THE LARGEST FARM IN THE WORLD.

Waikato Times, Volume XXX, Issue 2426, 28 January 1888, Page 2 (Supplement)

THE LARGEST FARM IN THE WORLD.

In the extreme south-west corn or of Louisiana lies the largest, producing farm in the world, It runs 100 miles north and south, smd many miles east and west, and is owned and operated by a syndicate of Northern capitalists. Their general manager, J. 15. Wsitlsins, gives an interesting account of this gigantic plantation, which throws the great Dalrymple funn in Dakota into the shade completely.

" The ],5'10,000 acres of our tract," Mr Watkins said, " was purchased in 1883 from tho State of Louisiana and from the United States Government. At that time it was a vast grazing land for the cattle of the few dealers in the neighbourhood. When T took possession I found over :>O,OOO head of half-wild horses and cattle. My work wns to divide tho immense tract into convenient pastures, establishing stations or ranches every six miles. Tho fencing , alone cost in the neighbourhood of £10,000. Tho land I found to be best, adapted to rice, sugar, corn and cotton. All our cultivating, ditching, etc., is done by steam power. We take a tract, say half a mile wide, for instance, nnil place an engine on each side. The engines are portable, and operate a cable attached to four ploughs, nnrl under this arrangement wo are nble to plough thirty acres a ilny with only the labour of three men. Our harrowing, planting, and other cultivation is done in a like m.iannr; in fact., there is not a .single draught horse on the entire place. We have, of course, horses for tho herders of cattle, of which we now have 1(3,000 head. The Southern Pacific Railroad runs for thirty-six miles through our farm. We have three steamboats operating on tho waters of our own estate, upon which there are 300 miles of navigably waters. Wo have an icehouse, a bank, a ship yard, and a, ricemill.