8i8 LOUISIANA 



209; New Iberia, 7,499; Lafayette (town), 6,392; Morgan, 5,477; Crowley, 5,099; 

 Houma (town), 5,024. 



Agriculture. The acreage in farms decreased from 11,059,127 to 10,439,481 in i9OO-io 

 and the improved land increased from 4,666,532 to 5,276,016; the average farm acreage fell 

 from 95.4 to 86.6, and the value of farm property increased from $198,536,906 to $301,220,- 

 988 ($187,803,277 land; $49,741,173 buildings; $18,977,053 implements and $44,699,485 

 domestic animals). Of the land area 35.9% was in farms. The average value of farm land 

 per acre was 817.99. Farms were operated largely by tenants (66,607 by tenants, 52,989 

 by owners and 950 by managers). In 1909, 2,690 farms including 380,200 acres devoted to 

 rice growing were irrigated, the largest areas being in Calcasieu (131,208 A.), Acadia (107,- 

 466) and Vermilion parish (52,196). In 1912 (preliminary estimates) the principal crops 

 were: Indian corn, 32,490,000 bu. (1,805,000 A.); potatoes, 1,460,000 bu. (20,000 A.); hay, 

 234,000 tons (142,000 A.); cotton, 435,000 bales (197 Ibs. per A.); tobacco, 150,000 Ibs. (560 

 A.) and rice, 11,812,000 bu. (352,600 A.). In 1909 (U.S. Census) the value of vegetables 

 (excluding potatoes) was $3,000,864; of small fruits, $486,988; of orchard fruits, $314,027; 

 and the acreage in sugar cane was 329,684. On January I, 1912 there were on farms: 

 187,000 horses; 134,000 mules, 288,000 milch cows, 516,000 other neat cattle, 176,000 sheep, 

 and 1,642,000 swine. 



The production of long-staple Upland cotton has greatly decreased during the last few 

 years through the prevalence of the boll weevil. Texas cotton boll weevil parasites were 

 introduced into Louisiana in 1911. Partly because of difficulties in growing cotton and partly 

 because of the work of the farmers' cooperative demonstration, and of the boys' corn growing 

 clubs, there is increased cultivation of Indian corn. In 1912 the police jury of each parish 

 was authorised to establish and maintain an experiment farm under the supervision of the 

 Federal and state departments of agriculture. A conservation commission was created 

 which is to protect the natural resources of the state and for which $125,000 a year was 

 appropriated. Queen Bess Island, Barataria Bay, was set apart as a game preserve, and 

 in October Mrs. Russell Sage purchased Marsh Island, Iberia parish, as a bird refuge. 

 The legislature declared that wild game was the property of the state and gave the conserva- 

 tion commission elaborate powers to protect game. It appropriated $50,000 to purchase 

 seed for needy farmers and planters in districts flooded in the spring of 1912; and $15,000 

 for the expense of the militia during the flood. 



Mineral Products. Total value, 1911, $12,710,958. Two large items, sulphur and salt, 

 were not separately reported. Louisiana is far the largest producer of sulphur in the United 

 States and in 191 1 a large part of the total output, 265,664 tons, came from the state, mostly 

 from Calcasieu parish. In salt the state ranked 5th. The output of petroleum, 10,720,420 

 bbls. ($5,668,814), ranked the state 4th in 1911; in 1910 it was 8th. Natural gas was not 

 separately reported; new wells were operated in De Soto parish in 1910 and near Shreveport 

 in 1912, and some gas is piped into Arkansas. Mineral waters, bottled at 5 springs, including 

 3 resorts, were valued at 8110,998. Limestone was the only stone of importance. Sand 

 and gravel were valued at $344,281, and clay products at $531,949. 



Manufactures. In 1904-09 the number of establishments increased from 2,091 102,516 

 and that of persons engaged in manufacturing from 63,735 (55>&59 wage-earners) to 86,563 

 (76,165 wage-earners); the capital invested from $150,811,000 to $221,816,000 (47.1 %); and 

 the value of products from $186,380,000 to $223,949,000. The recent development is attrib- 

 utable largely to cheap fuel from the oil fields in the state and in Texas. Of the product-value 

 in 1909, 28.5% was that (863,775,000) of sugar and molasses and sugar refining, and almost 

 as much, $62,838,000, was the value of lumber and timber (yellow pine and cypress were the 

 largest cuts). Other important products were: cottonseed oil and cake, $13,085,000; rice, 

 cleaned and polished, $12,529,000; bags (not paper), $5,352,000; printing and publishing, 

 83,823,000; malt liquors, $3,573,000; foundry and machine-shop products, $2,998,000; copper, 

 tin and sheet-iron, $2,899,000; repair and construction by steam railroads, $2,527,000. 

 New Orleans (product, $78,794,000) was the most important manufacturing city in 1909; 

 its principal manufactures were bags ($5,352,000), rice, ($5,125,000), and copper, tin and 

 sheet-iron ($2,554,000). Other important cities were: Shreveport, $3,642,000; Lake Charles, 

 82,251,000; Alexandria. $1,279,000; Monroe, $1,255,300, and Baton Rouge, $658,370. 



Transportation. Railway mileage, January I, 1912, 5,648.23. The Federal govern- 

 ment by dredging in 1911 secured a depth of 31 ft. in the channel at Southwest Pass. The 

 navigation of the Mississippi and its tributaries was much disturbed in 1912 by floods. 



A constitutional amendment providing that a police jury may form a parish into a road 

 district and may levy tax for roads was adopted in 1912 by 32,703 votes to 17,151; and one 

 extending the time of the organisation of the Pan-American Steamship Company from 1913 to 

 1916 and still securing exemption from taxation was carried by 27,537 to 20,420 votes. 



Legislation. The legislature was in regular session from May 13 to July n, 1912, 

 and in extra session from August \-2\\\ to 24th. On July ist it ratified the proposed 

 1 6th amendment to the Federal Constitution providing for an income tax. It asked 



