The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1850-01-17


Under the present labor system generally
pursued when the manager of an estate begins to
make sugar, the oine-cutting and boiling gangs
are composed Of the whole force which wages, and
lberaI noges, can muster Notwithstanding, the
amount of labor is inadequate to the demand and
hence, by diversion of such labor from the sci,
by the time the crop is reaped and manufactured,
the young cane, growing less rapidly and exuber-
antly than the surrounding wild vegetation, is not
only retarded in its progress but often altogether
destroyed. The work of weed pg, relieving and
supplying after this period, amounts TO treble the
cost it would have done had it been applied a
month or six weeks after cane cutting with worse
prospects for the succeeding crop. From this dis
advantage in the application of labor, 20 per cent
of the cultivation in ordinary years and in ex-
treme wet or dry seasons 40 per cent, is lost.
A remedy for this evil, so evident and so detri-
mental to the interests of the free labor Colonies,
has occupied the attention Of many West India
proprietors, since the abolition of slavery in the
British possessions. About lS4i, Mr. Ross an
English barrister, and proprietor of an estate in
the island of Grenada, published an able pam
phlet on the above subject. He proposed farm
ing out, or selling, plantations in small portions;
while the buildings, machinery, &c, remaining
in the hands of the proprietors representative he
would be able to manufacture gaUr0lly and coniu,.
uoHy, for the whole neighborhood, or purchase at
fair valuation the product of the soil, raised by
the small farmers exclusively. He arrived at this
conclusion from his own experience. Being aware
of Of ha chnnn hrnn rbt
about by the act of emancipation, in his and every
o,he, West India proprietor's interests he Wis
tied his own plantation, and remained on the prop.
erty four years During that period, he made
himself acquainted with the habits and capacity
of his people, and adopted various plans to obvi-
ate the evils which he clearly foresaw impending
The system, therefore, which he proposes in his
pamphlet, was the result of his actual investiga-
iion and personal attention and this, before he
left the property, he also perfected. From a
like observation, and much attention to the sub
ject we agree with this writer entirely.
The above plan has been considerably enlarged
upon and improved, in a manuscript paper we
have seen, by Baron Won Grieshum, proprietor
of plantation De Kindesen, in Demarara, and cir
culated among his friends in lS43-46. The
Baron proposes two plans for remedyipg the pres
ent depressed state of the sugar plantations and
both these have direct reference TO the subject
we are discussing-the permanent SEPARATION OF the
cultivation of the cane from the manufacture Of
sugar. In one, similar to that of Mr. ROSES
above, he divides the estate into lots of FIVE, ten
or twenty acres each, and gives them in charge
Of families or individuals, apportionipg to each
one-balf or two.thirds of the produce raised, rs
compensation for their interest and labor the
proprietor finding all the facilities for the proper
cultivation of the estate. The manager, as the
sole agent of the absentee, would then merely
manufacture the sugar, and divide the proceeds
according TO the above arrangement. This prop
osition does away altogether with the necessity Of
the greatest draw back and heaviest item on an
esta,e--the weekly or monthly pay list; and
gives each laborer an individual interest in the
welfare and prosperity of the whole plantation.
This would etiectusly separate the two branches
of labor and leave TO each race, white or black,
their proper sphere: the one, cultivating the soil
and bringing out Of the earth her utmost capabl.
tiles the other, manufacturing and improving
those productions, TO minister not only TO the
wants but TO the comfort and luxury Of man. But
this plan will be altogether useless on deep'y-em-
barrassed or mortgaged estates-such as werefer
red to in our former article, and which have tried
the above systems without any permanent sue
cess
Before We leave the subject, we will sketch the
Baron's remaining proposition lie suggests the
erection Of a large central sugar mandatory,
Tbs particular period OF crop time does not refer how
ever either British French, Dutch Guiana 70 the
Arshy parts the island Of Trinidad Ia these sugar Colo
MES the be cut In every month In the year save
M.y and June during the deugng rains they have there
fore from this circums snce regular SUCCESSION OF crops
through the wear.