Report of Society's Meetings. 401 



Permit me to say, first, that in the sugar belt of South Louisiana the 

 soils are entirely of an alluvial charafter, varying from light sandy 

 clay to very st.ff, black tenacious clay; secondly, the whole area is a flat 

 country and much of it considerably below high water mark, and hence, 

 crevasses frequently cause destruftive inundations of our crops ; thirdly 

 our drainage is mainly of open ditches crossing each other at right 

 angles and cutting up the fields into comparatively small beds, and to 

 some extent tile draining it, when properly done, is very efficacious and 

 desirable. From this statement you will see that the conditions tha* 

 exist here are almost identical with those that exist with you. In faft 

 by reference to letters published some time ago in the Louisiana Planter, 

 you will find a similarity ot conditions pointed out by the editor of that 

 paper. Steam Plowing is not generally carried on in the low lands of 

 Louisiana, There are only one or two steam plows in the State and 

 these are not continually worked. The reason given for not using steam 

 plows is the multiplicity of ditches and the numerous delays in trans- 

 ferring the steam boilers and engines. Where tile draining exists, the 

 ditches have been filled up completely and the plowing is done in both 

 direftions. As a rule, however, it may be said that on account of the 

 proximity of the ditches on our plantations and the small area in each 

 plat, it is considered far more economical to break with four, six 

 and eight mule plows, than with steam engine, I must confess however, 

 that I cannot from my past experiences form such opinions ; in fa£t, it 

 has been to me a wonder why these steam plows have not been long 

 ago introduced. I shall be glad to answer any questions relative to 

 agriculture in South Louisiana that may be propounded by the Hon. 

 Thomas Daly, 



I have, Sic , 



WM. C. STUBBS, M.C.H., 



Direftor, 



A communication from the Government Secretary, 

 covering memoranda on timbers suitable for carriage 

 building at the Imperial Institute was referred to the 

 Imperial Institute Committee. 



A letter from R. M. Maer, Dallas, Texas, was read, 

 and with the reply of the Secretary, taken for notifica- 

 tion : — 



