34 



LOUISIANA. 



of ns with smoking ana cliewing ma- 

 terial. The follo\viii!| are the opiiiion.s of 

 the loadin? tobacoonist of this country 

 upon the merits of our yellow leaf: 



Oarr &: liiohardson, manufacturers, of 

 Richmond, Va., write. 



"We pronounce it as fine in quality and 

 texture as the host average of the best 

 section iiiid amony the best and most 

 skilled planters in North Carolina. In 

 short, we think its quality could hardly 

 be excelled. • » * You have as clear 

 color for the ripeness and quality as we 

 have ever seen. We have seen ?utters and 

 light press wrappers of a fraction bet- 

 ter color than this, but the white yellow 

 was at the expense of its chewing and 

 smoking qualities. The samples you sent 

 are what we pronounce the ideal cigar- 

 ette stock, excepting the heavier bundles, 

 wliich is a light press wrapper. * * * 

 Our advice to you, if you continue to 

 make tobacco, is to make the very best, 

 like the samples sent, getting as much 

 oS an acre as possible, and then securing 

 a second crop if possible." 



These gentlemen write further that it 

 is their opinion that no other country 

 could successfully compete with Louisiana 

 in raising tobacco, owing to our long 

 summer, which insures a ripe crop, which 

 is not always the case in Virginia and 

 North O.-.rolina. 



From 1". I.orrillard & Co., New .Tersey, 

 the following was received: _ 



"We beg to acknowledge receipt of 

 TO'ir favor of the 14th ult., alto type 

 samples referred to therein, which we 

 have carefully examined, and note with 

 iileiisnre the success Rttalned in the grow- 

 ing and curing of bright tobacco. As 

 indicated l>y these types, the soil is evi- 

 dentlv well adapted to the growth of 

 bright tobacco, and with a nroper knowl- 

 edge of curing ard hnndling 'he sanie^ 

 we believe the farmers of your state 

 will find tobacco raising a profitable 

 industry." . „ , », 



Pemberton & Penn, of H<^ndersoii, N. 

 C. wrote: "It cannot fail to bring a good 

 price." , ^ 



G. W. !=!inith & Co.. manufacturers, 

 Lvnchburg. Va., write: 



"We were qnite interested in oxaniin- 

 ing your saraph'S and surprised to ses 

 such tobacco from T^ouisiana. It is a 

 valuable crop, and if exlribited in any 

 market in Virginia and North Carolina, 

 in proper condilion, would command 

 prices that wouM probably be very satis- 

 tory to you." „ 



Messrs. J. P. Tavlor & Co., Danville, 

 Va., write: "We are sure it will bring 

 you a good price." 



Mr E. J Parrish, of Durham. N. C. 

 says: "^Samples received, They show to 

 be vovy good stock and worth from 1.5 

 t<. 3(t cents per f>ourid." 



The Addison Tiusley Tobacco Company, 

 of Louis'an.'i, Mo., write: "We find (-n 

 examination, your samples to be a very 

 good quality of wr:iiii>ers. We cannot 

 make an intelligent bid without knowing 

 proportion of long and short wrappers, 

 but lumping the lot. we make you an 

 offer of $20 per 100 pounds on the entire 

 lot." 



GRASSES, CLOVERS AND FORAGE 

 CROPS. 



Throughout the entire south two well 

 knewn grasses furnish pastures and hay 

 of the best quality, and in practically 

 large abundance. These are Bermuda 

 (cynodon dactyton), the finest pasture 

 grass lu the world, and crab grass tpau- 



icum sanguinale), which springs up la. 

 every cultivated field in early spring„ 

 and if not disturbed will furnish a large- 

 cutting of excellent hay in summer. Thes,j- 

 grasses grow all over the south, and, 

 in the past, have been considered our 

 worst enemies. 



In south and middle Louisiana, upon 

 the alluvial plains, bluff and pine lands- 

 occur many varieties of paspulums, sever- 

 al of which are highly esteemed, both 

 for hay and pastorage, viz, 1'. distichum 

 and P. plalycaule. These are known, 

 by the Creoles as gazou and by the 

 Americans as carpet grass. 



A fox-tail grass (setaria glauca) also- 

 grows luxuriantly all over south Louisi- 

 ana, and furnishes a fairly good hay and 

 pasturage. 



In north and middle Louisiana, and 

 even upon the pine hills and tiats of 

 east Louisiana tespedeza stuata, Japan 

 clover, covers every available space of 

 unoccupied ground, even in the forest, 

 affording excellent grazing throughout 

 the summer for stock. When cultivateu, 

 particularly upon the bluff lands of the- 

 state, it makes large crops of a very 

 palatable hay. Many thousands of acres- 

 are now annually grown, and a number 

 of colts and calves are raised exclusive- 

 ly upon it. It is especially luxuriant 

 upon the blaff lands, and is there worthy 

 of cultivation. In the alluvial lauds it 

 has not been given extensive trials. 



The varities of grasses cultivated suc- 

 cessfully in the north should here be 

 tried only on a small scale, since experi- 

 ments so far conducted have proven them 

 to be, in many cases, unprofitable. The 

 first essential for successful growth of 

 grasses and clovers is to sow them in th& 

 early fall upon well prepared seed beds. 

 They spring up at ouce and get sutBcient- 

 ly rooted by spring to resist the encroach- 

 ments of the native grasses, and with- 

 stand our long summers, the chietf obstu- 

 cles to successful grass culture all over 

 the south. The best cultivated grasses 

 are the following: 



Tall meadow oat grass (arrhenathirura 

 avenaceum), planted in early fall r->itn 

 good, well-pulverized soil, will secu.j a 

 good start by spring and make one or 

 two cuttings of hay during the summer. 

 It will last for several years, and affords, 

 an excellent pasturage. It has succeeded- 

 on the alluvial, bluff and oak uplands 

 One bushel (fourteen pounds) of seed re- 

 quired for an acre. 



Italian rye grass (lolium Italicum) sown 

 early in the fall upou rich, moist land 

 (not wet) will afford two large cuttings 

 of excellent hay. The first cutting must 

 be made before it flowers, siuce this- 

 grass is an annual, and after seeding, 

 dies; forty-five pounds of seed required 

 for an acre. Succeeds everywhere ou 

 good, moist soil. 



Rescue grass (bromus shraderi) sown lu. 

 the first cool days of the fall upon well- 

 prepared, fertile soils, will give excellent, 

 results. Cut before it goes to seed, it 

 »>'ill give two crops of hay. The last 

 cut (after the seed are matured) will 

 drop enough seed to reseed the ground 

 the next fall. A good annual for thia 

 climate, and. If properly managed, will 

 make a perpetual winter grass. 



The following have been partial suc- 

 cesses: Red top (agrostis vulgaris) on 

 damp, low soils; orchard (dactylis glom- 

 erata), on good soil; English blue grass 

 (festuca pratensis), especially in shady, 

 >; velvet grass (holcus lana- 



damp places; 



