THE LATEST FARM IN THE WORLD.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1519, 29 March 1887, Page 3

THE LATEST FARM IN THE WORLD.

In the extreme south- west corner of Louisiana lies the largeet-produoing farm Id the world. It runs 100 miles north and ■outh and 25 miles etst and west, and 1b owned and operated by a syndicate of Northern capitalists Theirgeneral manager J* B. Wafcklns, gives an interesting account of this glgantio plantation, which throws the great Dalrymple farm m Dakota Into the shade completely. " Tbe trillion and • half aorea of oar tract," Mr Watkina ■aid, "was pnrohased m 1883 from the State of Louisiana and from the United Statefl Government. At that time it was • vast grazing land for the cattle of the few dealer* of the neighborhood. When I took possession I found over 80,000 head of. half-wild horßes and cattle. My work was to divide the immense traot Into convenient pastnres, eatabl'shing stations or ranches overy blx miles. The fencing alone cost m the neighbourhood of 60,C00301. The landjjl found to be best adapted to rice, eugar, corn, and cotton, Alt onr cultivating, ditching etc. it done by steam-power. We take a traot, s»y half a mile wide, for instance, •nd place an engine on each aide. These engines are portable, and operate a cable Attached to four ploughs, and under this arrangement we are able to plough 30 Korea a day with ocly the labor of three men. Oar harrowing, planting and other cultivation, is done m a like manner. In fact, there is not a ein^lo draught horse on tho entire plaoe, We havd, of course, horses for the herders uf cattle, of which we now have 16,009 hand. The Southern Pacific Railroad run a f>r 36 n'ilea through oar farm. We have three steamboats operating on the waters of our own estate, npon which there are 300 mllea ot navigable waters. We have an ice-house, a bank, a shipyard, and a rioe-mlll,"