The Cultivation Of Oysters In Louisiana

Author : C. Stubbs
Publisher :
ISBN 13 : 9781332135042
Total Pages : 66 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (35 download)

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Download or read book A Hand-Book of Louisiana written by C. Stubbs and published by . This book was released on 2015-08-04 with total page 66 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Excerpt from A Hand-Book of Louisiana: Giving Geographical and Agricultural Features, Together With Crops That Can Be Grown, Description of Each Parish, Climate, Health, Education, Fish and Oysters, Railroads and Watercourses Governor Murphy J. Foster, in his last message to the legislature of this state, used the following forcible language relative to the agricultural interests of Louisiana: Louisiana has nearly 45,000 square miles of territory, containing some 28,000,000 acres. Of this amount about 13,000,000 is of alluvial origin and the rest good upland. The alluvial region is now only cultivated along the banks of rivers, and the rivers protected mostly by public and private levees. The uplands are almost all susceptible of cultivation. The geological position of Louisiana forbids the existence of mineral products, save salt and sulphur, and the general low topography furnishes no water power for the wheels of manufactories. Louisiana must therefore remain for a long time as an agricultural state. Of her 28,000,000 acres, not quite 3,000,000 are in cultivation. From these figures very interesting and instructive deductions might be drawn of the per capita distribution of money resulting from the value of agricultural products alone. All of her uplands can be cultivated under scientific methods, and be made to yield profitable returns. This has been demonstrated by the settlements made on the Illinois Central Railroad, in the piny woods of east Louisiana, and on the Southern Pacific, in the prairies of southwestern Louisiana. A thrifty, industrious and intelligent yeomanry from the northwest has converted these lands into prosperous village farms, profitable to the owners, to the parishes in which they are located, and to the state. After our present levee system has been perfected, much of our alluvial lands, by proper drainage, can be reclaimed, adding to our present arable area thousands of acres of the most fertile land on the globe. To improve the land now occupied, by introducing the best systems, rotation of crops, preparation, cultivation and fertilization of the soil, is the present duty of our state. Simultaneous with this development must come at an early day a large demand for unimproved lands by the inhabitants of the colder regions of the north. To the thoughtful students of Louisiana's resources, as well as to the true patriotic citizen striving for the future welfare of his state, it is apparent that every effort must be made by the state to develop our rural interests along the lines of the most advanced agricultural teaching. Louisiana is situated between the parallels of 28 degrees 56 minutes and 33 degrees north latitude, and the meridians of 89 degrees and 94 degrees west longitude. The Mississippi river splits it in twain, with far the larger portion, about 37,000 square miles, upon its western banks. Exclusive of lakes and bays, it has 45,440 square miles of territory, of which 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 topography is only 30 to 50 feet above the sea level. Climate. Its proximity to the gulf of Mexico secures a prevalence of southern winds, cool and moisture ladeu, which mitigate the extremes of weather, experienced by states to the north. Though our summers are prolonged, the heat is never oppressive, 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 highest recorded temperature at New Orleans, 99 degrees at Baton Rouge and 100 degrees at Calhoun, in the extreme northern portion of the state. These maximums have been rarely reached, not oftener than one or two days in a summer. The wint