﻿•17 



LOUISIANA. 



LOUISIATfA. 



613 



Pliocene) of the tertiary rocks do not nppear to have been identified 

 in Louisiana, but it is believed that these rocka exist. The shores of 

 the Mexican Gulf, the banks of the Mississippi throughout the state, 

 and along Red river up to Natchitoohes, or about 31" 45' N. lat., 

 belong to the post-tertiary, post-pliocene, or quaternary rocks, and 

 consist of sandy and clayey deposits, containing vast quantities of 

 various fresh-water shells, of species now living in the beds or on the 

 borders of these rivers ; but many of the cliffs or blufia which contain 

 these shells are raised mora than 100 feet above the rivers. The delta 

 of the Mississippi is formed of recent rocks. The river brings down 

 immense quantities of organic and inorganic bodies, which are depo- 

 sited on the shore of the Gulf of Mexico, and form a vast and 

 constantly increasing delta ; and the bar at the mouth of the Mis.<<issippi 

 in consequence is continually shifting its position. The bluffs along 

 the Mississippi, Sir Charles Lyell says, have been evidently formed in 

 the same manner and slowly upraised to their pi'esent position, the 

 river carving out valleys through the horizontal and unconsolidated 

 strata as they rose, sweeping away the greater portion of them, and 

 leaving mere fragments in the shape of terraces. " The deposits 

 forming the delta and alluvial plain of the Mississippi," he says, 

 " consist of sedimentary matter extending over an area of 30,000 

 square miles, and known in some parts to bo several hundred feet 

 deep." The advance of the delta of the Mississippi into the Mexican 

 Gulf haa been estimated at about 50 feet a year, or a mile iu a 

 century ; the average quantity of sedimentary matter brought down 

 annually by the river is about l-1700th of the whole weight of the 

 water, or 3,000,000 cubic feet, being about ten times that of the Rhine. 



The mineralogical riches of Louisiana are not very considerable. 

 An inferior aluminous brown coal, aerrioeable for fuel where the true 

 coal is not obtainable, is said to be abundant in the tertiary beds of 

 the northern parts of the state. Iron is found throughout the tertiary 

 beds ; the Red river derives its name from the colour of its waters, 

 which is owing to the ferruginous matter contained in the strata 

 through which it flows. Salt-springs occur in several places iu the 

 parishes of Natchitoches and Rapides, but are not now worked. 

 Qypsum of good quality abounds, as do also very rich marls and ochre. 



Climate, Soil, Production*. — A considerable diflerence is observed 

 between the climate of the low and high lands of Louisiana. In the 

 low lands it seldom snows, and frost is a rare occurrence, the 

 thermometer commonly not sinking to the freezing-point. In summer 

 the heat is great, and lasts from the beginning of July to the close 

 of September ; the thermometer then ranges between 75° and 85°, 

 and sometimes rises to 90' and even 96°. At this time the inun- 

 dation ceases, and the decompoHition of animal and vegetable matter 

 infects the air and produces dangerous diwases, especially fevers. 

 The mean temperature of the year at Kew Orieana, according to 

 Darby, does not exceed 63°, or about 13 degrees above that of London, 

 which is 21 degrees nearer the pole. On the higher grounds), espe- 

 cially on the open prairies of Opelousas, the climate is much more 

 wvere. In 30° 30' N. lat. the snow has fiillen to a depth of II inches, 

 ■ad remained for several days on the ground. Frost occurs there 

 every winter, and even sometimes in AprU and September, so that at 

 Natchitoches it docs gre.it injury to the cotton aud tender plants. 

 In July there are heavy rains and thunder, and in August sometimes 

 hurricanes blow from the south, which cause great damage by forcing 

 the water of the Mississippi into the adjacent level country. In winter 

 the north-western gales, which are very cold, produce great aud sudden 

 changes in the temperature. 



The alluvial soil along the banks (or as they are here called coasts, 

 from the French ' cdttSs ') of the Mississippi is of extraonlinary fertility. 

 This tract, the whole of which is under cultivation, and produces 

 excellent sugar crops, extends for about a mile on each side of the 

 river from about 150 miles above New Orleans to 140 miles below 

 that city. It lies below the flood-tides, from which it is defended by 

 a dyke or levde. Although not so rich as this, all the river bottoms 

 have a very fertile soiL Of the ' inundated lands ' about two-thii'ds 

 are covered with heavy timber and a dense undergrowth of canes and 

 other plants. The cypress swamps have a fertile soil, but the surface 

 is generally depressed, and there is no natural outlet : if drained 

 however they are capable of being converted into excellent rice 

 grounds. The sea marshes are only partially covered with timber; 

 their soil is for the most part a deep clay. The pine lands are always 

 poor and often sterile. The dispersed tracts of elevated prairie are 

 free from timber and generally very fertile. 



The staple products are cotton and sugar. The cereals chiefly 

 cultivated are rice aud maize. Wheat, rye, barley, and oats are most 

 cultivated towards the north, but nowhere to any great extent. Sugar 

 sncceeds well as far north as the head of the delta. Cotton succeeds 

 everywhere, and is of excellent quality. Good tobacco is raised in 

 different places, but its cultivation has decreased. The cultivation 

 of indigo was formerly carried on to some extent, but has been 

 abandoned. The mulberry-tree is indigenous. The vine, peach, and 

 I fig flourish ; and the orange up to about 30° 30'. The apple cannot 

 be cultivated successfully, and the cherry is wholly unproductive. 

 Vegetables are not extensively cultivated, with the exception of the 

 iweet potato. 



By br the greatest part of the surface of Louisiana is covered with 

 forests. The pine-tree, which is most abundaat, covers the northern 



and western sandy districts, aud is extensively used in the manufac- 

 ture of tar and pitch. Oa the declivities by which tha prairies or 

 wooded regions descend to the inundated grounds the forests mostly 

 consist of oak, sweet-gum, poplar, tulip-tree, and hickory of various 

 species ; the same trejs occur on the broken country east of the 

 Mississippi : the chiucapin grows on the borders of the inundated 

 lauds. 



Immense herds of cattle are raised on the natural meadows of 

 Opelousas and Attakapas, as likewise horses and mules. The bison, 

 or buffalo, is only met with towards the northern aud western border, 

 where also wild horses are found. Deer are only plentiful in the 

 prairies of Opelousas and in the pine-forests. Bears, lynxes, the 

 American panther, and beavers are rare, but wolves are somewhat 

 numerous. Locusts infest the prairies, and numerous serpents the 

 woods and lowlands. The alligator occurs in all the rivers, but is 

 most numerous iu the bays and lakes of stagnant water : it is not 

 dangerous, except wheu attacked or wounded. The Mississippi and 

 its branches abound in fish. The forests swarm with birds, among 

 which are the wild turkey, the paroquet, the pelican, the flamingo, and 

 the humming bird. Swans, geese, aud ducks are very numerous on 

 the lakes and stagnant waters along Red river. 



The following are the principal results of the inquiries made at the 

 last Census respecting the agricultural resources of the state : — The 

 number of farms under cultivation in Louisiana on June lat 1850 

 was 13,422 : the extent of improved land iu farms was 1,590,025 

 acres ; of unimproved laud, 3,399,018 acres. The cash value uf farms 

 was returned at 75,814,398 dollars; of farming implements and 

 machinery at 11,576,938 dollars. Of the chief products of Louisiana 

 the total produce was: — Maize, 10,266,373 bushels (5,952,912 bushels 

 in 1840); rice, 4,425,349 lbs. (3,604,534 lbs. in 1840); ginned cotton, 

 71,494,800 lbs. (152,255,368 lbs. in 1840, being a decrease of 

 81,060,568 lbs.); cane-sugar, 226,001,000 lbs. (119,947,720 lbs. in 1840); 

 moUsses, 10,931,177 gallons ; tobacco, 26,878 lbs. (119,824 lbs. in 

 1840, being a decrease of 92,946 lbs.). The decrease in the quantity 

 of cotton was mainly due to the destructive floods which swept over 

 the cotton districts iu the autumn of 1849 ; but much of the labour 

 and capital formerly devoted to the production of cotton and tobacco 

 have been diverted to the culture of other crops, and especially sugar, 

 of which Louisiana alone iu 1850 produced 91 '28 per cent, of the 

 entire quantity produced in the United States. The other more 

 important crops were as follows: — Wheat, 417 bushels; rye, 475 

 bushels ; oats, 89,637 bushels ; potatoes, 95,632 bushels ; sweet 

 potatoes, 1,428,453 bushels; pea) aud beans, 161,732 bushels; hay, 

 25,752 tons; hops, 125 lbs. ; of wiue, only 15 gallons were made. 

 The value of orchard pi-oduota was 22,359 dollars ; uf market-garden 

 produce, 148,329 doUai-s. 



The number of horses in the state in 1850 was 89,514 ; asses and 

 mules, 44,849; milch cow.^, 105,576; working oxen, 54,908; other 

 cattle, 414,798; sheep, 110,333; swine, 597,301. The value of live 

 stock was 11,152,275 dollars; of animals slaughtered, 1,458,990 

 dollars. The products of animals were: — Butter, 683,069 lbs. ; 

 cheese, 1957 lbs. ; wool, 109,897 lbs. ; bees-wax and honey, 90,701 lbs. 



Manufactura, Commerce, <tc. — Louisiaua is mainly an agricultural 

 state, the manufactures being chiefly of articles required for domestic 

 consumption and the supply of a southern planting state. The Census 

 of 1850 does not show tlie number of free persons employed in agri- 

 culture and manufactures very precisely, aud the slaves are omitted 

 in the tables of occupations. According to it, in 1850 there were in 

 Louisiana 18,639 free males above 15 years uf age employed in agri- 

 culture, and 32,879 in commeree, trade, manufactures, and mechanical 

 arts. At the Cen8\is of 1840 there were, including slaves, 79,289 

 persons employed iu agriculture, 7565 in manufactures, and 8549 in 

 commerce. The wholo number of manufacturing estiblishments 

 producing to the value of 600 dollars aud upwards iu 1850 was 

 1021. Of these 8 were manufactories of iron-castings, employing a 

 capital of 255,000 dollars and 383 persons ; 15 were tanneries, em- 

 ploying 66 persons ; the remainder were chiefly sugar-refineries, which 

 employed 252 hands; saw- and planing-niills, 898 hands; grist-mills; 

 and other works usual in a southern agricultural state. The home- 

 made manufactures of the year were valued at 139,232 dollars. 



Besides the valuable produce of its own soil a large proportion 

 of the production of the other states within the extensive basin of the 

 Mississippi which are destined for a foreign market passes thro\igh 

 this state ; it has also a very large coasting-trade, and an extremely 

 important internal trade. The whole of this commerce is concen- 

 trated at New Orleans. Louisiaua has the largest export trade of 

 any state except New York ; its imports are exceeded by those of 

 New York, Massachusetts, and Pennsylvauia. The total exports for 

 the year ending June SOth 1852 amounted to 49,058,885 dollars, of 

 which 48,808,169 dollars were American produce, and 260,716 dollars 

 foreign. The imports for the same period amounted to 12,057,724 

 dollars, of which 9,732,977 dollars were conveyed in American vessels, 

 and 2,324,747 dollars in foreign vessels. The exports for the pre- 

 ceding year amounted to 54,413,963 dollars; the imports to 12,528,460 

 dollars. Up to 1851, when the largest amount was registered, the 

 exports had been on the whole steadily progressive ; but the imports 

 attained their highest amount, 17,519,814 dollars, in 1835. The 

 number and tonnage of the veaseU which entered and cleared at the 



