Baton-Rouge gazette. [volume] (Baton-Rouge, La.) 1819-1856, 1847-06-12
CONGRATULATIONS in LOU1sr.
ANA-sURFACE AND WHEEL.
DRAINING.


land In this region, before adyerted 10, q
the plantations front upon the water. Her
it IL, that the surface is almost inyariabl
highest, descending with a scarcely PEI
ceptible inclination to marshes, swainps .
lakes In the rear. Occasionally, ridges {
land Of equal height with those bordering
upon the water, and probably once ID,
banks Of she river or adjoining bayou, sx
tend over the rear Of the plantation. Adj
ditional elevation is required in front, Il
protect the land rom the overflow of hjrl
water. This Is provided FOR by embark
ments Of earth or levees, from three ol
four, to eight feet In height, and sometimes
even more. Immediately In the rear o
this, Is the public road, which being artif
oially raised, and we'll ditehed ON one side
at least, affords good travelling at all sea.
sons, except when excessively wet.
The dwelling houses usually border upon
the road. That of the proprietor occupies
nearly the centre Of the front, and is gene.
rally a plain, and economical, yet tasteful
building, of two stories, with balconies ex.
tending on four sides, protected by a pro.
jecting roof, which Is supported by light
pillars. Sometimes there are two or more
Of nearly similar construction, for the &C.
communication of additional families, the use
of oyerseers, DC. The tenements of the
laboreFs are within a few rods Of these,
and arranged with more or less taste and
regularity, in double rows, on opposite sides
of ain area, fifty TO eighty feet wide, and
ten to forty feet apart. The sugar.house,
which includes the engine, boilers, kettles,
yats, and store. rooms, Ia placed some dis.
lance in the rear, as are also the stables,
sheds, blaGksmitbs' and %ioiners' shops.
These are generally painted or covered
with white wash and the elevated chin.
neys for the boilers, the imposing architec.
ture Of the sugar-house, with the group Of
trees, shrubbery, and gardens, around the
main dwelling, give, ut a little distance, the
effect Of a tasteful hamlet or
villa.
The first thing required, throughout this
entire detail formation, after clearing off
the native growth of wood, is the excava.
lion Of numerous large bitches. In front,
Is the heavy breast work of earth, four OF
feet high, and five to ten wide al the
.oP then the road, some two feet above the
which is the fence. Leadiag
as they are termed, about four feet
leep, extend at right angles with the from,
md parallel with each other ut O distance
If $50 to 300 feet according to the nature
If The ground, and the ideas Of the p%roprie.
or), throughout the whole length Of the
cultivated land, from $500 to 5000 feet.
These are intersected by cr6ss-ditches of
he same size, at intervals Of 1000 or
800 feet ; and between these, smaller
emporary ones are excavated and kept
pen by the plow and hoe. By the side
# the larger bitches, roads are thrown up,
wherever required for convenient access
0 every part of the grounds.
The plantations are generally large,
Comprising 300 to 1000 acres of tillable
and, with an equal or larger quantity Of
wamp in the rear which being more or
ess covered with wood, yields fuel for the
ngines and timber for the general wants
f the plantation. Of the 1,240 sugar
limitations, nov cultivated, or about to be
penGd in the State, $50 manufacture the
1gar BY steam-power, and 6l0 by mules
r oxen. The former cost, with their en-.
re fixtures, from $4,000 to $4,000, ac-
to thoir entent, and the refinement
f the operations the latter amount being
only where the vacuum pans and
refining process have been introduced
n an extensive scale, for the manufacture
f a superior quality of sugar. II will be
that a very large capital is necessary
n organizing a good plantation and in.
the land, clearing, embankments,
roads, dwellings, sugar-house, ma.
and fixtures, teams, implements.
rec, seed, supplies, &c, complete, it re-
uires from $3.50 to $500 per acre for the
liable land. Plantations frequently change
ands at from 100000 to over 100000
ach and where well managed, they pay
n interest of from S to 10, and sometimes
greater per cent, per annum on the capt..
Il employed. Il is stated on some res
authority, that while farming lands
/ other parts of the union pay al average
+ 3 per cent: on the invested capital, 4
Or cent is realized in Louisiana.
Like cotton, sugar is a production Of
omparatively recent date in this country
he cane was first cultivated in what is
ow the second municipality of New Or
ans, as early as 1925, but its manufac-
into sugar was mot begun till after
$50. In 1895, the second sugar-house
erected in this State, in what is now
arrolton, six miles above the city and so
tie as 1918, the entire crop of the State
mounted to but 26, 1000 hogsheads. Steam
,wer was first introduced in 1922, and