LOUISIANA 



3516 



LOUISIANA 



coast, figs, grapefruits, peaches and pomegran- 

 ates are produced here. 



Animal Life. Among the wild animals na- 

 tive to the Gulf states black bears, wolves and 

 deer are still found occasionally in Louisiana, 

 and the lynx and panther may be seen on rare 

 occasions in the swamp regions. Raccoons, 

 squirrels and opossums are common, and the 

 bird life is varied and abundant. Besides the 

 familiar game birds, such 'as pelicans, cranes, 

 turkeys, geese and partridges, there are many 

 smaller feathered residents, some of which are 

 clothed in charming and brilliant plumage. Al- 

 ligators and numerous kinds of reptiles, includ- 

 ing turtles, lizards, rattlesnakes and moccasins, 

 are found, in the swamp lands. 



Live stock is made up chiefly of cattle, horses, 

 mules, sheep and swine; the state has about 

 268,000 milch cows, 191,000 horses, 132,000 mules, 

 180,000 sheep, 1,412,000 swine. Louisiana pro- 

 duces each year about 32,702,130 gallons of 

 milk, and the total annual value of its dairy 

 products is nearly $3,000,000. 



Fisheries. In the value of its fisheries 

 Louisiana is second only to Florida among the 

 Gulf states. The oyster fisheries are the most 

 important, and are surpassed only by those in 

 Chesapeake Bay. Other important catches are 

 shrimp, catfish, trout and crabs. Alligators, 

 caught for their hides, were formerly numerous, 

 but are becoming scarce. 



Minerals. The mineral resources of Louisi- 

 ana have been worked only since the first dec- 

 ade of the twentieth century. Its chief prod- 

 ucts are sulphur, petroleum, salt, coal and 

 natural gas. Louisiana produces nearly all the 

 sulphur extracted in the United States, and one 

 of the most important sulphur mines in the 

 world is found at Sulphur City. The only other 

 great source of supply in the world is the sul- 

 phur mines in Sicily (Italy). At Sulphur City 

 large beds of sulphur that extend four to six 

 hundred feet underground are found. A new 

 and interesting method is used to extract the 

 sulphur from the^e underground beds. Hot 

 water is pumped down into these sulphur beds; 

 this dissolves the sulphur. Then the water is 

 brought up in pipes to the surface, where it is 

 cooled in large tanks. The sulphur it contains 

 in solution is thus deposited, leaving a product 

 of remarkable purity. The value of the sulphur 

 extracted yearly is nearly $6,000,000. The most 

 valuable mineral product of the state is petro- 

 leum, and the oil fields here are a continuation 

 of those in Texas. One of the richest oil re- 

 gions in the United States is found around Jen- 



nings. Extensive oil fields are located in Caddo 

 parish, in the north. In 1914 Louisiana pro- 

 duced over 14,000,000 barrels of petroleum. 

 Natural gas has also been found in Caddo par- 

 ish, and it is believed that this state is under- 

 lain by one of the greatest gas fields found in 

 any part of the United States. 



Rock salt is another mineral largely extra 

 here. Deposits of salt were first discovered at 

 Petite Anse Island, in the coast swamp region, 

 during the War of Secession, and these have 

 been worked ever since. In some places this 

 deposit is over 1,000 feet thick, and the salt is 

 of remarkable purity. 



Manufactures. The manufacturing indus- 

 tries of Louisiana have shown a steady and 

 rapid growth. The value of the state's manu- 

 factured products in 1880 was only $24,205,000; 

 since then it has increased tenfold, to over 

 $250,000,000 yearly. Between 1899 and 1909 it 

 doubled, and in the next five years increased a 

 further fourteen per cent. This great develop- 

 ment has been due to the discovery of the oil 

 fields in Texas and in the state itself, which is 

 supplying for its factories a cheap and handy 

 fuel. The improvement of waterways and the 

 building of railroads have also greatly helped 

 this remarkable industrial activity. As is only 

 natural, the products of its extensive cane isugar, 

 rice and cotton fields and the timber of its 

 primeval forests provide the raw material for 

 the chief industries of the state. 



The most important industry is the manufac- 

 ture and refining of cane sugar and the manu- 

 facture of molasses. Louisiana ranks first among 

 the states of the Union in this respect. The 

 manufacture of cane sugar in the United States 

 is confined almost exclusively to Louisiana, 

 while it produces double the amount of molasses 

 manufactured in all the other states. Next in 

 importance comes the manufacture of lumber 

 and timber products, over 700 establishments 

 being engaged in this industry. The manufac- 

 ture of cottonseed oil and cake comes next. 

 This is followed by the cleaning and polishing 

 of rice, Louisiana containing more than half of 

 all the establishments in the United States en- 

 gaged in this industry. The manufacture of 

 bags, mostly from burlap, for handling cotton- 

 seed and rice, is -also well developed. 



Transportation. The navigable rivers make 

 it possible for almost any part of the state to 

 !>e reached by water, affording comparatively 

 easy and cheap transportation. Railroad con- 

 struction was begun late, and has been ratlin 

 -low. The state had 5,225 miles of railroad, 



