli West Carroll, ICichland and I<'raiiklin. Tliey cmistitute a largo part of Sicily i.,uuul. Xi t'he scblhem extremity of this isl.iud their continuity has been broken by the waters of the Ouachita and Bieuf rivers. l<'rom Harriesonburg, in Catahuula purii-h, taey nu.y be traced by oceasioii.il antcrops through IJapiiies, Avoyelles, St. Landry, Lalayette. Iberia and St. Maiy pai'ishes. The live islands jutting oui nf the sea marshes are of this formation aiid give nruiii-lakabie eviuence that the western mouth of this great inlaiiil stream wna le-cV Belle iisland. The lulls of Ui)jl()us;!s, Grjaide Coteau. Carencro and <'oie (leLe are remains of these bluff's. 'I'lie western banks of this ancient st;eam liave been almost destrnyed by water. Between the Ouachita and bayou Macon they have been spread out over nea.rly tlie entire country, forming some of the best ku]d.s of the state. Jeffersim and .Mei' Ilonge prairies of Morehouse, Ilolloway of llapides and Marksvillo of Avoyelles have all originat 'd from dhsiniegrated materials of this ancient ridge. But the largest results from this disintegration is to be found in the parishes of west Louisiana. They extend from Franklin, St. .Mary paririli, on the east to the Texas line on the west, and from the coast uiar.shes of the soutli to near the extreme northern limit of St. Landry paiish. This entire prairie has been reclaimed from the salt marshct^ liy the deposition of the ma- terial derived from the wej^tern bluffs of this ancient stream. The area of tills bluff formation is therefore quite large in this state. STRATIFIED DRIFT. Nortli of the pine flats and par- ticipating iM the genera! south- ward dip of the forma 'ions of the state, occur, at or near the surface, beds of sjiud or gravel of the startifle(l drift. This formation is foniid on the tops of the liills of the St.-ite as well as lielow tlie blue clay of the .Mississippi river. It is the presence of these sands or gravels whicli cause so much trouble with caving banks along this streanu The channel of the river has cut its LOUISIANA. way tbrough the bine clay }uto these saiuls or gravels. At high water the veioi.'Uy of this stream is consideraljly aiigineiited aud, therefore, the iucroased erosi\e force of its waters wear away these niulerlyiiij; sands and gravels and leave the suiterimposed clay stratum lui- dermiiied, which, when the flood recedes, unsuijported by the buoyancy of water, yields to the force of gravity aud falls into the river, giving, in many instances, disastrous caves. The gravel of this Jormatiou is found overlying the salt lieds of Avery Island and underlying the bluff strata. This is its most southei'n e.xposure. Rising as one proceeds north- ward, it becomes more or less abundant throughout all of the uplands of the Slate. GRAND GULP GROUP. N'orth of the sands or gravels which border the pine flats and prairies of this >5tate occur the grand gulf formation. Rising in height northward, the clays and sandstones of this formation form a prominent hilly belt, running across the State through the parishes of Vernon, Sabine, Natchitoches, Grant and Catahou- la, terminating in the last parish at Sicily island. I.,oug-leaf pine mark the boundaries of this section, as well as a similar section in eastern Louisiana. VJCKSBURG AND JACKSON GROUPS. North, and parallel with the transverse ridge just described iu the parishes of Verilou, Sabine, Natchitoches, Grant, AViun, Catahoula and Caldwell, occurs a narrow belt, within which the calcareous marls and limestones of these groups approach the surface, giving occasional calcareous prairies. It terminates in the high bluffs on the Ouachita River, at Columbia, Caldwell parish. This belt is about thirty miles wide. So far these strata appear to have a general southward dip. but north of this prairie the stratiflcation conforms to the calcareous ridge, or backbone, already described and which originally determined the divide between the Red and Ouachita rivers. In northwestern Louisiana, cov- ering the parishes of Caddo, De Soto, and parts of Rienxille, Dossier and Sa- bine, occur THE LOWER LIGNITIC rocks, risiiig conformably against this cretaceous ridge. In inis section are the most prominent .lignite beds of the State. Agai.nst this is superimposed the Marine Claiborne, which ocCui)y portion's of liossier, Claiborne, Webster, liienville and Natchitoches. Here the calc.-treous and green sand marls abound, which, under proi)er conditions, may be advan- tageously used as fertilizers. TUB UPRER LIGNITIC i.s found underlying the parishes of Clai- V)orne, Union, P>icnville, Jackson, Lincoln and jiarts of Morehouse, Ouachita and Caldwell. Superimposed over these last three formations, stretching over the entire hill portion of North Louisiana, is the forma- tion known locally as THE ARCADIA CLAYS. In Webster and Bossier it has the larg- est surface exposure, forming the soils of the flats of these parishes. It is also fully developed in every creek bottom in this section. I'.ut while these formations underlie the sections given, the surface exposures are of limited areas, taking but little part in the formation of soils Nearly Lhe en- tire upland of tlie state has for its sur- face covering the stratifled drift already mentioned or the red, saudy clays. The latter constitutes the chief material of the soils of the hills of north Louisiana, and as fiuch obscures, except in ravines aud cuts, the geological formations given. RIVERS AND WATER COURSES. ^ No state in the union has so much al- luvial lands or so many miles of navigable waters. The widest part of the flood plain, as well as the delta of th> j\iis- sistsippi river, lies within its border. The alluvial and marsh lands derivable from this river are over 13,tX)0 square iniles. The bottoms of the Red, and its tribu- taries before it enters this valley, about 170U, the marsh lands west of the della about 4000, other alluvia! and swamp lands about 000 square miles, making in the aggregate a little over 10.000 square miles of alluvial laud, or nearly one-Iialf of the 6t.ire. The Mississippi and the Red are the i-hief drainage channels of the state, and alir.dst all of the larger stre:ims of these 'basins diverge from them, aud hence, arc called bayous. Before the days of levees they formed so many channels, or outlets f west <>f the central plain, bayous Boeuf, Ci)codi'ie and Teehe on the west of the Hood plain of the Uort river. In north Louisiana the rivers follow the trend of the subterra nean rocks. In the east they flow soutli- eastorly in the Ouachita and southward into the Red. In the oxtren)e south tlif/se west of Mississippi flow southw.ird into the gulf; those east, southeast, into the lakes. ITS ADVANTAGES! ITS CONDITIONS ! ITS PROSPECTS I ftflriGulturai Dliisioiis o! \% State. The state may be diviilod agrieultTirally into live pai'ts: First, alluvial region; sec- ond, bluff soils; third, good uplands; fourth, long-leaf pine region; fifth, cen- tral prairie region. FIRST ALLUVIAL REGION. This region may be conveniently sub- divided into three parts: First— Alluvial of Mississippi river and its outlying bayous. Second— Alluvial of Red river and its outlying bayous. Third— The marshes of the coast and lakes. As before remarked, this region oc- cup'i3s about 10,OUO square miles, and its vast possi!)ilities in the near future for supporting millions of beings are simply inconceivable. The lands of this section are now leveed against the annual en- croaching floods of the rivers which tra\erse them. S( vera! millions of dollar.s are annually spent in enlarging and strengthening these protecting earth wails. When these streams, as they wiil be \\\ a few years, shall be safely con- rrolied in tlieir annual rises and tli<' con- fidence of tlie people established in tli« ability of levees to thorouglily protect, then will a full appreciation of the in- trinsic merits of these lands be realized and high values be established. Dr. Hilgard speaks of this region a.s "the most fertile agricultural lauds of the state, equaled by few and surpassed by none in the world in productive capacity." ALLUVIAL REGION OF THE MISSIS- Sirri RlViDH AND ITS OUT- LYING BAYOUS. The parishes of this region north of the mouth of Red river are East Carroll, Madison. Tensas and Concordia entirely and parts of Morehouse, Ouachita, Union, West Carroll, Richland. Franklin, Cald- well and Catahoula. South of the mouth of Red river the \\hole of the following parishes are included in this region: I'ointe Coupee, \v est Baton Rouge, Il)erville, Ascension, Assumption, St. James, St. John, St. Charles, Jefferson, Orleans, St. Bernard, Plaquemines. La- fiuirche and Terrebonne. Parts of Avov- elles,West Feliciana and East Baton Rouge arc also alluvial. In treating of the soils of this region it would be best, perhaps, to adopt the local custom and call all of that portion north of the mouth of Red river north Louisiana and all south of it south Louisiana. This should be done also from an agricultural standpoint, since the soils of the northern section are of a lighter, sandier character than those of the southern section. Cotton is the chief crop in the former, while sugar cane dominates among crops in the latter. ALLUVIAL LANDS OF MISSISSIPPI RIVER IN NORTH LOUISIANA. Crossing the state from the Mississippi river westward along the Arkansas line, one encounters alluvial bottoms sei)arated by spur.s of hill land running down from Arkansas, until the hills west of the Ouachita are eucoimtered. Bayous Macon and Tiger are encountered after a jour- ney over alluvial bottoms of eight miles from the river. Westward of these bayous begin the bayou Macon hills (bluff' for- mation), which are here about eight miles wide. They extend in a widening belt to the southward eighty-five miles, terminat- ing in Sicily Island. Their widest extent occurs just north of Winnsboro. . in Fi'anklin parish, and is here nearly twentv-five miles. Descending from these hills, going west- ward along the Arkansas tine, the valley of the Boeuf river is entered. This ex- tremelv fertile valley is here also about elgl;t miles wide and extends southward, wfth about the same width until it mer8;es into the valley of the Ouachita river, eightv miles distant. Westward of +he Boeuf river "allu- vials" we encounter a true ridge of tlie tertiarv formation stretching out from ArUan.>lantations of the state are situated. Tliese alluvial lands are in many respects most desir- able, since their easy culture, profuse fertility and absence of levees (the upper Ouachita being above the highest over- flow) all conspire to give profitable re- turns under good culture and managf- ment. The tertiary ridg.^s mentioned above are similar to the good uplands 14 LOUISIANA. (ios( riborl elsewhere. There are some •'Ijrauies" scattered through these ridges, with soils varying from jdire sand to wbitisb clays. lu Ashley county, Ark., similar praines. with the iatt-n- soils, have, by drainage and tiUage, been made highly prolitable. «eyu)our"s and Dnbull's in northern Jlorehouse, and Trairie du Kois, in south- ern fiuacliita. are of sat^icU'nt eiV'.i r, Mer Uouge (lied sea), is derived from the prevalence of a sumac (Khns copallin;'), who^e berries in autunm are brilliaully red. This shrub and a few haw- thorn are the only tree growth on these prairies. Descending the western banlis of the Miss ssippi river from the Arkansas line to the gulf, no uplands are found, and the entire country adjacent is wholly al- luvial. Levees constructed and maintained at public expense extend this entire dis- tance, and lu-otect tlie lands from over- flow in high water. Examination will show that tlie liighest lands of this allu- vial region are immediately on the banks of the "river. This is true of every stream that overllows its banks in high water. It is accompanied thror.ghont its couitse by a ridge, the resultant of the debris de- poriifed Iiy it in each successive overflow. From this ridge the lai'.ds slope gently to a low-lying cypress swamp, which is usu- ally the drainage basin \ietween the two streams. The bank of the Mississippi river in Ijouisiaiia, opposite Vicksburg, Miss., is 8 fec't above the banks of the Tensas, 20 above the Lafourche and 10 above Mon- roe on the banks of the Ouachita. Before the davs of levees, every overflow car- ried the waters to these lower levels and frequently lilled the entire alluvial dis- trict, even u]) to the banks on both streams. These floods restricted settle- ment on these lands in the past, but now, with our svstem of levees perfected, it is expected that they will be rapidly occupied. The .soil next to the river is not only the highest in elevation, but is, as a rule, the lightest, or sandiest— the amount of sand depending largely upon the size and velocity of the stream depositing it. Hence, on the Missi!ah-, or ii'J-i pounds of lint Lssaqueuji county, Miss., Chicot county, Ark., and East Carroll, La., each aver- aged about the same yield per acre, and at the interseccion of these three states may be located the point of maximum production of cotton ou the globe. Concordia parisii is almost surrounded by large streams, and, therefore, has an unsiially large (luantity of excellent lands. The black buckshot lands cover the interior of the parish, sandy lauds being found only ou the banks of the Mississii>pi river. The other parishes, Ouachita, Caldwell, Morehouse, Richland, Franklin and Cata- houla, are only partially alluvial and will be described under the hill and bluff parishes. ALLUVIAL PARISHES SOUTH OF RED RIVER. Immediately south of the mouth of Red river tlie uppermost parish in this dis- trict is situated. Pointe Coupee is regarded by many as the most desirable parish in the state. IJeing on the conliiies of the sugar and cotton belt, with an equal capacity to grow both, one will here tind what is rare in other sections- ■immense sugar and cotton estates contiguous. The elegant homes and well improved plantations lying along "False river." an old cut-off of tiie Mississippi river, furnish pictures whvjh for attractiveness and beauty are unexcelled in this or any other state. Besides the large amount's of cultivatable lands adjacent to the Mississippi and Atchafalaya rivers, this parish contains also considerable belts along the bayous of Moreau, Telswortli. Couteau, Cowhead, Latanacbe, Fisher's and Fordoche In fact the lands along the Fordoche .ire not only extensive, but famous for their pi-ofuse fertility This parish has the largesi; levees in the state, and they protect from overflow thirteen of the most fertile parisnes of the state. Morganza and Grand levees, now solid and substantial, have been in the past the center of attraction during the flood season of at least oju' thousand large planters. Recently cane culture has beed considerably exteude in this parish. liLniediaiely soutTi ol Potute (-oupee are the parishes of West Batou Rouge and Iberville. Both are wholly alluvial. The former is included between the Missis- sippi river o.i the east and bayou I'ovdias and Grosse Tete on the west. The 'farm- ing lands, cultivated chiefly in cane, are mainly along the Mi.5sissippi river, though bayous Poydras and Clause and lake Clause furnish some handsome homes and excellent plantations along their borders. Iberville, between the Mississippi river LOUISIANA. and bayon Grossc Tete on tlie oast and the (.JnuiU river aud the ohaiu of lakes aud bayous which separate it from St. Martin parish on the west, is one of the noted sugar iJarishes of the state. Nearly every bayou has habitable homes aud arable lands on its banks. liayous Grosse Tete, Maringouin and Des Glaize furnish belts of highly pro+luctive lands, from oue-half to two miles in width. Between the above mentioned bayous extensive swamps prevail, rich in timber. Bayou Alabama and Grand river both furnish plantations on their banks, whiie on the tributaries of the latter, bavons i'igcon and Sorrel, lands have been "par- tially settled and will, when the levees prove protective, be extensively occu- pied by farms and plantations. Bayou Plaquemiae, the connecting link between the Mississippi and Grand rivers, now closed at the former, is a large and navigable stream, thickly dotted on its banks with well improved farms and homes. The thriving town of Plaque- muie. situated at the intersection of this bayou with the Slississippi river, owes much of its prosperity to the transporta- tion of products (now chieflv cypress lumber) on this bayou. In the southern part of this parish bayous Gotila and Manufactury furnish arable lands back almost to lake Natchez, bv which they are thoroughly drained. A small por- tion of Iberville parish is on the east bank of the Mississippi river. Descending the Mississippi river the next parish encountered is Ascension, covering both sides of the river with its larger area on the eastern side. This is one of the leading sugar parishes of the state and contains some of the finest estates in this or any other countrv. Bayou Lafourche, one of the few original bayous of the Mississippi river still left unclosed, debouches from the river at this point and flows on to the gulf through the parishes of Assumption and Lafourche, furnishing along its banks some of the most fertile lands on the globe. The town of Donaldsonville, once the rival of New Orleans and Baton Rouge, is situated at the intersection of these streams and is the county seat. The large plantations of ■(his parish are along the river and bayou Lafourche, but small and prosperous farms are found on the smaller bayous in the eastern portion of the parish. It is highlv prob- able that some of the lauds in the uorthefn portion of the parish are not al- luvial, but belong to the bluff formation, which here finds its southernmost exten- sion on the eastern side of the Mis- sissippi river. A further descent of the river brings us -to the parish of St. James, occupying also both sides of the river, with much the larger portion on ihe eastern, or rather here, the northern side, for at Jefferson College, in this parish, the rivor turns almost due east, and pursues this general direction until it has passed the city of New Orleans. The high land on the river is main'.y occupied with extensive sugar plantations, and is extremelv fertile. North of this hind are to be found the vacheries upon which the famous Berinue tobacco is grown. Here the drainage is into lake Maurepas, mainly through Des Acad ions. South of the river the cultivated border belt on the bayous is suddenly contracted by the appearance of the marsh prairies •which fringe lake Des Al'.emands, and extend westward in a belt of about six miles in width a little bevond the princi- pal meridian of the public survey of this ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST parish comes next in order, occunyln" both sides of the river, wiMi the ■'.x-^ec- portion also on the northern (m- eastern bank of the rivor. It iucludes the whole ot lake Maurepas (the upper edee of which IS tlie northorn boundary of the parish) and pass Manchac on the north .a.id lake Des -Mloiuands .ju th.-^ smith' Between these lakes and the river are to he found extensive tracts of highlv productive lands, all in excellent state of cultivation. In this pari.sh the raising of vegetables for market is quite extensive- ly practiced, and the fields of cane aud market gardens frequently alternate Ihe parish oi. ST. CIIAULES. on both sides of the river, with the larg- er portion on the southern or western bank, though small in actual area (only 284 square miles), has comparatively ;i arge area of fine arable lands on both banks of the river, nearly three miles deep, which are highly improved aud thickly populated. Bayou des AUemands, wliicli unites lakes Des AUemands and Washa, and lorms the southern boundarv of this par- ish, IS also spar.sely settled." Bevond this bayou is the gras.sy prairie D'\s AUe- mands, situated in Lnfourcho pirisli and across which the Southern Pacific has constructed its roadbed. Jefferson parish stretches from lake 1 ontchartraiu. on the north, to P.ara taii;i bay and the gulf, on the .south. Onlv a small portion is north of the .^ris.sis^■,i'opi river, but this small ])ortion. togetlier with the belt on the south side, consti- tues the chief tillable land of the par- ish. On the higher ridges a;'companving bayous Barataria, Dai'iphine and "De.'* lamilles may be found su.gar and rice plantations, and truck gardens. The southern portion is coveri-d with swainji, marsh parairies and sea marsh, intersect- ed by a network of bavous and biKos— resorts of fishermen aud duck hunters Numerous shell heaps are found rising above the general levei, the remains of the clam or gnathodon. which furni.shed food to a race which occupied this state long before its settlement bv the French. Bayou Barataria is navigable for small steamers and sailing vessels, and .several canals (Harvey's, Company ami Verref.s) permit of their passage from the Missis- sippi river through this bayou to the Grand Isle, a. favorite pleasure resort, situated at the h>vver extremity of Bara- taria bay. is rojiched by a line of steam- ers, whose return trip is alwavs made by this route. .Metairie ridge, running though this iiar- ish, between the river laiids and lake Pontchartrain, is densely settled with market gardener.s, who raise fruit and vegetables for the market of New Or- leans. ORLE.AKS rAIIISII. The city of New Orleans occupies near- ly all of the high land in Orleans pari.sh, and its constantly increasing population are encroaching upon the swamp lauds in tho rear of (he city. In the rear of the city are many market gardens. This parish extends in a northeasterly direc- ITS ADVANTAGES I ITS CONDITIONS! ITS PROSPECTS! n tlon as far as the Uiy;olets and iiichules all tlu' l;llll!^? lyhij; bolweeu laki-s Uorgiio and I'oiit'jlwii'traiii. This sei-tion is iravort-fil by iho l.onisville ai!(l Nashville Railroad and is almost entirely a svvaiup vv marsh prairie, small tracts of which have been reelaiiiicd tor uuirket gardens. Below the city in this parish are a few |)lantations devoted to sugar, rica and trueiis. Iklow New Orleans ou the river ocLMir the [larishes of St. Bernard and i'la(inemiiies, the former lying whol- ly on tlie north side of tlie river and tlio latter on botls sides, foUo-iiiiir it to its inoutli. Si. I'.eiTiard has extensive su^ar ji'antations and market gardens on the .\iississiiJi)i rivei and bayou Tin-re-anx- r.oeufs. IJeyond these streams the tracts of cultivalal)le land are few and incou- tinuoiis. Mo.st of tho parish is marsh and is occnjjied liy ti.slievuien or hunters in pursuit of tlie'r same. On (he .uulf coast there are a nnmt)er of low lying islniids, wh'ch .are for the ino.'^t part iininliabired, save temporarily by sportsmen seeking ♦ish or ^'lune. THE PAUISH OP PLAQUEMINES has its ciiltivatable land lyinp: entirely on the banks of the river. At and a little below New Orleans the belt of high cultivatable laud varies from one to three miles in width, but in de- scending the river this belt gradually narrows, until at Forts Jackson and St. I'hilip the marshes encroach upon the banks of the river. Below the forts the great river pursues its way to the gulf through a narrow neck, walled in by clay banks formed from the mud lumps peculiar to the inontn of tins great river. Tliis neck is so nairow that tb.e visiting stranger wonders that the river pi Even the led tints of the soils of some of the western rivers tell, in unmistakable terms, of a common origin in a remote period. Bayou Vermillion owes its niniie to the character of the soil on its banks, which is in striking contrast to the biown loam ITS ADVANTAQESI ITS CONDITIONS! ITS PROSPECTS! prairies throiigli which it has cut its chauuel. All along the !>ankn of the Teche can be seen tliis red soil, and iUs junction witii t!ie black praiiie is every wiieie noticeable. Since tliese soi>s occiniy only portions ol !be pari.',hec5 in wliicli iht'y occur, a de- tailed desi ription of them wili be given undei' other head:-. It may be said Here, , however. th*ii: ihe.:e soil', occui>y a part ; of Bossier, Caddo, Ked River, Natchi- toches, Grant, Uapides, A'viyeKes, St. 'L'ainmiiny, Jljerin. St. Martin. Vermillion and St. Mary parishes. Large portions of some and veiy (sniall portions of others. THE MARSHES OF THE COAST AND LAKES. These have been described fully in our description of the parishes St. James, St. John the Baptist, St. Charles. Jefferson, Orleans, St. Bernard, Flaiiuemines, La- fourche and Terrebonne. To these add St. Mary, Iberia, N'ermilaon and Cam- eron, described further, and we have the nwrsh parishes (if the state. These lands can, in many instances, be reclaimed at moderate cost and be changed into excellent, fertile soils, capa- ble of producing heavy crops of sugar cane, rice, oranges, etc. The Louisiana Reclamation Company reclaimed 13,000 acres in 18S3 and 18S4, and was restrained from further work by the breaking of the levees during the great flood of 18S4. Since that time Mr. J. B. Watkius has reclaimed a large area in southwest Louisiana, and is now ha.ving it successfully cultivated in rice and other crops. In special report No. 7, Tide Marshes of the United States, Mr. Watkius makes a report of his methods, from which the following is taken: "Our plan of reclamatiou is to build dikes along the gulf, rivers, lakes and bayous of suIHcient height and strength to prevent overflow of each in the event of floods from rain and storm tides, and in this we will be materially assisted by the natural levees found in manv places along these waters. We cut, parallel to each other, and half a mile apart, canals 18 feet wide and G feet dee)). At right an- gles with these, at intervals of two and a half miles, we cut larger canals, thus forming the land into oblong blocks half a mile by two and a half miles, each contaming 800 acres. Across these blocks, at proper intervals, we cut lateral ditches 30 inches deep by S inches wide at the bottom, flared to 30 inches wide at the top. "The canals are --ut, the levees formed, and the dikes are, to a considerable ex- tent, built by the use of powerful floating steam dredges. The smaller ditches are cut by ditch?rs p • )pel!ed by steam power passing through but once, at the '-ate of one and a half nnles per hour. At propter localities, we erect automatie Hood gates by means of which we control the stage of water in the canals, and the necessary volume of water is regulated to some ex- tent by the ebb and flow of the tide. This is supplemented by the use of i)owerful wind pumps, and when the natural ele- ments will uot accomplish the work we readily move upon the canals to the spot our ditching, plowing and cultivating engines and attach them to pumps. Thus arranged, with control of the water, these blocks of land are in condition for the most successful rice culture. Rice may be planted any lime from February to June, very much the same as wheat and upon ground similarly prepared. When it has reached a growth two inches high water is let in upon it and the ground gradually Hooded; care being taken not to cover any of the plants with the water. The land is kept flooded sutticiently to kill all the grass and weeds, until the rice is about IS inches high. It then has suflicient start to choke down any foreign growth, and the water may be drawn off and the ground allowed to become dry and firm for harvest time, which may extend over several months, according to the times the seed was sown. Rice is harvested and threshed in the same manner and with about the same kind of machinery as used for wheat. "Our operations were begun in Decem- ber. 1882, and we have since then built and have in use machinery as follows: Three steam dredges, with a capacity of a mile of H by IS feet canal per month each, two ditchers, four traction engines, which propel the ditchers, plows, culti- vators, sowers, reapers, etc.; thirtv-two plows in gangs, having a capacity of 7i> acres per day; two steamboats, and nine auxiliary boats, barges, quarter boats, etc." BLUFF LANDS. On the eastern side of the river is a belt of blutf lands running from the Mississippi line through West and Bast Feliciana, East Baton Rouge, Livingston, and perhaps small portions of Ascension and St. Helena. In length this belt is about ttfty miles. Its width in the north- ern portion is not over 15 to 18 miles. but further south it widens to nearly double this distance. Just below the city of Baton Rouge these bluffs turn to tlie southeast and east, and parallel bayou Manchac, nearly to lake Maurepas. Tliese blulfs on the .Mississippi line risc^ to a height of 100 feet or more, are hilly au(i broken. Further south thev flatteii out, being only about 75 feet at'Port Hudsoiu and 45 feet at Baton Rouge. Further eastward they continue to fall, untU they reach the level of the pine flats ana alluvial bottoms. .ilthough the soils o£ this section hi\e been in cultivation for a long time (it is one of tlie oldest nortions of the state), and treated in a most irrational and unscientiflc manner, yet they can be made, with proper attention, to produce even now the largest .yields. Nowhere in the state can be found more prosper- ous and intelligent farmers, and nowht^,-- on earth can a general diversified farm- ing be more advantageouslv conducted. These are probably the flue'st hill lands in the world. Far above overflow, here the farmer enjoys the enviable privilege of cultivating alluvial lauds elevated above the floods, and susceptible of the best of drainage. On the western side of the Mississippi river only scattered remains of these bluflls are found. They run through West Carroll. Richland, Franklin and then in scattered patches on to the gulf Though no lofty hills are left in this sec- tion, yet the materials which once formed them have been used to adulter- ate, commingle with and overspread all of the latest formations of the western portion of the alluvial plain of Louisiana All of the prairies of southwest Louis- iana owe their origin to the deposition of materjals from the disintegrated bluffs spread out over the coast marshes or pine flat.s. The area in this state oc- cupied by bluff materials is therefore- LOUISIANA. large. In places llicse l)liil'l's consist of an uppoi' stratum of lirown loam, under- laid Ijy the ealcare()u.s silts of tlie loess formation, which in turn overlie the bine cla.vs of the Mississippi bottoms. In the general degradation of these western bluffs and their subseijueut transporta- tion, assortment and depos.tion by run- ning water, soils of all grades frotu a rich, stiff blacl< prairie to a poor, gray, silty piny woods, have been formed. Ac- cordingly we tind, to the east and south, in southwest Louisiana, extensive develop- ments of the black prairie, changing gradually westward and northward into the brown loam prairie, and this in turn giving away to the gray, silty pines of the extreme western portion. These prairies lie in Calcasieu, Acadia, St. r>andry, I^afayette, Vermi.lion, lueria, St. Martin, St. Mary and a small portian of (jameron. This section in- cludes wliat was originally known as thf Attakapas and Opelousas prairies, ana naa been rendered famous by Longfellow, who has styled it the "Kden of Louisiana." Until recently it was occupied only by count'.est: hordes of cattle and ponies, but now it is entirely under fence, and most of it under cu.tivation, and happy homes and thrifty towns are everywhere to be seen. Over 7UD0 families from the prairies of Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas and Illinois have enthroned their "Lares and Penates" in tliis balmy lanr' and more prosi)erous agriculturists cannot be found anywhere on earth than these recent settlers upon southern soil. BLUFF PARISHES OF ■] HE STATE. West Feliciana, adjoihing the state of Mississippi, has alluvial, bluff and good oak and hickory uplands. The bl ill' lands largely predominate. They lie between the aliuviai lands on the river and the hdl lands of the extreme east, and ire 'piile hilly and broken, with ridges rising sev- eral hundred feet, w.^a ravines or narrow valleys between. In some places there are tracts of level or slightly rolling plateaus, with the brow;n loam on the top, find on their sides a mixture of the loam with the calcareous silts, which gives an excellent soil. In the southern portion of the par- ish the ridges are not so elevated— the level areas more ext.^nsive and large tracts are cultivat'jd. The oak uplands are similar to thosi in the adjoining par- ish of East Feliciana. East Feliciana has its southeastern ex- tremity composed of bluff lands— the di- viding line between them and the oak uplands crossing from West Feliciana to East Baton Rouge parish, a few miles south of Jackson. This belt is here about twelve miles wide, and has the same characteristics as similar soils in Bast Baton Rouge. Beyond the line de- Fcribed alternations and intermixtures of bluff and pine soils prevail for a short distance, when the latter continues on through the parish. East of the Comite the lands are more broken, the short-leaf pine predominating in the woods. The appearance of the long-leaf pine is first encountered near the Amite, which, after passing this stream, is the prevailing timber. A small section of this parish in the northeast corner may be classified with the long-leaf pine re- gion. This is one of the best hill parishes in the state. East Baton Rouge is emphatically the bluff parish of the state. A small por- tion of the extreme iioithwest corner IS of the oak autl pine upl;inds. It has two tracts of allii\ial lands, one board- ing the .Mississippi and the other along bayou Manchac. The bluff soils of this parish are light loams, with the dark orange colored subsoil near the surface. These soils were originally covered with a forest of maguolia, beecli, swamp chest- nut, oaks, sweet gum and sas.safras. witb an undergrowth of swamp caue every- where. The original soil was a black, deep, easily tilled loam of such profuse fertil- it.v that few settlers could be [lersu.-ided to leave it for the bottoms, I'.nt the re- moval of the timber and caue and general improvident cultivation has caused much of the original soil to be washe Macon Ihe bluffs of I en reach the height of L'O feet, sloping gradually to the westward, the lands gradually improve as we descend, the loam of the blufl; often penetrating the Boeuf bottoms, forming frequently the subsoils of the ITS ADVANTAGES! ITS CONDITIONS I ITS PROSPECTS 1 latter. These soils are highly productive. The allHvial lands of this parish are more extensively cultivated than the hills. South of this parish, and adjoining it, is Uicblaiid parish, similar in every re- spect to West Carroll. Through this par- isli the floods of the Mississippi river pour whenever the levees of the Missis- sippi river in lower Arkansas breali. By tlie continual abrasion in the past the hhiir lands of this parish have been dis- integrated and spread over the entire flood plain. Occasional islands ot blutr formation. elcvat.Ml several feet al)ove the general level of the country, are en- countered This parisli has greatly suf- fered in the past by these periodical floods through Arkansas, and if the levees now constructed at lue joint expense of Arkansas and I.ouisian.i can be made permanent, it 'will liecome one of the most attractive parishes in Ihe state. Franklin parish, south a"d east of Richland, is almost entirely of bluft for- mation, with a narrow belt of alluvium Iving between havou Macon and the hills, and a similar belt on the west with bayou B.ieuf. The lands of this parish imiirove as we go «5onth and yield line crops of corn and cotton. . Patches of bluff lands occur in Cata- houla Rapides and Avoyelles, but no ex- tensive tracts are encountered until we reach St. Candry. the beginning of the prairies of southwestern Ijouisiana. St Landrv parish is partly alluvial, p.artlv prairie and partly bluff, with a small" portion in the northern part of long-leaf pine. The hills of the parish are the remains of the western blutts of the Mississippi river, while the prai- ries are the spread-out materials from these bluffs. The eastern part of St. Landry is wholly alluvial, forming a part of the great Atchafalaya ba.sin. Bayou Courtabfeau, a tril)ntary of the Atchafa- laya is navigable as far as Washington, in' this parish. From Washington and Opelonsas the prairies extend to its western boundary. These prairies are, in the extreme northwest, of the silty character. South and east of this, run- ning nearly to Opelonsas and Washing- ton, are the brown loam; while in the extreme southern part of the parish oc- curs the black prairie. Belts of timber extend only along the streams of this parish. Bayous Cocodrie and Boeuf (which to- gether form the Coutableau) and Teche flow along the foot of the uplands of this parish and have derived their waters mainly from Red river, and the alluvium along their banks are predominantly Red river alluvium. Acadia parish, recently formed from St Landry, is entirely prairie, the lat- ter consisting mainly of the brown loam an I blai k claaract' rs. This is one of the most pro(5perous pa •ishes in the state, anu when properly drained, as it will be Id the near future, will be one of the most fertile. Nearly the whole of this praiiie is underlaid at a few inches with a stratum of impervious clay, strongly calcereous. which retains (he water fall- ing on the surface, and on account of the general level character of the prai- ries, preventing drainage, this water has to be evaporated. The result is seen iu the numerous water grasses found every- wh '-e. Running, however, through this parish are numerous bayous and rivers, ■which have cut channels 20 to 40 feet deep, which would, if utilized, furnish drainage canals for the country. If a system of drainage litches were established connecting every farm with these water courses and ridge culture with deep plowing [iracticed, (piarter drains leading to ditches dug so that the rains could be rapidly remov-'d and the subsoils thoroughly aerated, these so. Is could be made prof isely productive. The rapid influx of intelligent immigrants to this parish will soon realize the necessity for such action and secure proper laws, either through state, legislative or |)aro- chial police jury. Li the underlying clays are freciuently found white concretions of nearly pure carbonate of lime. Lafayette parish consists largely of bluff lands and rolling prairies o.'' the brown loam type. In the southern por- tion the black calcareous prairie ocstern |)art of the parish the soils are of the silty order and less productive . All over the parish mounds of 2 to 4 feet in height and 25 or more feet in diameter occur. These are immense ant hills, made by animals now extinct. These greatly interfere with LOUISIANA. fiiltivation i!iitil h^vcllod. In this parish Dcciir.s also the famous sulphur mine and pctroleiiui wells, all ihe product of the last Ijeins talicu by the Southern Pacific Kail road. Iberia parish presents a variet.v of features. It is largely allovial. belonging to the great Atchafalaya plain. Directly along the banks of the Teche lies a belt of red lands, about 50 yards wide, on .each side, evidently the deposits of Red river, made long ago. This is above ■overflow and yet below the general level of the country. From this belt there is a rise of 2 to G feet to the black prairies, which extend southward to the sea marshes. Grand Marais, a fresh water marsh, one mile wide and ten long, run- ning northwest and southeast, tliree or four miles from the Teche, is a notable feature of this parish. The sugar plan- tations lie mainly along the Teche, though the prairies are now being ditched and brought into cultivation. These prai- rie lands are highly esteemed for their sweet caaes. In the coast marshes of this parish occur three island rising to the height of 160 to ISO feet— the last remains of the former blufl's of the western mouth of the great river— viz: Petite Anse, now callfed Avery's island (2240 ocres); Grande Cote, or Week's island (2.300 acres), and Orange island, on the shore of lake Peigneur (2250 acres), now the property of Mr. .Joseph Jefferson, the great comedian. These islands were orig- inally covered with timber and the soil Is of the brown loam character, peculiar to the undisturbed bluff formation. Avery's island is noted for its great beds of pure rock salt, which are now exteu- siA^ely mined. Orange island is chiefly used in the production of oranges. St. Martin's parish should more prop- erly be classified as an alluvial parish, since much of the larger portion lies in the great alluvial basin of the Atchafa- laya. Between the bayous Teche and Tortue the lai'd is mainly of the brown loam rolling prairie. The band of red alluvium borders the Teche here as in Iberia. On the east it shades off into the alluvial prairie, which extend three to five miles, and then in turn are bordered by arable wooded ridges of brown loam character. Bast of these the land is low and wet to the Atchafalaya. Immediately on the Atchafalaya is a tract of high land called Butte a la Rose. Or. the west side of the Teche the brown loam prairies are about Three miles wide and extend to the allu- vial lands of bayous Vermillion and Tor- tue. The Teche is navigable to St. Mar- tinville. All along this stream sugar plan- tations occur. Mixed farming is also praciiced by the frugal Acadiaus, which mostly populate this parish. St. Mary parish Is almost wholly al- luvial, yet the northwestern portion, south of the Teche, including Ihe Cypre- mont prairie and the Islands of Cote Blanche and Belle Isle, are undoubted bluff formation. This is the largest su- gar-producing parish in the state, and the magnificent sugar estates lying on bayou Teche, with their palatial resi- dences surrotinded by regal liveoaks, their neatly kept quarters, an1 the im- mense sugar-houses, present a scene that would justify much time and trouble to witness. By many this is regarded as the loveliest portion of Louisiana, and certainly as fertile as the best. The arable "land on the Teche varies from one to five miles. The lands on the east bank are lower, and in the lower portion of the stream liable to overflows when crevasses occur in the Mississippi near the head of the Atchafalaya. Sugar es- tates also exist on Berwick's bay, bayous Boeuf and Atchafalaya. Bayou Sale furnishes the finest sugar lands in the state. The characteristic red tint of the Teche lands can be seen as far down as Franklin. Cote Blanche island, with an area of about 2000 acres, lies on Cote Blanche bay, ans of nortlj Louisiana. They possess the characteristics of all clay soils, tenacious, heavy and old, drying and cracking in dry weather, and running together in seasons of heavy rainfall. They are very fertile if properly handled, which nieana that they must be well drained, thorouff'i- ly broken and have incorporated with them a goodly amount of vegetable mat- ter. These two classes of soils shade im- perceptibly into each other, and in one bottom may lie found every shade of soil, from pure sand (washed down from the hills) to pure clay. DESCKIPTION OF THE PARISHES. CADDO PARISH occupies the extreme northwest portion of the state, and is greatly cut up by numerous lakes and bayous, with a larue portion of the northern part of the parish covered with overflows from the great raft of Red river. The uplands are everywhere esteemed as good farming lands, whi'e the bottoms of the Red river are simply superb. Shreveport, the parish seat, and second city in size in the state, is situated on the eastern terminus of a ridge dividing Cross lake from Boggy b:iyon. It is Immediately on the Red river and has an extensive trade. The establishment of a levee district in this parish has givrti promise of the permanency of the levees which protect the alluvia! "lands from the overflows of the Red river. During the greater part of the year this city can be reached by steamers from New Orleans. BOSSIER PARISH Is composed of good uplands and splendid alluvial bottoms. The former lie mainly In the northern and eastern, and latter in the southwestern part of the parish, and is protected from overflow by levees built and guarded by the Bossier levee district. The peninsula running down between Red river and lake Bistiueau, Including portions of Bossier and Web- Ktor parishes, and locally known as the "i'oint," has soils somewhat peculiar, consisting of three kinds: First, consti- tuting about three-fourths of the area, a flue sandy, blackish loam, with a yel- low sandy loam subsoil, with oak and hickory lumber and a few scattered snort-leaf pines; second, a heavy brown clay loam with similar subsoil, with tv.w short-leaf pines; third, blackjack ridges but little cultivated and very unfertile. Between Red river and Cypress bayou a fair rolling upland couut'^y prevails. East of Cypress bayou there is a belt of red ridge land, with occasional high hills coveied with r<=d ferrugenous earth East of this ridge occurs a belt of level post oak land, in the southern part of which are treeless prairies, with wliUe unproductive soil WEBSTER PARISH. In the center lies the broad, aUiivial bottoms of bayou Dorchite, which, alter- nately, in the southern portion, is cov- ered "by lake Bistiueau. In the northwest Is the flood plain of bayou BoJcau A level country extends from the Arkansas line to lake Bistiueau, between bayous Dorchite and Bodcan. This country is of variable fertility. Some of it is covered with short-leaf pines and is of only fair quality. Some covered with dogwood and post oak, with white, crawtisliy soil, is but slightly better, while another por- tion, well drained, gives excellent crops of corn and cotton. East of the Dorchite. the lands are rolling, with alternations of red and gr.ay soils. On lake Bistiueau and Black lake bnyon is whitish, clavey sot's, with water onk and black sum pre- vni"ne. This narisVi is connectcri by rail to Minden with the outside world. CLAIBORNE PARISH This parish is truly one of uplands, wiiLioat any alluvial lauUs save small creek bottoms. Jt is also one oi the best upiuud pansues, having a considerable area of red lands. It contains tue higiiest elevations in the state. Tne dividing ridge between the waters of d'Arbunue and Black lake is said to be the higiiest ele- vation in the state. North of the d'Ar- bonne the country is slightly broken, the soils mainly gray sandy with "-ed sub.soil. This parish consists almost entirely of small but well-tilled farms, with uiiiner- ous villages, scattered throughout the par- ish. A railroad running from Ilou'cr to Bienville, in Bienville parish, and sross- iug the Vicksburg Shreveport and Pa- cific at (iibbsland, gives easy access to the outside world. UNION PARISH. This parish is .similar in every respect to Claiborne, with probably a ittle more Inferior soil. Tlw ridges between the forks of the d'Arboune are high and level, and upon them occur some of the best lands of the parish. Tlie ridges be- tween the bayous t:oriiey and I'Duire are high and broken, but are of the red land character. Farmerville, located on a ridge of The former, is the county seat, and is surrounded by numerous email, but well tilled, farms. ITS ADVANTAGES! ITS CONDITIONS! ITS PROSPECTS ! The northoastern section is hilly, with red sainly st)il, but more sparseiy set- tled. .Southeast, towards Ouachita uaf- ish, (here is considerable hill land, too broken for cultivation, but south of this the country is less rolling and nice farni- iug lands exist. A considerable area of alluvial lands lie along the bayou d'Ar- bonne and the (Juacliita river. This par- ish is without railroad connection with the outside world. In higli water small steamers ascend bayou d'Arboene as high as Farnierville. A railroad is, however, projectevl to Farnierville. and when it is built will give new life to the parish and higher values to land, now greatly do- pressed by exclusion from the world. OUACHITA PARISH consists of hills and alluvial lands in al- most eijual areas, tlie lormer mainly on tue west aiul vue latter on the east of Ouachiia river. The hius are maiiiiy of oaii and hickory uplands, thougii in tue southwestern part of ttio parisn is a con- siderable area of long-leaf pine. In tue timuer of tue nortliwestern lulls occur the large-leaved magnolia (magnolia ma- cio phyua), a rare tree elsewhere in tue stale. In the swamps of the bottoms tue tupelo (Nyssa unitlora) is tlie chief tim- ber. Between Iha oak uplands and long- leaf pine regior. occur the famous swamps covering several square miles, known as the Cheniere au Toudre. The beautiful red land plateau running at the foot of an oak ridge, upon which Indian Village is situated, is both alluvial and fertile. East of the river is a narrow ridge divid- ing the waters of the Ouachita from the Lafourche. All the rest of the land is al- luvial or deposited bluff. The island, formed by bayou de Siard and the river, is noted for its fertility and is above overflow. In the south part of the parish is a prairie known as Du Bois, which is similar to those in Morehouse and Cald- well parishes. The north Louisiana ex- periment station is located at Calhoun, iu the oak uiilaiids of this parish. MOREHOUSE PARISH. Like Ouachita, it is composed of allu- vial plains, oak upland hills and bluff or prairie. The tirst, however, constitutes nearly two-thirds of the ptirish. Two up- land peninsulas reach down from Arkan- sas in this parisli. separated by bayou Bartholomew. On the eastern and larger one Bastrop, the parish seat, is situated. Tiiese ridges gradually sink beneath the prairies and alluvial flats. It is inferred from the red subsoil of these flats and prairies that they have been formed from the disinlegratf'd )>!uff lands and spread out over a sandy i)lnin. These lands are excellent, drain well and bring annually lar 45,048 14,108 10,2.56 773 09,420 20,3,30 28,900 S52 95,409 31,550 25,300 3,409 14,003 20,176 2.300 3,033 535 18,207 5,814 8.000 1,545 5,743 2,825 965 400 56,793 12,362 45,020 380 10,071 3,748 6,124 1,350 29,823 12,002 13,624 705 126,000 23,312 ?5,568 C20 45.816 14,871 38.570 856 82,230 19,800 14,298 4.50 53,118 17,903 12,350 302 21,115 15,062 14,365 550 22,104 0,900 10,230 57S 24,414 8.2 lO 7.230 53G 49,004 20,997 4.500 34,290 etc, 42,112 21,848 1,500 48,894 570 26,604 7,4.53 4,750 395 19,767 13.221 7,92ft 262 02,704 15.966 0,762 995 1,024 44,802 22.095 50,508 575 10,407 5,700 ],.565 485 108,084 14,753 12,362 670 48,395 14,1.35 25,302 700 .57.379 10.786 20,485 1,290 58,969 25,836 20,165 187 4,430 242,630 2,62r 040 48,847 17.985 21,720 930 30,908 12,541 19,717 575 50,594 19,613 19,367 9,150 1,498 76,149 27,042 18,275 8,753 .S86 33,930 11,318 13,780 .. . 578 31,409 10,230 12.167 1,008 18,524 9,390 3,507 080 11.850 4,320 2.090- 281 21,177 7,737 21.655 413 28,285 8,002 0,7.56 30S 54.075 15,715 40,X9O 190 29,213 11,359 23.905 1,08:{ 112.680 40,250 2:^.975 8.218 CIS 39,876 14,.SS4 3.407 14,113 048 66..'?2R 22.416 119,805 923 3,895 10.100 409 790 21,021 12.055 3,071 SO 012 78,079 16,047 40,584 1,800 40,403 20,167 48.512 880 62,601 17,304 12,900 1.220 25, .330 14 234 1.3.50 5,337 1,540 16,303 5,903 2,198 - COS 18.224 0,700 3.072 594 42,402 12,406 8,970 954 22.548 7,082 4.230 022,511 44,426 2,507,935 1 ,118,587 595,47a Froni the above it will he seen that upon a littio over 2 1-2 millions of acres there ha» been made 622.511 bales of cotton and 595,473 hogsheads of sugar. The total area in the state is over 28 millions of acres; there is, therefore, not over one-tenth of the state urn or cultivation. When all of these lands shall be occupied and the arable portion placed under good culture, what a wealth of products will be producedl ITS ADVANTAGES! ITS CONDITIONS ! ITS PROSPECTS I 31 The total area of the state is 45.440 square miles of laiul, with several thou- sand acres of fresh and salt water. The laud is distributed as follows: S(i. Miles. Alluvial lands 13.255 Bluff and bluff prairies 5,739 OaU and hickory ui)!ands 8, 103 Long-leaf pine hills 7.5S2 Loii^-leaf pine flats 2. .550 Central prairie re.uion 'iSr> Coast marshes 7,42() Sm-h are the genlojiical and agricultural feiUures of this state. A «tate cf marvel- ous fertility of soil, with the larg(*t length of water courses, with splendid railroad con' ectious, with superb cli- matic conditions. A state connected in- laud by the great father of waters with an immense territory stretching from the Appalachian to the Rocky mountains. and outward, through its moutn, with every port of the globe. A distinguished son of another state has truly said: "The northern coast of the gulf of Mexico is the natural center of trade for the west- ern hemisphere. The configuration of the continent, the direction of the great rivers, t"™** sweep of th» ocean curreiits. and the prevailing winds, all point to the mouth of the Mississippi as the natural center. There is land enough adapted ti» the growth of sugar contiguous to New- Orleans to supply the wants of the con- tinent and to fuiuish vast ut it fruits best in the hill lands. The native and .lapanese varieties of the plums do well every- where. The ai)ricot, nectrine and cher- ry are not successful anywhwe in this state. Grapes can be grown in every parish, but succeed best in the uplands. Black berries, dewberries and! mulberries grow wild in every parish; so do the wild plums in the hill lands, hirawberries are perfectly at home ev- erywhere, and in some sections are large- ly grown for the markets. ltaspl)erries, currants and gooseberries do not thrive so far south. O.anges, ku'iiquals, and pome! is are grown throughout south Louisian;i, while lemons, guavas, bananas and pineapples are grown on the extreme gulf coast. The loquat and pomegranate are found in nearly every yard of south Louisiana. Figs are cultivated in every parish, while in south liOuisiana they are largely grown for the canneries. No mention is made of our staple crops — cotton, sugar cane and rice— since they are inseparably connected in every man's mind witli Louisiana and New Orleans. This bare recital will show the won- derful capabilities of our soil and cli- mate from an agricultural standpoint Turning to the forests, we find a wealth of nature's products ready for the har- vest, to be turned b.v man's skill and in- genuity into tlie various forms and shapes suitable for man's varied wants. Timber and lumber trees, stave timber, box timber, hut timber, spoke tiinber,, tray timber, hoop timber, ship timber, bucket timber, etc., crown our hills, der. orate our valleys and till our swannis. Shade trees of the densest foliage and of most beautiful shape everywhere abound. The evergreens and deciduou-? trees grow side by side in every foresi.. The magnolia and the liveoak iuteriwiue their boughs with the beech and the ash. while the holly and the 'dogwood bask in their shadows. Willows abound in our swamps, ready for conversion into clvar- coal or to be twisted into baskets. Louisiana does not appeal alone to the utilitarian. Her aestlietic products are perhaps more wonderful than her usefui ones. Flowers of ijrilliant tints and at- tractive forms fill her fields, her woods and her swamps. Her climate favors the growth of native flowers as well as the delicate and highly-prized exotics. lioses bloom in great profusion througlrout the winter in open air, while japonicas, hi- biscus and poinsettias of beautiful shades .and brilliant tints are found in many yards. Tea olives and magnolias (fras cata) and cape jasmines perfume the air with their delicious fragrance, wliile chrysanthemums, geraniums and plum- bagos give brilliancy to every garden. Palms of endless varieties furnish the center pieces of many private yards iind ornament our parks and public .squares. Such in brief are the proilucts of our soils. For the guidance of those seekiiitj a home in our midst the followiug de- tails of crop/S from here are given: CANE CULTURE. Formerly every cane cniturist was also a manufacturer, and upon every planta- tion of sugar cane was to be found .a sugar-house of suthcient capacity to work up tlie crop grown. To-day the scene is changing, changing rapidly. Central fac- tories exist— some that d<> uot cultivate cane at all, but purchase every stalk crushed: others that grow only a part, large or small, of the large amount con- sumed. Tin- preseiK.-e of central fac- tories presupposes the existence of cane farmers in close proximity. Many cen- tral factories already exist, and othera ITS ADVANTAGES I ITS CONDITIONS I ITS PROSPECTS I •will soon be built. The fierce conflict between low prices aud piolitable returns has forced out of existence many a small and incomplete sugar-house, aud ■will ullimately drive out the roniaining ones. I'onderous machines, with exten- sive capacities, must hereafter manufac- ture the crystalline product of sugar cane. It rp(iuires a large amount of cane to suiiplj the daily demands of a large central factory; lUOO to 1500 tons per day is now a moderate a^-lowanco for the largest. Under these new condi- tions, the growing of sugar caue for sale to these factories is quite extensive- . ly practiced. Small farmers, witli ten acres of sugar caue, cau lind a ready raarket for it, just as readily as the large planter, with one liundred times tills crop. The crops of both are in demand. Until the recent removal of the bounty ■on sugar, growing caue bj' the ton for sale to central factories was quite a prolitable busii'iess, and many end)arked therein. The removal of the bounty oc- curred simultaueoiisly with an overpro- duction of beet sugar in Europe, by which the prices of sugar everywhere had been greatly depressed. This com- bination of bad conditions has tempo- rarily depressed the grower of caue, but it is hoiied and expected that another jear will bring with it higher prices for sugar, and. therefore, higher values for sugar caue. Sugar caue is bought iipou a basis of values for a certain grade of sugar, aud hence, wheu the latFer is ruling low the former conforms to it in price. If, however, values are re- stored, no enterprise is more inviting than that of raising sugar cane by tlie ton for ■ the factories. Lands in any quan- tity may be purchased or rented well adapted to the growth of cane. The cap- ital reqiwred will depend largely upon the magnitude of tlie enterpri.se. One's own lalior, if intelligently decided, will accomplish a great deal towards the cultivation of twenty to thirty acres of caue. Additional help will be required in planting and harvesting the crop. (.Jiioil laud will malie from twenty to foi-iy tons of caue per acre, and at pre.-sent the factories are paying 85 cents per ton for each cent per pnund that prime yellow sugar brings in the m:irket of New Orleans. There is a large field in Louisiana for the investment of cap- ital in central factories and for intelli- gent labor to grow the caue. Both will come rapidly with the return of better prices fur sugar. UICE CULTURE. Fdrmerly vice was cultivated only en the banks of the Mississipj)) river aud it^t l>ayiius. and watei-ed by these streams. I'umps, or siphons, were u^ed to lift the water over the walls. Upon thcise alluvial lancie growing vice was an exj)ensive business. A few yenrs since southwest ^Ijouisiana began the cultivation of rice upon its open prairies. liain water was co.lected by levees and used when ueerled upon the lieids of growing rice The bayous aud coulees of this country were ■dratted upon for w.nler and pumps con- veyed it to the ditches, which carried it to the rice liekls. The following are their nietliods: Lands are broken with riding plows and pulvei-ized with hirge narrows Tlte rice is seeded with broadcast seeders. After germination the lields ai-e Hooded. The rains arc ample during the growing eeasou, if properly husbanded, to make a crop, and many a field is grown with rain water alone. Some large lields are flooded with water from the bayous and coulees. When the rice is mature the watei- is withdrawn and the harvesting is quickly performed by self-binding reapers. Steam threshing machines convert the rice into a marketable form (rough rice), which is sold in sacks to the numerous rice mills of the state, where the finished rice of commerce is prefiared, witli the accom- panying by-jn-odncts: "Ilice polish," "rice bran" and "hulls." The straw is loft on the fields of the farm. So cheaply and successfully has rice been grown on the praries that they are now but little more man rice fleltls, and liave driveu the al- luvial planters out of the business. Louis- iana grows to-day four-fiftlis of the croi) of the United States, aud by its present uietnods of culture is reaping a goodly profit. TOBACCO GROWING. The oak and short-leaf pine hills and the long-leaf pine country are eiuiueutly adapted to the growth of the forest type of yellow leaf tobacco, which is now in such large demand for plug wrappers and smoking tobacco Experiments at the north Louisiana experiment station h.ive so conclusively demonstrated this lact that uuiny of the farmei-s of tlie country have embarked in its cultivation, and a plug and smoking toliacco factory has been estal)lished at Calhoun, witli a capi- tal of ."j;i.'5,(J(M). which is now busily on- gaged daily in its luanufacture. Tliis fac- tory will purchase the tobacco directly from the grower, and thus save freight to market aud commissious lor selling. Sim- ilar factories svill soon start all over north aud east Louisiana. At llamuiond. iu eastern Louisiana, similar field experi- ments to those conducted at Calhoun nave been successfully made, aud coufirms the opinion previously entertained of the adaptability of the pine iaucVs of the Florida parishes of jjouisiana to the growth of the yellow leaf tobacco, tu growing tobacco care nu.st be taken to grow the best, since the inferior articles Iiave small values. The process of curing is by the "new bam" of Captain VV. H. Snow, and is ai'couiplished iu about three days. This yellow leaf tobacco was sold by the station to Lorillard & Co., New Jersey, for -45 cents per pound, and at such prices gave a very profitable ret'.u-u. Ou the alluvial bluff and prairie lamis of the state it is best to atiempr tlie growth of the cigar leaf tobacco. Ex- perimeuts at Baton Rouge aud Aud'ibo:i Itark give promise of success in this di- rection. Some fine cigars nuule from to- bacco grown at Baton Uouge have been tested by the writer, and it is thooght that experience would improve the qiiaiiry aud (juautity of the or(.)ducl At Calhoun as much as lOOi") pounds per ac're of bright yellow leaf have i)eei) produced. In sou':h Louisiana, with the cigar types of toliacco, the yield has reached over 2000 pounds. It is usual to obtain two crops a year from the suioe planting. This is accomplisli"d by Icy\iiiL' a sucker in the axil of the lower le;il when topping the pbmt. \'/hcii the leaves of the first crop arc gatluM'cd, the old stalk is removed and the young sucker soon takes its place aiid with favoraOl" seasons makes i;(>.irly as large ;Mjd fine a crop as the fir.'^t one. ■"■iii-tcco growing is one of the coming industries of the f*:nte aud soon our fac- t iries will be supulyiug the states west 34 LOUISIANA. of ns with smoking ana cliewing ma- terial. The follo\viii!| are the opiiiion.s of the loadin? tobacoonist of this country upon the merits of our yellow leaf: Oarr &: liiohardson, manufacturers, of Richmond, Va., write. "We pronounce it as fine in quality and texture as the host average of the best section iiiid amony the best and most skilled planters in North Carolina. In short, we think its quality could hardly be excelled. • » * You have as clear color for the ripeness and quality as we have ever seen. We have seen ?utters and light press wrappers of a fraction bet- ter color than this, but the white yellow was at the expense of its chewing and smoking qualities. The samples you sent are what we pronounce the ideal cigar- ette stock, excepting the heavier bundles, wliich is a light press wrapper. * * * Our advice to you, if you continue to make tobacco, is to make the very best, like the samples sent, getting as much oS an acre as possible, and then securing a second crop if possible." These gentlemen write further that it is their opinion that no other country could successfully compete with Louisiana in raising tobacco, owing to our long summer, which insures a ripe crop, which is not always the case in Virginia and North O.-.rolina. From 1". I.orrillard & Co., New .Tersey, the following was received: _ "We beg to acknowledge receipt of TO'ir favor of the 14th ult., alto type samples referred to therein, which we have carefully examined, and note with iileiisnre the success Rttalned in the grow- ing and curing of bright tobacco. As indicated l>y these types, the soil is evi- dentlv well adapted to the growth of bright tobacco, and with a nroper knowl- edge of curing ard hnndling 'he sanie^ we believe the farmers of your state will find tobacco raising a profitable industry." . „ , », Pemberton & Penn, of H<^ndersoii, N. C. wrote: "It cannot fail to bring a good price." , ^ G. W. !=!inith & Co.. manufacturers, Lvnchburg. Va., write: "We were qnite interested in oxaniin- ing your saraph'S and surprised to ses such tobacco from T^ouisiana. It is a valuable crop, and if exlribited in any market in Virginia and North Carolina, in proper condilion, would command prices that wouM probably be very satis- tory to you." „ Messrs. J. P. Tavlor & Co., Danville, Va., write: "We are sure it will bring you a good price." Mr E. J Parrish, of Durham. N. C. says: "^Samples received, They show to be vovy good stock and worth from 1.5 t<. 3(t cents per f>ourid." The Addison Tiusley Tobacco Company, of Louis'an.'i, Mo., write: "We find (-n examination, your samples to be a very good quality of wr:iiii>ers. We cannot make an intelligent bid without knowing proportion of long and short wrappers, but lumping the lot. we make you an offer of $20 per 100 pounds on the entire lot." GRASSES, CLOVERS AND FORAGE CROPS. Throughout the entire south two well knewn grasses furnish pastures and hay of the best quality, and in practically large abundance. These are Bermuda (cynodon dactyton), the finest pasture grass lu the world, and crab grass tpau- icum sanguinale), which springs up la. every cultivated field in early spring„ and if not disturbed will furnish a large- cutting of excellent hay in summer. Thes,j- grasses grow all over the south, and, in the past, have been considered our worst enemies. In south and middle Louisiana, upon the alluvial plains, bluff and pine lands- occur many varieties of paspulums, sever- al of which are highly esteemed, both for hay and pastorage, viz, 1'. distichum and P. plalycaule. These are known, by the Creoles as gazou and by the Americans as carpet grass. A fox-tail grass (setaria glauca) also- grows luxuriantly all over south Louisi- ana, and furnishes a fairly good hay and pasturage. In north and middle Louisiana, and even upon the pine hills and tiats of east Louisiana tespedeza stuata, Japan clover, covers every available space of unoccupied ground, even in the forest, affording excellent grazing throughout the summer for stock. When cultivateu, particularly upon the bluff lands of the- state, it makes large crops of a very palatable hay. Many thousands of acres- are now annually grown, and a number of colts and calves are raised exclusive- ly upon it. It is especially luxuriant upon the blaff lands, and is there worthy of cultivation. In the alluvial lauds it has not been given extensive trials. The varities of grasses cultivated suc- cessfully in the north should here be tried only on a small scale, since experi- ments so far conducted have proven them to be, in many cases, unprofitable. The first essential for successful growth of grasses and clovers is to sow them in th& early fall upon well prepared seed beds. They spring up at ouce and get sutBcient- ly rooted by spring to resist the encroach- ments of the native grasses, and with- stand our long summers, the chietf obstu- cles to successful grass culture all over the south. The best cultivated grasses are the following: Tall meadow oat grass (arrhenathirura avenaceum), planted in early fall r->itn good, well-pulverized soil, will secu.j a good start by spring and make one or two cuttings of hay during the summer. It will last for several years, and affords, an excellent pasturage. It has succeeded- on the alluvial, bluff and oak uplands One bushel (fourteen pounds) of seed re- quired for an acre. Italian rye grass (lolium Italicum) sown early in the fall upou rich, moist land (not wet) will afford two large cuttings of excellent hay. The first cutting must be made before it flowers, siuce this- grass is an annual, and after seeding, dies; forty-five pounds of seed required for an acre. Succeeds everywhere ou good, moist soil. Rescue grass (bromus shraderi) sown lu. the first cool days of the fall upon well- prepared, fertile soils, will give excellent, results. Cut before it goes to seed, it »>'ill give two crops of hay. The last cut (after the seed are matured) will drop enough seed to reseed the ground the next fall. A good annual for thia climate, and. If properly managed, will make a perpetual winter grass. The following have been partial suc- cesses: Red top (agrostis vulgaris) on damp, low soils; orchard (dactylis glom- erata), on good soil; English blue grass (festuca pratensis), especially in shady, >; velvet grass (holcus lana- damp places; ITS ADVANTAOhSI ITS CONDITIONS I ITS PROSPECTS I tus). Koutueky blue ra^ss (poa pratcusis), (ill good soils coiihiiiiiiif; lime, aucl L-rosted dd.ntail (cyiiosaii nis ciistatus). 'i lie followiiif; now and imported grasses liavc lict'ii very siu'icssfiil, Ijiit the seed are dilHcult to olitaiii : Hairy oat (avena steriles), growth like oommoii oat (aveiui saliva), auK is an aiv- nnal, Japanese rye (ugropyrum japoni- cnin). a perennial of great merit, growing ihrougli ilie fall, winter and spring and eaten greedily l)y stock. lironnis pinnatus. a coarse, rank grass, gro\\ ing mainly in winter; phaiaris eoe:-n- Icscens. fl snmmer grass of great merit, and panicnm palnuul. a summer grass of wonderful growth and strong rei)njd>iet- i\f power, with large, wide blades and full seed lieads. Itronuis inermis has succeeded upon dry, i-i<'li soils. Texas blue grass, propagated best from roots, is strongly recommended for higli lands as a winter pasture. It must be remembered that no oilti- \-.ited grasses will succeed upon poor, badly prepai'ed soils: therefore, in going into grass culture prepare lands thor- oughhly by growing tirst crops of— (jlovers, eowpeas, vetches or alfalfa, which prepare the soil for all kinds of grammiceae. Of Hie clovt'rs; White clo- ver grows in great luxuriance naturally all over the bluff and alhivial lands of south Lituisiana. It furnishes an abund- ant imsturage in wintei' and eaily sitring. Ued clover can be grown anywhei-e ui the state, provided the soil be lirst en- riched and sown in early fall. It is. how- ever, noi so certain a crop as cduimon clover, which, when sown in the fall upon fairly good soil, will nearly always give a remunerative return of hay. It is an annual, and the seed must be carefully harvested each year for reseeding. since those dropped by the plant germinate at once and are kflled by the heat t)f the summer. This clover is particularly to be recommended upon the light lands nf the state, as the clover best a(laj)te(l to them, but it would be V)etter even here to grow and turn under a good crop of eowpeas before seeding the land in it. Alfalfa (medicago saliva) is especially apiilicalde to the rich alluvial bottoms of the slate, or to very rich uplands. It should be seeded in September or October, at the rate of fifteen pounds |)er acre. The land should be well drained and d<",'i>ly i)lowed and well pulverized. If a gool stand be se- cured as nuiny as eight cuttings per year may be obtained. It will, if properly cared for, last several years. It is the only crop on our bottom lands that will occupy the ground throughout the year. Lathyru.s— Of the three varieties, sa- tivus, siivestris and hirsutus. which have been tested, only the last is to be reomi- mended. It springs up in the late fall, grows tlirough the winter, fruits in the spring and (lies. From the seed dropped, it springs up again the next year. Vetches— Vicca villosa, sowii in the fall, have given fairly g«od results. The other species liave not proven successful. Soja heans (geycene hispida) have done well upon the light hill lands of nerth and east Louisiana. ElsewlKM-e in the state they have produced good vines, but little fruit. California, or burr clover (medicajo maculata). grows well all oxcv the state, but It makes an inferior hay not generally relished liy stock. Beggar lice, or ticks (desmodrum molle), grows luxuriantly most anywhere in the state, and when cut young gives a hay which is grcatlv relished bv stocL. Sp.'inish IV^anuts— This plant is now largely grown for forage. The vines, with their adherent pods, are cured into hays- and fed to all kinds of sto(di. They also are great soil imjirovers. UIOK.MAN" A.M) GOLDEN WONDER MILLET have been grown successfully all over the state. For hay purposes it should be cut before it forms seed. (owpeas (dolichos sinensis) is the "boss"' crop of the southern states. It can be used as a soil restorer, a hay croi> and a grain crop. 'i'here are many varieties — some bunch and some runners. When the berries are desired for food the former is best used; when hay or soil im- j)rovement is desired the latter subserves our purposes. The caly, red tory, blacR and unknow-n are running varieties. Tbe last is perhaps the best pea known, mak- ing a large (uiantity of vines, and, late in the season, a full crop of berries. There is not a well-drained acre in the state that cannot, by the application of nuneral manners, in conjunction wi'th the growing of cowjieas, be made very rich. All rational farming involves a sys- tem of rotation of crops, and any rotation of cro[)s in the south that omits the cow- liea is an egregious blunder. SOILING AM> FORAGE CROPS. The saccharine s.irghnms are perhaps rred to jrll others. Planted ii) early spring, two or more crops cam be cut during tlie ye;ir. All stock relish then* and at least (i to 10 tons of dry fodder masji- be had at a cutting. Next to these come teosinte (reaua luxunaus), which on rich land gives au immense criip. Of (he non-sacchariue sorghu-ms the yellow inillo maize is prob- acy to be preferred, if fiorage is desired, followed by white nnllo maize, large African mi'.lot. Kaltir corn. Jerusalem corn, Egyptian corn and wheat. If seed be desired the large African millet and KaHir corn will give the best results. Pearl millet (penicellaria specala), is i:sed largely for soiling in the spring and fall. VEGETABLES AND FRUITS. All of the leading varieties of vegeta- bles are grown all over Louisiana. Ex- cept around New Orleans and along the lines of our leading railroads, they are grown only for home use. However, the aggregate of trucks raised for market in this state is enormous and is con- stantly on the increase. Most of out railroads now furnish (luick transporta- limi in refrigerator cars. Around New Orleans and along the Illinois Central Railroad the bulk of the vegetables and fruits for market is grown. Imttiense (luantities of cabbages, onions, tomatoes, beans, peas, strawberries, Japanese plums, canteloupes, etc., are shipped every day during the season. Cucumbers and eggplants raised both under glass and in the open air are special subjects of profit, and .are grown in great quanti- ties. In the parish of Tangipahoa are many thousand acres of strawberries, which return yearly many thousands of dollars to the owners. Japanese plums and persimmons, Le Conte and KeifHr pears are al*) raised largely and per- fectly here, and can be successfully growi> everywhere in the state. The country along the line of the Illinois Central Railroad is especially adapted to truck gardening and fruit growing. So, too. LOUISIANA. with the hinrls adjacent to the Yazoo ami Mississippi Valley Road, north of Baton liouye, and the liill country on the Viclisburg, Shreveport and I'aciHc Railroad, west of Monroe, and on tne Texas and I'acitic, above Alexandria. Near Wilson, La., on the former road, are larjje trnclj farms, which, though recently estaiilished, promise to be v-ei\v successful. On these farms Imsnonse quantities of tomatoes were grown last year and shipped to western marliets. Besides the vegeTables named, grown In special localities for market, may be mentioned tlie Irish potato, whicli has become in this state a st.-iple cnm and grown iu most every parish for marliet. Planted from December to PVbruary, they are harvested from March to June, and reacli the marlcets in turii to com- mand the highest prices of spring. By planting again in July or August a second crop is obtained in the fall, which can be shipped or used for seed in the win- ter or spring. Hundreds of thousands of barrels of Irish potatoes are anu'iallr shipped from this state to the marliet's of tlie west and north, alwavs with fair returns. New Orleans and Baton Rouge are the chief centers of collection and shiidnent. Watermelons of large size and of delicious quality are raised all over the state for home purposes and local markets. Ijut as yet few are sliipped to a distance. Apples are not grown exten- sively anywhere in the state. Apricots and nectarines are not a success anywhere Peaches do well in the hills of north Louisiana, and many varieties of tliis luscious fruit are grown througliout this section, both for home consumption and for nmrkets. Grapes do well also in this section as well as the hill country of east Louisiana. Certain varieties, with i)roper use of fungicides, can be made to grov/ any- wdiere in the state, but the grape sec- tions are those given. 8tr;iwl)erries are wonderfully success- ful in the hills and pine tla"ts of the state, and are grown elsewhere also, but with additional risk and cost of keeping down the grasses and weeds through our long summers. Blackberries and dewberries grow wild In great profusion all over the state. Raspberries, currants, gooseberries and cherries are not successfully grown iu this state. Of pears, only the Chinese type, Le Conte, Smith. Garber, Von Seebold, Kei- fer, etc., are extensively grown. The French type, so lai'gely cultillir.gs, has Vironjiht to Its owner .flir)?.)!)'!) I'l.r the fruit on the trees. Tlie Italiais lii.y tlie fruit on the trees and then sjailier iLeir inU ship to market. Since ISSO a de- » ii'.cd eh-iiige has conic over (>i;i n the haifdier storks. The sour and liitter-sweet oranges, the rough lemon, the grape fruit and tlie citrus trifoliata all now furnish stock for our groves. Th-e siiur orange is hardier than the sweet and will endure a much lower tempera- ture withdut inj\iry. The citrus trifoliata is very hardy, standing the climate of l'liilad'£l])hia. It is dwarfish in its liabits, and, thei'cforo. is to tlie orange what the quince is to tlie pear. By budding on this stock, small ti-ees are obtained which may be planted closer together iu the orchard. liike the dwiwf pears, they )>e:\r earlier tlian the standards. New varieties of oranges have been in- troduced from all over the world; some of these, notably tlie Japanese contribu- tions, are very hardy. The Satsuma, the Kewachai, Dai-Dai, etc., all grow and bear fruit up to the central portion of the state. The first when budded on the citrus trifoliata is very hardy, enduring, perhaps, the greatest cold of any citrus fruit. This comlnnation is now sold largely for growth iu half-Iiarrels in northern conservatories. Fre the owners of these lands to know how to do this, and at the same time receive a fair remuneration for the labor and expense involved iu its ac- complishment. This the .stations have at- tempted to solve, and a recital here ot the results obtained through five years will, it is hoped, convince a few that the plan is a feasible one, and w-orthy of trial. At Baton Rouge and Calhoun, nearly six years ago, six acres were laid off in acre plats, and the system of rotation of cropri, with and without fertilizers, began. The crops selected were oats, cowpeis, cotton, corn and cowpeas, or tive crops iu three years. It would be more in accord- ance with science to follow a erop of cowpeas with corn, but experience has proven that the rust-proof oat (the only variet.v which can be successfully grown hei-ey must be planted in October to in- sure a certain crop, and to plant it in this month it must follow a crop of corn, since tlie cotton crop could not be gathered l>y this time, hence the order adopted. Three palallel plats of two acres of each are used for the expei'imenf. The front acre of each is fertilized with a fertilizer suitable to the crop occupying ft, while the rear acre is left unfertilized. Other- wise the plats are treated alike. The ro- tation began with oats in plat No. 1 (front acre fertilized and the rear acre not). Plat No. 2 in corn and cowpeas (front acre fertilized, rear acre not). I'lat No. 3 (front acre fertilized, rear acre not). The oats were removed in May or early in June. anakota, and touches the borders of Arkansas, Missouri, Nebraska and Min- nesota. The western line of this system, or the Yazoo and Mississippi Valley Rail- road, extends along or near the Mis- sissippi river from New Orleans to Memphis, Tenn., having two tap lines in Louisiana and a number of branch roads in Mississippi. It passes through ten parishes in this state, the following being the most im- portant stations along the line: New Orleans, in Orleans parish; Carrollton and Kenner, Jefferson parish; Sarpys, St. Charles parish; St. Peters aad Bon- net Carre, St. John parish; Angelina, and Convent, St. Jamps parish; Burn- side, New River and Lane post office. Ascension parish; Iberville and St. Ga- briel, Iberville parish; Gardere, Baton Rouge, Baker and Zachary, East Baton Rouge parish; Slaughter, Lindsay, Ethel, Clinton, Wilson and Norwood, East Feli- ciana parish, and Bayou Sara and Laurel Hill in West Feliciana parish. The Queen and Crescent System. — The Queen and Crescent System embraces the New Orleans and Northeastern and the Vlcksburg, Shreveport snd Pacific lines, which extend through the state. The New Orleans and Northefstern Route passes through two parishes. The important stations are New Or- leans; and Slidell and West Pearl River stations in St. Tammany parish. It enters the state of Mississippi at East Pearl River. The Vicksburg, Shreveport and Pa- , cific line extends from Vicksburg, Miss., to Shreveport, and passes through eight parishes, having tap lines from Gibb'a station to Homer; from Gibb's station to Bienville, and from Sibley or Minden junction to Minden. The most important statiojs are Delta, Tallulah, Barnes, Dallas and Waverly, in Madison parish; Delhi, Rayville and Gi- rard, in Richland parish; Gordon, Mon- roe, Chonieie and Calhoun, in Ouachita parish; Ohoudrant, Riiston, Allen Greene and Simsboro. in Lincoln parish; New Arcadia, Gibbs, Talyors and Bienville, in Bienville parish; Homer, in Claiborne parish; Dubberly, Sibley, Doyle and Min- den, in Webster parish; Houghton and Dodcaw. in Bossier parish, and Shreve- port, in Caddo parish. The East Louisiana Railroad extends from West Pearl River station, on the New Orleans and Northeastern Une of the Queen and Crescent route, to Coving- ton and lies within St. Tammany parish. Its principal stations are West Pearl River, Abita and Covington. The Louiville and Nashville Route.— This great trunk line penetrates the states of Mississippi, Alabama. Tennessee and Kentucky. It passes through two parishes and en- ters the state of Mississippi at the mouth of Pearl river. The stations along this line are New Orleans Lee, Gentilly, Chef Menteur. Lake Catherine and Rigolets, in Or- leans parish, and Lookout, in St. Tam- many parish. The Texas and Pacific Route. — The Texas and Pacific Railway extends from New Orleans, in a northwestern direction and enters the state of Texas near Was- kom station. It has one branch road in the state, extending from Baton Rouge Junction to the city of Baton Rouge. There is an indopoudent branch line, connecting with the main line at Cypress station, and connecting Mansfield with the main line .it Mansfield Junction. This route passes through sixteen par- ishes, and principal stations are New Orleans, Gouldsboro, Gretna and Jef- ferson, in Jefferson parish; Davis, St. Charles and Dugui. St. Charles parish; St. John and Johnson, St. John parish; Vacherie. Deloguey, St. James and Win- chester, St. James parish; Doualdsonville and McCalls, Ascension parish; White Castle, Bayou Govila, Indian Village. Plaquemine and Grosse Tote. Iberville ITS ADVANTAGES! ITS CONDITIONS! ITS PROSPECTS I parish; Baton Rouge Jmu^tion, Riusly Lauding and Port Allen, M'ost Raton Rouge parish: Mariugouin, Fordoiho and Ravenwood, Pointe Coupee parish; Mel- ville, Goshen, Uosa and Morrows, St. Ijandry parish; Bunlcie, Avoyelles parish; Cheneyville, Lecompte, Lamourie, More- laud, Alexandria, Kapides, Hoyce and Lena, Rapides parish; Chopin, Derry, •Cypress, Provencal, KobeHiie and Martha- ville, Natchitoches parish; .Sodiis, Sabine parish; Oxford, Manslield, Grand Cane, "Gloster and Stonewall, De Soto parisli. and Kelthville, Reiser, Shreveport, Jew- «lla, Becks aud Greenwood, in Caddo par- ish. The Southern Pacific Route.— This line •extends from New Orleans in a westerly direction, and has the following branches leading from the main line: From Schriever to Thibodaux, from Schriever to Houma, from Baldwin station to Cypremort, from New Iberia to Petit Anse island (or Avery's Salt Mines), from ■Cade's station to St. Martinville and Breaux's Bridge, and an extensive line from Lafayette to Cheneyville, connect- ing there with the Texas Pacific Route. and from Crowley to Buuice, in St. Lan- dry parish. The Southern Pacific passes through thirteen parishes, and the main line en- ters the state of Texas at Echo station, ■on the Sabine river. The most important stations in this ■state are New Orleans; Gretna. I'owell, Murragh and Jefferson, in Jelterson par- ish; Boutte and des Allemands, St. •Charles parish; Raceland, Ewings, Bous- «©au, Schriever and Thibodaux, La- fourche parish; Houma, Cliacahoula and Tigervillc, Terrebonne parish; Gibson ■and Boeuf, -Assumption parish; Ramos, Morgan City, Berwick, Patterson, Rico- hoc, Bayou Sale, Franklin, Baldwin, •Gleucoe, Cypremort and Sorrell, St. Mary parish; Jeanerette, Olivier, New Iberia, Petit Anse, Segura and Burkes, Ilaerla parish; Cades, St. Martinville and Breaux's Bridge, St. Martin parish; Dn- cbamp, Broussard, Lafayette, Scott, and Carencro, Lafayette parish; Duson, Rayne, Crowley, Bstherwood and Mer- men teau, Acadia parish; Jennings, Evangeline, AVelch, Lacassine, Iowa, Chloe, Lake Charles, West Lake, Lock Moore, Sulphur Mine, Edgerly, Vinton, Sabine, Jacksonville and Echo, Calcasieu parish; Grand Coteau, Bellevue, Opelou- sas, Washington, Beggs, Garland, White- vllle and Barbreck, St. Landry parish; Milburn, Avoyelles parish, and Eola, Haasville and Cheneyville, in Rapides parish. The Kansas City, Gulf and Watkins Railroad. — This line extends from Alex- andria to Watkins, situated on the gulf ■of Mexico, at the Calcasieu pass. It has branch roads leading from Bon Air to Lake Charles and Grand Lake. It passes through three parishes, aud its most important stations are Alexan- dria, Anandale, Vllderouge, Forest Hill and Glenmora, In Rapides parish; Oak- dale, Oberlin, Kinder, Feuton, Iowa, Bon Air and Lake Charles, in Calcasieu par- ish, and Grand Lake and Watkins, In r of miles of navigable waters in the state, it will proliably convey a better klea of the niarveloufi facility of getting our lum- ber and soil products to the outside world, by tlie ctieapest transpDrtation kno«D (navigable w-iters whicli pene- trate every parish of the fifty nine in the state, save four), if a detailed de- scription of these water courses is given. The following, taken from the pamphlet recently published by Commissioner Hawkes, will fully ecplain: I he navigable rivers bayoas and lakes and the parshes in which they are navi- gable: Names of Waters. Miles of Xavi- gatiou. Head of Navigation. Navigable in the Parishes of Amite river Gl. Atcliafalaya river 218. Earataria bayou 7S. Bartiiolomew l)ayon 40. (Thori» is nlsr> ,n bayoii Bnr- tl'.oUiinow io St. Mary'.i par- hU.) Port Vincent. Red river E'stinean lake Blnok river . Eodcau lake Coerf river Boeuf liayou (There is also a l)a.vou Boeuf and a river Boeuf iu Rapides parisli, liutli unuavisal)le.) Calca«ieu rirer Harvey's canal . Baxter. Ark r.O. . Mouth of Doi«?hlte Iwvou ^ Livingston. ■ ( ,4 scension. f Avoyelles. Pointe Coupee. I St. Landry. 1 Iberville. ■ ; St. Martin. Iberia. I St. Mary. t Terrebonne. . .Jefferson. < Morehouse. '/ Ouachita. f Wel)Ster. j Bienville. ! Bossier. I Red River. 12G. . Mouth of Black river \ J^<5. D'Arbonne bayou . .' "'0. De Glaisc bayou 20. l)e Large bayou 20. Dorchite (or Danehite) bayou (>. Grand Caillou bayou 13. Grand Ec < Calcasieu. i; Cameron. Natcliitoches. Caddo. Washington St. Landry. S Union. I Ouachita. Evergreen Avoyelles. . Terrebonne. Mimien Webster. Terrebonne. FarmervilU Lafourche 318. (There is n bayou Liifourcbe also, in the parishes of More- lioiise. Ouachita, Ulcliland and Caldwell, not navigable.) Little river 12. Louis bayou 15. Donaldsonville Catahoula lake Bayou Castor . C Ascension. / Assumption. C Lafourche. Catalioula. . (Jatahoula. ITS ADVANTAGES I ITS CONDITIONS I ITS PROSPECTS 1 45 Names of Waters. Miles of Niivi- Head of Navigation, iiration. Navigable in the Parishes of Macon bayou 138. . Floj'rt Maiirhac bnyoii IS. . Hope Villa .. ilermentau river 81. . Lake Arthur .^; Mississippi river . .')8.T. . Miles in the state .2.161.. Miles to St. Anthony's Falls, Minn Katalbany river 12. . Springflelil, La. Ouachita river 217. . Camden, Ark. Pearl river 10.3. . Carthage, Miss I'etit Anse bayou 8. . Avery's Salt Mine. Red river 510. . State Shoals Rongo bayou Sabine river Teche bayou 15 387. . Tensas 91 . St. Martinville Tensas river 112. . r>ake Providence 16. Ticfaw river Terrebonne bayou 27 Tangipahoa river 15 Tchefiincta, or Chefunctee. 20. . Old Landing .... Termilliou river 49. . Pin Hook Bridge. f East Carroil. I West Carroll. ■; Richland. |- Madison. [ Franklin. East P.aton Rougi J Il)erville. r Ascension. f Acndia. J Cameron. i' Calcasieu. I Vermillion. fBast Carroll. Madison. Tensas. Concordia. Poiiite ('ll the other states of the union combined. The coast abounds in suitable places to which the mollusk can be transplanted from the seed bed, and under proper care developed into an oys- ter which for the delicacy of its flavor cannot be excelled the world over East of the Mississippi river these natwral beds are still numerous and transplanting is carried on to but a limited extent Not only do t'lese beds supply the wants of the people of the lower coast, but small quantities are shipped to the New Orleans markets, and hundreds of poachers or "pirates " .so called, from Mississippi, carry awav anualiy hundreds of schoon- er loads of the shell fish The flavor of theeo bivalves here taken, allaiugh of excellent qua '..7, comparert ■cxith those of the Atlantic states, yet is bv no means equal to those taUftablished which will supply the whole of the west- ern territory of the United States, from the Mississippi to the I'aciHc coast, at reduced prices. Not only to the capitalist is the flelrt open, but to the ^.killed oyster cultnriGt of Chesaneake and Delaware bays, Looe Island sound and the shores of Connecticut, the sl.Ue offers cheap oyster lands for sale or to rent, and a f r< o supply of seed. To all such, with a mini- mum of capital and skilled industry and energy, she opens her arms to welconu' thcan to a home on the verge of her "smnmer sea," beneath skies which is hardly known what winter is, and to cheer them on to fortune and her cwn in- dustrial development. This Is no fair- seeming false promise, but one tenilered in all si/tcerity, and based on facts -^hich the writer has been careful to understate rather than to overestimate. DDnnDnnnnnnnnnn FO^ESTHV. aDDnnnnnnannnnn The following are a partial list of the more important trees and shubs of the btate: Oaks— Quercus alba, white oak; quercus aquatica, water oa!i; quercus catisbaei, turkey oak; quercus cinlrea, sand jack oak; queFcus falcata, Spanish oak; quer- cus lyrata, overcup oak; quercus mi- ohauxii, cow oak; quercus nigra, black- jack oak; quercus obtusiloba, post oak; quercus palustris, pin oali; quercus phellos, wfllow oak; quercus punus,, swamp chestnut oak, quercus tinctoria, blaok chestnut oak; quercus virens, live oak. Hickories— Carya alba, scaly-bark hick- ory; carya amara, swamp hickory; carya aqualica, water hickory: ca-rya porcina. pignut hickory; ca^ya toinent.osa, black iiicliory; carya olivaeformis, pecan. Asli— Fraximus Americana, white ash; frasimus platycarpa, water ash; fraximus veredi-s, green ash. Elms— Ulmus alata, wahoo or winged olm; tilrau fulva, slippery elm; ulmus Americana, white elm. Gums— >'y3sa syloatica, black gum; nyssa nniiiora, tupelo gum; liquidambar styraciftua, sweet gum. Magnnlii— Glauca. sweet bay; grandi- flora, mngnolia macrophylla, cucumber tree. I'iues— Mites, short-leaf pine; palustu^, long-leaf pine; tae.ouo.(i(i0 6,775,000.000 N.Carolina. 5.2L:'.t,niMi,0<>i> S. Carolina. 5,:Ut;.nnt station at Calhoun, in tlie hills of the state. Tliese stations are well eo'.Tlpped and are doing extensive work along the linos of agricultural re- search. Over a thousand different va- rieties of plants are under cidtivatiou, and one of the leading objects of these stations is the introduction and trial of new crops. Bulletins are issued regularly, giving the results of the niimerous ex- periments in the field, laboratories and sugar-house. The Audubon Sugar School, located at Audubon park. New Orleans, in connection with the sugar exi)erimeiit station, gives thorough instruction in the agriculture, mechanics and chemistry of sugar growing and manufacture. Besides the above public .sjstem of in- struction, from the public school tn the State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, each city, town or village has its graded schools, reaching through an academic course. To theso must be added the private and denomi- national schools and colleges. The Meth- odists have a college for young nien at ITS ADVANTAGES! ITS CONDITIONS ! ITS PROSPECTS I 49 JncUson. The Catliolies hsxve uinlc col- U'^es in St . J;iui(?s and St Landry par- ias and Monroe. There .-ire several Catholic collejies for botli boys and gii-ls in iN'ew Orleans. ("Million has a flourishiiiff female collefre (Ilie Silliman Instilute) and a fine mil - tary academy. Shreveport has also a flourishing female college and military academy, bi-sides an excellent system of irraded oublic schools. Arcadia, lliiston, Minden and Homer have excellent private colleges. The Methodists maintain an excellent female college ;it Manstield. and the liap- tist at Keatchie and the Masons at Fort Jessnp. Monroe, I^ake Charles. Iberia, and other rorrus maintain excellent graded schools Tnlane University, siuiated in New Or- leans, established by the munificence of Paul Tulane, lias recently fitted out iu tiandsome style all of its colleges. Its colleges of arts and sci(>nce, letters, en- gineering, law and medicine are numer- ously attended and enjoy high rank. Its female department, the Sojihie Newcomb College, stands in the front rank of fe- male colleges, and its graduates are noted for tlieir tliorough scholaisiiip. The above are for the education of the whites. The negroes have been provided for with separate public schools and an institution of liigh grade, the .Sonihern University, located in New Orleans, all (Supported by the state. There are also about a half- dozen colleges or universities supported by private or missiondry contributions, which are well managed and attended. I _ ._ . ^ixnxmjxxxxnxiixnxxxiixr: Th? eiTO icons impression prevails ihroughoiit the i-onutry that Louisiana i3 a low-lying swamp, i'ull of deadly ma- laria, the implacable mosquito and tht slothful alligator, uninhabited and unin- habitable save by the negroes. This ini- l)ression is furtlier accentuated by publi- cations emanating from pnb!i(.> "officers, who are credited by the [)nblic with a full knowledge of the facts which they record, when really they know no more about Louisiana than a "l2-year-old pujiil in the public schools of the country, in the compendium of tlie eloventh census. IN'.tO. iiatt 1. population, Roliert P.. Por- ter, suiierintendent, page 5S. a descrip- tion (if the alluvial region of the Missis- sippi is given. At the close of the .sec- tion, the following language is used: "The soil is of the highest degree of fer- tility, hut the climate- is hostile to tlie white race, and by far the larger propor- tion of the inhabitants is of the colored race." This fact!!! is announced in sevei-al other places in the same vclnme. What would the numerous planters who reside in this valley respond to such ;m unjust aspersion upon their homes? New Orleans, situated in this region, with its 300,000 inhabitants, three-fourths (.f whom are white, and of the white, 7r> per cent are permanent dwellers there winter and summer, would refute such a slander, if the writer would visit and see the number of rosy-faced children, robust men and iiretty women filling her streets and her homes. Of course, when men high in official circles will promulgate as an official fact, collected like other cen- sus data, by reliable agents, at govern- ment expense, such untrue aspersions upon a large section of the country, lav readers must accept them as truths be- yond cavil. But the writer, with a large corps of assistants gathered from a dozen states and countries, himself coming from a high country free from malaria, has been a dweller upon the banks of the Mississippi river for nine years, and can state that in that time all have enjoyed excellent health, without a serious illness; nor have a single one been forced to leave this fertile conntrv because "the climate was hostile to th"e white race." In fact, with proper care and diet, nowhere can a white person live with .greater immunity from diseases of all kinds than on the banks of the Mississippi river in this state. But facts are worth more than opin- ions and here are some taken from a re- cent address by tna president of the board of health of this state: The average mortality for the whole United States is 14.70 per 1000 for the whites and 17.29 for the blacks. For the white, Oregon is first, with a mortality of 11.04 per 1000. with Minne- sota, an excellent second at 11.51 and Arkansas brings up the foot of the list with a mortality of 19.11, very closely pushed by educated and scientific Massa- chusetts with a mortality of 1S..56. For the blacks, the negro enjoys the greatest exemption in Florida, laving a rate of mortality in that state of 11..3t; per 1000. He has a very hard time in Rhode Island, where his mcrtality is 27.10, and he is very much worse, "and the very worst off, under the very eve of his particular guardian, the general government, for his mortality in the dis- trict of Columbia is 35.62 per 1000. Now as to the position which Louisiana occupies in the white list. I am very so LOUISIANA. sure that Vermont, Teniifssoe, Indiana and Texas have each of them envhible reputati'ons for healthfuluoss, and a favorable comparison of Louisiana with any of the four would undcubtodly ex- cite derision. What are the facts? Vermont has a white mortality of 15.13 per 1000: T'-n- iief5see, 15.21; Louisiana, 15.45, Indiain, 1.>.8S, and Te.xas, 1.5.86; or. in this group of known healthy states, Louisiana stamls superior to two and present.s only a very small fractional inferiority to the others. The hishest on record of percentage of deaths from malarial fever statds Flori- da, with .5.3 per cent of its total mor- tality from this disease: the lowest Rhode Island, with only .08 per cent. In be- tween these two extremes come the other states, those adjacent to cur great streams showing a higher rate than the others. Arkansas has 7.65 per cent, Ala- bama 7.85, Mississippi 7.00, Louisiana G.06, and Texas 6.04. Our own state showing more favorably than any of her neighbors, save one, in a mortality springing from a disease largely pre- ventable by ordinarv attention, by the mass of the people, to the plainest and simplest laws of hygiene. The least infant mortality is exhibited in New Hampshire, which has 20.88 per cent of infant to the total mortality: Maine, 2.3.57; Vermont. 24.10; California, 25.31; New York, 25.39; Connecticut, 20.75; Massachusetts, 20.21; Ohio, 33.30: Rhode Island, 33.60; Oregon, 34.99; New Jersey, .35.52; Wisconsin, 35.61; Pennsyl- vania, 36.15; and then Louisiana, with 38.05, the list ending with Kansas and Nebraska, the highest rates in the union —Kansas with 47.56 and Nebraska with 49.12 per cent. In this list Louisiana is not preceded Dy any southern state. And should thi. ?alculation be based on the white pop- ulation only or on an eijual oercent of colored to white which exists in each of the northern states ahead of her, her rank would not be fifteenth, but third or fourtii. The infant mortality among negroes is enortnously large, as from their habits it must - be. Siibstitute a comparason between the whites in the rural sections of the union, north and snuth, and many of our southern states \\iiuld show that our people cared well for their young. The mortality from consumption, that dreaded universal and almost hopelessly fatal disease, can in the country, where (he close confinement of people engaged in sedentary occupations, in lil-ventil- atod, crowded apartments docs not ex- ist, may be taken as a fair criterion of tlie actual influence of climatic condi- tions on the inhabitants. Arkansas en- joys great exemption from this disease with percentage to its total mortality of 6.42; Texas second, with 0.05 per cent; Nebraska third, with 6.93; Kansas fourth, with 7.54; Louisiana fifth, with 7.41; Florida sixth, with 8.14; Oregon twen- tieth, with 12.12 per cent; California thirty-third, with 1.5.80, and Maine the very last, with 19.16 per cent. From the foregoing facts we may con- clude with certainty: First — That Louisiana enjoys relatively to her neighbors a favorable position iii regard to mortality from malarial fevers, being superior to Arkansas, Alabama, Mis- sissippi and Florida, and only a small fraction inferior to Texas. Second — That her percentage of deaths of children places her above any of the southern states, and, if like population be compared with like, her position will be third or fourth among all the United States. Third— That her position In reference to lowest rate of deaths from consump- tion, a disease very dependent upon climatic conditions, is fifth. Fourth— That her percentage of deaths of old people places her second among the states for possibilities of long life. JjrjljIjtJJJjIJEI3^3BLJJw!lJAAJEEEOI3:.JE^ Cities and Towns of Louisiana. lJS3[3Ji:sii-'J^3333L^S3^ '^^^^(S)!^'- The city of New Orleans, the great commercial metropolis of the southwest, siiuated upon both banks of the Missis- sippi river, is too large and important for a full description here. Hand-books iif the city have been compiled by the Young Men's Business League of New Or- leans, and Captain .7. F. Merry, assistant general passcugcr agent of the Illinois Central Railroad. Manchester, Iowa. Copies can be obtained by addressing as above. This city lies near the mouth of thi> Mississippi river, und sliould be the gate- way of exports and imports for the entire Mississippi valley, which contains a population, according to last census, of over 27,000,000 of people. It has an aggregate of over .30 miles of river front, along the wharves of which the largest ITS ADVANTAGES! ITS CONDITIONS I ITS PROSPECTS I ocean steamer can load. She rcceiTPS over 2,000,000 bales of cotton, 600,000,000 pounds of sugar, 1,000,000 sacks of rice, 300.000 barrels of molasses, many millions of bushels of wheat, corn and oats; 150,- 000,000 feet of lumber, with immonso quantities of shingles, laths, brick and lime. It has six of the largest railrroadway. New York. Mr. Frank G. Andeison, land commis- sioner v., S. and I'. Railroad, Birming- ham, 41a. K = cs o u /5 S3 b a O ^ Eh H y, r> w bJ ■O H • © n o o o> o ^■Ninoooci o rH oo -.r in o ■*' Ti c: c; r. Z eo<£o>f:t-2 •^M .«« o o o o 3 -^ 00 >o «D ;-5 d 00 1- "js ■ <)coooi- 35:0 1- . d M 2 -a ~ ^ ^ m 11 t- O OC CTj o o X c« ;-] t. ..^ w " o CO "fs si to c " =0 "-J 3 d jOOt-OiaS rl .-I -. ' ' I— -7. I— l^J ^.J W. H. '^ T^ F--. :oo<»t-3;o f r^rf t>»00O?0OO Ci 5 -r ci t-' 23 CO .^ M -• 1 -oci t-so r> .Mi-^y r c^' d -r ■<)• d (O ,H "-1 35 — OOinOOW rHrl 2a _-■ t- O -1" O O o r' 06 d -H cj 10 ■*' o> o v5 c V-' fc. l-T '.^ IC OC CI --l ^ '^ *ii^o-t*oc»H r^^-1— :^ as o£ C-B 3 1:3 3 : a P a rt a =5-5 m CO - J a* "-I X 5 t. 00 <^ tu .. ,-. a> en CI M g ^ o "^ M - IH O .§ « . '^ d C . CO 3 noon >-> n -a - • 00" ,, 00 C -a . '^ = o •■ d- =* . i^ M 80 '-' Kj<5Q0caai ^2 >-: CI CO so £■ « '^ -• ^ § T. 2 ^ O B S "^ . . ?> - n d « t- "S3; oj . 'a S^ •a 41 2 o) ;a » Q CO o & « f 1 '^ O £ 5 d a - P si 00 CO '^ O 0) •-' "^ - £ M o g '^ *J - 60 50 ^ a) d "O '3 K a M S 3? 5 ^ 00" M CO ITS ADVANTAGES! ITS CONDITIONS! ITS PROSPeCTS 5.T a I5ETTEH OF STATE HEGISTRAR.^fe- 'ttxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx: [xxxxxxxxxil*^ STATE OF LOUISIANA, State Laud Otlioe. . Baton Kouge, TSoy. 23. ISiKl. Cominissiouer of Immigration. New Or- loans. La.: Dear Sir— Keplyiug to .your letter of the 21st in.st,, I liavo to inform .vou that the witliln copy of act is etili iu force, and is flie '.aw. This does not apply at all to hoinesteaderij, that tlie governing law ai^ to those is act. No. 04. of the session of 1S83, which yon will find on page 70 of the acts of that year. Homesteaders are not required to pay any fees or price whatever, except when they require copies of survey and certih- cates, which they seldom do. The Inclosed copy of act 85 of IS-SO re- fers entirely to purchasers of state lands The public lands donated liy the acts of congress to the state are all swampy and overflowed, and weie so donated because they were not fit ior erttlement and cultivation; hence Miere are few home- 8(wul entries made at this office. The United States owns large areas of land in tWs state which is reserved for actual settlers or liomesteaders; of these and all laws bearing on the subject you can obtain from the registrar United States land office in your city. Very respectfully, JOHN S. LANIER, Registrar. HiJl3l3r3ra^it3H ,^jr:;SJJ,:EEEl PUBLIC SCHOOLS. ^-^KE BEEBBEaCJt^Eia LJJ.AJJAJ.^I5I35 EB1 !EEE E15GI335EB Ea State Con.slitution. Art. 2ii8. The gen- eral assembly shall levy an annual poll fds. for the maintenance of public schools, upcu every male inhabitant iu the state over twenty-one years, which shall never be less than one dollar and a half pen- capita, and the general assembly shall pass laws to enforce payment of said tax. Art. 224. There shall be free public schools established by the general asswn- bljr throughout the state for the educa- tion of all the children of the state be- tween the ages of six and eighteen years; and the general assembly shall provide for their establishment, maintenance and support by taxation, or otherwise, and all moneys so raised excepr in proi)ortiou to the number of children between the ages of six and eighteen years. Art. 227. The fnntis derived from tho <-ollection of the poll tax shall be api)liod to the maintenance of public schools as organized under this constitution, and shall be applied exclusively to the support of public schools in the parish in whiclr the same shall liave been collected, and sluill be accounted for and paid by tlie collecting officers to the compeient school authorities of each i)arish. Art. 229. The school funds of tlie state shall consist of: 1. The proceeds of tax- aiion for school purposes, as provided in the constitution. 2. The interest on the proceeds of all public lands heretofore granted by the United States for the use and support of public schools. 3. Of hinds and ottter property which may hereafter be bequeathed, granted or do- nated to the state or generally for school purposes. 4. All funds or property other than iiuimproved lands, bequeathed or granted to the state, not designated for other purposes. 5. The proceeds of va- cant estates falling under the law to the state of Louisiana. The legislature may appropriate to the same fund the proceeds, in whole or in part, of the public lands not designated for any other purpose, and shall provide that every parish may levv a special tax for the pnblie schools therein, which shall not exceed the state tax; provided, that with such tax the whole amount shall not ex-ceeri the limits of parish taxation fixed by this constitution. Article 230 prov-ides that the Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, located in the citv of Baton Rouge, shall be maintained, anil all the revenue*^ derived from the sale of land donated by the United States to the state, shall be used for the support of the same. "Property dedicated to the u«e and be- longing to the public schools, or employed by municipal corporations for that pur- pose, shall be and is hereby exempted from seizure." "GENERAL 0I5SERVATI0NS." "The public school system is rapid Iv growing in popular favor in this state"- and it may be truthfully said that there are but few communities to be found so callous and benighted as not to fuliv ap- preciate the importance of educating their children, and fitting them for the duties and responsibilities of life. "In our cities and throughout the rural districts, very many of our best and ablest men and women are givtng their aid and influence to the advancement of the cause, and the great masses of the people are beginning to realize the pres- sure of a new and higher civilization. Elements of success are combining in this state that must assuredly triumph over all obstacles and di-sadvantages, and soon place the public school svstem of Louisiana in the front rank of the forty- four state systems now prevailing in this country. "It is not pretended that our system is perfect, or that its success is commen- surate with our desires, but we do mean that there has been a steady advance an orderly progress, and that however in- adequate our school revenues may still be, they exceeded a million last year, and that we have abundant reason to feel gratified and encouraged with the general outlook. We feel satisfied that the table and diagrams appearing in this report will bear us out in what we gay." LOUISIANA. qjTJTjxru-LruTJT-n-n. ■r-''N5^w'\>^. , . , ""^^^^J^.^^..*^--^ j-iJLn-rLri-rLrm.j-LrLn ' The l^emspapeFs of Louisiana. \ '^'3^'^K^^ •■LTLrLrLTLrLrUTJ- mrn lyiO presentation of the advantages offered by Louisiana to immigration iw would be salHsfactory or complete without some allusion to the press of the State. This great agent and engine of popular education and enlightenment is rcpreseated by 172 serial publications, of which, 14 are issued daily; 3 semi-weelirfy ; 147 weekly ; 3 semi-monthly, and 6 monthly. Of tliese, 7 arc printed in both French and English ; 3 in French wholly; 3 in Gorman ; 3 in Italian, and 1 in Spanish. They are for the most part well-coiilncted and are excellent exponents of the local interests of the several parishes and dis- tricts in wluch they are printed. Tlie intending settler can thusl<'arn all that he desires short of a visit to the locality which he propo.ses to examine, and tlierefore they should be carefully consulted by persons at a distance. The Stsvtes press is made up of secular, religious, trade, professional and literary publications representing all classes and every important interest. The leading newspaper published in Louisiana is the New Orleans Pic- ayune. It was started in Janiiaiy, 1837, and has attained its 58th year. It is the oldest English paper in the city or in the State, its age being surpassed only by that of L'Abeille (the Bee), which is ten years older and is printed in the French langmige, and with the two exceptions of the Bee and the Deutsche Zeitung or German Gazette, it is the only paper in New Orleans that has sm-vived the civil war. The PiCA'YUNE has always been an able, conservative, enlightened rep- resentative of the best interests of Louisiana and of the great southwest in whose progress and development it has had a large share, and no paper in this country has been so close to the i)eople themselves. It is their great tribune and advocate, ever standing against political trickery and oflRcial dishonesty, and being free from all corrupt jobs and seliish schemes it has always main- tained the highest place in public confidence and favor. The Picayune was started by the brilliant and famous George Wilkins Kendall, one of the most distinguished wits of his day, and, perhaps, the first journalist in the world who played the part of a correspondent for the press from military headquarters in the field, Mr. Kendall having accompa- nied the United States army of invasion to Mexico dmiag the war of 1846-47, ITS ADVANTAQESI ITS CONDITIONS ! ITS PROSPECTS! souiling to the Picayune the first and freshest news of all the military opera- tions of that important war. Since then, the Picayune lias been conducted by many able and often distinguished men, constantly improving its excellent qualities as a news- pnpei', and always growing in influence and ability to represent and work for the people of New Orleans, of Louisiana, and of the South, until under its present proprietors, Mrs. E. J. Nicholson and Col. George Nicholson, it has reached the summit of journalism and is the leading paper in the great Southwest. A A'olume could be filled with accounts of the Picayune's enterprise in getting news, from tlie time of the Alexican war down to the present, but what has been said will suffice. Its complete offices of publication containing the most improved machinery and perfect appliances which science has provided for the production of newspapers and its able and skilled corps of thinkers and workers, combine to make it what it is, one of the great American dailies and the chief of all the journals of the Southwest. I3SriDE2^. AGrvICULTUJlAL DIVISIONS. 13 Alluvial Lands 33 liluff Lands 11-19 Coast Marshes 19 Good Uplands 22-23 Pine Hills 27 rine Flats 28 Prairies 29 Climate 5-52 Cities and Towns 50 Education 4S-53 Fertilizing 35-41 Fish and Oysters 40 Forestry 47 Geological —. G Health 49 Press 54 PRODUCTS 31 Cane Sugar 32 Cotton 32 Rice 33 Grains 31 Tobacco 33 Orange Growing 33 Vegetables and Fruits 35 Grasses and Forage Crops 34 Fiber Crops 38 Rainfall 5 Railroads 42 Stock Raising 38 Water Courses 12-41 PiVRISHES— Extent. Cull ivnlion. Population Acadia Ascension Assumption Avoyelles Baton Rouge, East liaton Rouge, West Bienville Bossier Caddo Calcasieu.. Caldwell Cameron 30 21 16 17 18 20 15 2G 24 24 21 25 22 Carroll, East Carroll, West Catahoula Claiborne Concordia De Soto Feliciana, East... Feliciana, West . Franklin Grant Iberia Iberville Jackson Jefferson Lafayette Lafourche Livingston Lincoln Madison Morehouse Natchitoches Orleans Ouachita Plaquemines Pointe Coupee Rapides Red River Richland Sabine St. Bernard St. Charles St. Helena St. James St. John St. Landry St. Martin St. Mary St. Tammany .. Tangipahoa Tensas Terrebonne Union Vermillion Vernon Washington Webster Winn 15 20 25 24 15 2(.; 21' 20 21 15 2() Hi 21 17 20 25 L^ 25 20 IG 25 17 15 28 211 21 2(1 17 k; 2S ]V> k; 21 2'.» 29 15 17 21 21 2S •js 24 27 ..uXxxTzixxxxxsixxxizixxxxxsxxxxrxxxxxxixxxxnxx: ^H ^HY you SHOULD SETTLE m LOUISIANA g BECAUSE b It is the best country known to the man of moderate means. ^ Because you will find a country of rich soil awaiting the settler. M Because there are uplands, prairie lands and alluvial river bottoms. ^ Because you can be certain of profitable returns from whatever you U put into the soil. M Because the winter does not consume what the summer produces. M Because there are more and better opportunities for diversified M farming than elsewhere. M Because the seasons are regular and no fear of crop failure. Because the country is never scourged by cyclones and devastating storms or blizzards. M Because everything grown elsewhere can be produced here more H abundantly. H Because truck farming is a success ; products being early on the H market obtain high prices. ^ Because no better fruit country is known, oranges, plums, pears, ^ peaches, apples, grapes, strawberries, figs, pecans and ^ others fully maturing. Because there are more chances for profitable investment of capital than elsewhere in this country. Because for healthfulness this section is unequalled on the face of the globe. ^ Because you have no long winter months to encounter, ^vith no ex- cessive dry heat in summer. Because the climate is more uniform than elsewhere, no extremes of heat and cold. Because you will find as orderly communities as anywhere on this continent. Because you will find the most open-hearted people on the globe. ^ M Because education is paramount ; public schools and churches of M every denomination are to be found in all communities. ttXXIXXXXIXXXXXXXIXXXXXXXTXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXxfi H K ^