The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1851-05-27
Our Louisiana Correspondence.
ST.. MARY's, La, May Ii, I

ST. MARY's, La, May Ia, 1851.
The Sugar and Cotton Crops Of Louisiana and
7sras-Probable Results Of the Groicing Crops.
Since wrote you from Texas last September, /
have travelled through every sugar growing parish
in Texas and Louisiana. The sugar crop Of last
year. in Texas, reached near 5000 tons, and the mo-
lasses about 100000 gallons. l should say from
appearances, that the present crop, if successfully
secured, will nearly double that quantity. The
crop Of Louisiana was PIP 600 hogsheads say about
1000 tons, and the molasses about twelve millions
Of gallons; but the coming crop of Louisiana can
not exceed 10000 hOgsheads or 100000 tons, and
molasses nine to nine and half millions of gallons.
The reasons for this are, first the great and hume
rous overAows Of the sugar estates on the Misss-
sippi caused by creyasses; secondly, the great loss
Of seed cane. l know several planters who have
not been able to plant one-haH Of what they had
intended; and some Others, whose intention was TO
have planted two hundred acres, could only plant
from fifty to sixty acres on account OF losing their
seed cane in the mats, by the dry rot. In the
parish of Lafayette all the seed cane lost. In
the parishes of Rapides and Avoyeles, the planta-
tions were first drowned out by an overflow Of the
they were parched and dry, and the land baked up
for want Of rain, having fallen for seven weeks
The spring has been cold and windy, and the rat
toons or stubble canes had scarce made their APP
pearance on the first Of May.
The stand Of canes is Invariably bad in these
parishes, and very short crop must ensue. In the
Red River districts Rapides, Bayou Rouge, Avoy-
Giles, st. Landry, Opelousas, Lafayette and st.
Martins, and the whole Of the upper Bayou B9uf,
and the whole surrounding country, there is not at
this time 100 hogsheads of sugar in the purgeres,
and do not think there is 10000 hogsheads in the
whole State. Sugar and molasses are largely in
demand for Western consumption, and prices are
looking up daily The crops in st. Martin and in
st. Mary are looking pretty WELL and think the
latter parish will make average CROP say 20, 900
certainly fall short by at least oneffth Of ave-
rage crop. The northern parishes promise good
crop Of cotton and corn in fact every parish in the
corn this year than has been known. Louisiana
has hitherto had to purchase corn from the West
this year, think, she will have corn to spare rs
all these lands that could not be planted in cane for
want Of seed, together with much new land, has
been planted in corn and cotton. There is strong
talk Of a railroad from New Orleans to OpelousaS.
Should this go through, it will greatly facilitate
trade, and open channel for speculation in ,rth
ern Louisiana, great sugar country. Though the
most beautiful and interesting part Of this State, it
is least known, having but few navigable streams;
but 1t needs but to be seen to be admired.
Sugar and molasses will certainly command high
prices next fall say this disinteressedly as do
not own enough land to bury me; but am conf
dent Of what say being correct. The sugar plant
ers have need OF 1t, MS they are by no means such
rich community as some Of the Northerners imagine.
The greater bulk of them really live upon the in
tcrest Of what they to others. The new process
Of Nielsen has proved complete failure; mean the
plan Of using bisulphate of lime. The rotatine
machine is also growing INFO disuse, it being ex-
pensive and very wastefu
The vacuum process has involved great many
planters, and totally ruined Others whilst ii has
benefited none except the patentees and manufac-
turers. The sugars most in demand, and which are
eagerly sought after, are strong grained kettle
sugars, made upon the ordinary principle, mus
oayado,) and afterwards purified in the hogshead
by a simple, easy, safe, cheap, and effective pro
cess, which Ut once makes the sugar white, or
nearly so, also hard and dry; and these beached
sugars will ship without deliquesecnce all over the
world. This cheap plan is the accidental discovery
of an Englshman, who, by his happy discovery
can, at the expense Of i've cents, turn hogshead
Of mean and bad sugar into fair or choice articles:
and the substance used is as innocent and harm
less as it is effective.
( L will write again, after another long Journey
am about to make PsEuMATIcUs ,