Houma Ceres. [volume] (Houma, Parish of Terrebonne, La.) 1855-18??, 1856-12-20
The Sugar Crop.

The following letter o1he New Orleans
Creecent is from the pen Of one Of the
most experienced planters in the State
and is well worthy the consideration Of all
interested in sugar:
Messrs. Editors: Some weeks since
you estimated the crop Of sugar to be made
in Louisiana, in 1856. at one hundred and
twenty to one hundred and thirty thousand
hog.heads. You are doubtless since sat-
isfed that your estimate was very much
too high. As a grower of cane, natu-
Tally feel an interest in having fair state
ment Of facts in relation to the great crop
Of Louisiana being properly presented to
your readers. am aware that any state
ment made by producer Of sugar will
subject him to the suspicion Of desiring to
advance prices, and l can only ask OF
those who may doubt the truth Of state
menfs made by the producer, to scrutinize
as closely those of spectators who are
benefited by producing the impression
that the crop is to he larger than repre-
scented by the producer.
I find since arriving in the city. that
much difference Of opinion exists as to the
quantity to be produced in 1856. l will
give you the product of forty-eight planta.
tons in the parish Of Assumption, which l
have procured from undoubted sources,
and also, give you the product Of the same
places in 1855.
The crops made upon the forty -eight
plantations in the parish of Assumption are
given in the order they have been heard
from, and the per centage is greater than
a full return would give. The forty-eight
plantations produce in
1856. ..-.......-................ zoos hhds.
1855 produced. S155 hhds.
This shows that the plantations referred
to produce less than % per cent. Of the
crops Of 1855.
II is well known to all who take an in
terest in these matters that the parish of
Assumption has for many years past pro.
duced more than an average crop of sugar.
From the above, it will be seen that the
product will not exceed the fourth Of the
crop Of the last year. If the falling of
throughout the sugar region is equally as
great, the crop Of Louisiana in 1856 will
be less than $4,000 hhds.
This NAV seem low figure to specula-
tors and consumers, but it will, in my
opinion, be realized in few weeks. From
all quarters the reports show that very
small crop IS being made. Last year it
was contended-in the face Of statements
made by the producers, that the crop
would not be much over 100000 hhds.-
that it would exceed 100000 hhds. When
Mr.. Champomier's report was made,
(long after the crops had gone out of the
producers hands, it was found to 60 a
little over 100000 hhds. Prices then
arose rapidly, and consumers paid for their
incredibly.
| Consumers would do well to give ut
least as much credit to the statement Of
the planter as to those Of the Spectator.
They would also, in my poor opinion, do
well to buy early, as they may be assured
prices will materially advance. Sugar
sold in 1886 at l24 to Is cents in this
market. The crop Of 1885 was 10000
bids. The crop of 1856 will not he
greater in proportion to population than in
1896, whilst the capacity to consume,
owing to the general prosperity, is much
increased. In 1886 the country was upon
the eve Of bankruptcy.
| ALBEMARLE.
/