Hints for Emigrants to Louisiana.—Planters, Farmers, Merchants, and Mechanics.

Whoever emigrates from a northern to a southern climate, experiences more or less a change in his constitution; his blood is thinned, and in a state of greater effervescence, and his frame weakened in consequence. The least derangement in the digestive system in this case, produces a bilious fever.

The new comers emigrating to Louisiana, are either planters, farmers, merchants, or mechanics. The former, being more or less wealthy, come for the purpose of establishing themselves, and usually buy sugar or cotton lands, on the banks of the Mississippi, or Red-river, which, though in general healthy, are, on the other hand, a sure grave to those who neglect taking the necessary precautions. Planters descend to Louisiana in the winter months; but as the heat increases every moment, and has a debilitating effect upon their bodies, accustomed to a cold climate, they attempt to counterbalance this weakness by an excessive use of spirituous liquors, to promote digestion. Notwithstanding bad omens, and in spite of the advice of their more experienced neighbours, their mania for making money keeps them there during the summer, and they fall victims to their avidity for gain.

Whoever intends to establish a plantation in Louisiana, has the free choice between the low lands on the Mississippi, or the Red-river. There are upwards of 200,000 acres of sugar lands still unoccupied. He may settle himself on the banks of the above-mentioned rivers, without the least fear, the yellow fever seldom or never penetrating to the plantations. Thousands of planters live and continue there without experiencing any attack of sickness. After having bought his lands, and obtained possession, he may stay till the month of May, taking the necessary measures for the improvement of the plantation, leave his directions with his overseer, and remove to the north. His house, if along the banks of the Mississippi, should be built not far from the river, in order that he may enjoy the cooling freshness of its waters. In the rear of his plantation, and about his house, he sows the seed of sun-flowers, to preserve his slaves from the morning and night exhalations of the swamps; a measure which, trifling as it may seem, will have an incredible effect in improving the air.

With a capital of 25,000 dollars, 5,500l. sterling, he may purchase at the present time, 2,000 acres of land, for a sum of from 3 to 4,000 dollars, and thirty stout slaves for 15,000 dollars; there will remain 7,000 for his first year’s expenses. The establishment of a sugar plantation amounts to not more than the above stated sum of 25,000 dollars. The produce of the third year, if the plantation be properly managed, amounts to 150,000 pounds of sugar, valued at 12,000 dollars, besides the molasses, the sale of which will cover the household expenses; each negro, therefore, yielding a clear annual income of 400 dollars.

Failures in sugar crops in plantations along the banks of the Mississippi, never occur, except beyond 30° 30' of north latitude. The planter, however, cannot expect any thing in the first year from his sugar fields; the canes yielding produce only eighteen months after having been planted. The planting takes place from August until December, by means of eye-slips. The process at the sugar-houses is sufficiently known. These plantations, if well managed and well attended to, are, owing to the great and constant demand for sugar, the surest way of realising a capital, though the management requires considerable care and attention.

Cotton plantations are not to be judged according to the same estimate. A cotton plantation may now be established by means of a capital of 10,000 dollars. 3000 dollars for the purchase of 1500 or 2000 acres of land, on the banks of the Mississippi, from Baton Rouge up to the Walnut-hills, on both sides of the river; or what is still preferable, on the banks of the Red-river. Ten slaves at 5000 dollars, leaves 2000 for the first year’s current expenses. The beginner will not find it difficult to clear fifty acres in the first twelve months; and to raise from twenty-five acres, thirty bales of cotton, the produce of which will, with the crop of corn from the remaining twenty-five acres, keep him for the first year, the cotton alone being worth 1500 dollars, independently of the corn. The following year he may raise sixty bales, giving an income of 3000 dollars, every slave thereby yielding about 300 dollars; proceeding thus in a manner which in a few years more will render his income equal to his original capital.

There are still unappropriated above two millions of acres of cotton lands, of the very first quality, in the state of Louisiana; and though it sometimes happens that the plants are killed by the frosts, as was the case in the spring of 1826, these accidents seldom affect the profits. The management of a cotton plantation is by no means difficult, as it differs but little from that bestowed upon Indian corn, and requires only a strict superintendence over the negroes.

The cultivation of indigo has latterly been neglected, though 200,000 acres of land in the state of Louisiana are well adapted for it. This neglect was occasioned by the injurious effects produced upon the labourer by the watering of the plants, and the exhalations from them.

The cultivation of rice is more extensive. There are 200,000 acres unoccupied. Planters generally combine the cultivation of this plant with that of cotton or sugar. Tobacco of a superior quality is reared about Natchitoches and Alexandria; the produce is little inferior to that of Cuba. The price of a stout male negro is 500 dollars; if a mechanic, from 6 to 900 dollars; females from 350 to 400 dollars; so that 5000 dollars will purchase five men, two of them mechanics, and five stout women, and enable their master at once to set about a plantation, which will, in the course of three years, double the capital of the owner, without his exposing himself to any risk.The easy way in which the planters of Louisiana are found to accumulate wealth, excites in every one the desire of pursuing the same road, without having the necessary means at command. Hundreds of respectable farmers have paid with their lives for a neglect of this truth. Instigated by the anxiety to become rich, and unable withal to purchase slaves, they were under the necessity of labouring for themselves. The consequence was, they shortly fell victims to their mistaken notions. One can only be seasoned by degrees to the climate of Louisiana. To force the march of time and habit, is impossible. The more stout and healthy the person, the greater the risk. People who, allured by the prospect of wealth, would attempt to work in this climate as they were used to do in the north, would fall sick and die, without having provided for their children, who are then forced upon the charity of strangers. There are many tracts of second-rate land, equal to land of the best quality in the northern states, in the west and east of Louisiana, which are perfectly healthy, and where farmers of less property may buy lands, and establish labour and corn farms, or raise cattle in abundance. Those who have proceeded in this way, which is more proportioned to their means, have never failed to acquire in the course of time, a large fortune, as by the open water communication the produce can easily be conveyed to New Orleans, where, in the summer, they find a ready and advantageous market. These parts have hitherto been too much neglected, to which circumstance it is greatly owing that New Orleans, at certain seasons, is almost destitute of provisions, when the waters of the tributary rivers of the Mississippi, Ohio, &c., are low.

A third class of settlers in Louisiana are merchants. New Orleans has unfortunately the credit of being a place to which wealth flows in streams, and it is consequently the resort of all adventurers from Europe and America, who come hither in the expectation, that they have only to be on the spot to make money. Thousands of these ill-fated adventurers have lost their lives in consequence. It is true, that most of the wealthy merchants were needy adventurers, who began with scarcely a dollar in their pockets, as pedlars, who sold pins and glass beads to the Indians. But the surest way for the merchant who wishes to begin with a small capital, will always be to settle in one of the smaller towns, Francisville, Alexandria, Natchitoches, Baton Rouge, &c. Those who have followed this course grew wealthy in a short time. I admit there is an exception with respect to such as have a sufficient capital to begin business with in the city itself, or to embark in commercial relation with Great Britain, the north of the Union, or the continent of Europe.

The commission trade is advantageous in the extreme; and the clear income realised in commercial business by several merchants, amounts to 50,000 dollars a year. All the French, English, and Spaniards, who have established themselves in this place, have become rich, especially if the individuals of the latter nations were conversant with the French language.

For manufacturers, there is in New Orleans little prospect. In a slave state, where of course hard labour is performed only by slaves, whose food consists of Indian corn, and at the most, of salt meat, and their dress of cotton trowsers, or a blanket rudely adapted to their shapes, the mechanic cannot find sufficient customers. Half of the inhabitants have no need of his assistance; and as he cannot renounce his habits of living on wheat flour, fresh meat, &c., provisions which at certain seasons are very dear in New Orleans, his existence there must be very precarious. The charges are proportionably enormous. The price for the making of a great coat, is from fourteen to sixteen dollars; of a coat, from ten to twelve dollars. The greatest part of the inhabitants, therefore, buy their own dresses ready made in the north. The wealthy alone employ these mechanics.

There are yet several trades which would answer well in New Orleans, such as clever tailors, confectioners, &c. But as almost every article is brought into this country, the mechanics have rather a poor chance of succeeding, and if not provided with a sufficient capital, they are exposed to great penury until they can find customers. This class of people are very little respected, and hardly more so than the people of colour in Louisiana.