178 INDIANA HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS 



to systematize a great work of the kind. Time and in- 

 creased value of the lands will bring this about, and make 

 this "great swamp state," one of the gardens of the world. 

 Canals will be made as common as in Holland, and a simi- 

 lar system adopted to get rid of the surplus water. More 

 than half of the area of the state is susceptible of having 

 a navigable canal made to pass through every plantation. 

 When this is done, the draining machines would empty 

 the canals, and keep the surface of land that is now ten or 

 twelve feet below flood height of water in the Mississippi, 

 in a perfectly dry and fit state of tillage, at a far less ex- 

 pense, per acre, than is now incurred by the imperfect 

 individual system. "Union is strength," and that is the 

 only kind that can control the floods of such a "great 

 father of rivers," with so many obstreperous children. 



Solon Robinson. 

 Neiu Orleans, Dec. 2dth, 1848. 



Agricultural Tour South and West. — No. 4 



[January 12, 1849^] 



Mr. Robinson's Tour. — No. 8. 



[New York American Agriculturist, 8:252-54; Aug., 1849] 



[January 16, 1849] 



Louisiana. — On my way down the coast, to-day, from 

 Algiers, opposite New Orleans, I first saw cane planting. 

 The ground, which had corn upon it last summer, was 

 broken up with four yoke of oxen, and thrown into beds 

 eight feet from centre to centre, and a furrow opened in 

 these with a double plow, followed by a triangular block 

 of wood, to press out all the lumps, and make a wide, 

 smooth furrow, into which the canes were carefully laid 

 in double rows, and lightly covered with hoes. A great 

 abundance of cuttings are used to insure a good stand. It 

 requires one acre of growing cane to plant five acres. 



^ This article, written January 12, 1849, but covering Robinson's 

 travels of December 9 to 15, 1848, is printed ante, 146 ff. 



