The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1856-06-11
The s~gsr Crop of tho World and ats Move
ncDts.


Next to the importance and magnitude Of the pro-
'ducton Of cotton stands the growth and supply OF
sugar From having been little known to the Greeks
and Romans, except by small samples brought from
China, in the form OF candy, which they believed
were derived from the extraction of a species of
reeds we find its actual cultivation was first intro
.duced by the Saracens into the Islands of Rhodes
Cyprus Sicily and Crete, in the ninth century. In
the twelfth century the Venetans derived it cheaper
and more abundantly from Sicily than from Egypt.
The march OF the Crusaders into the East caused
them to become better acquainted with sugar, and
on thei return they spread taste for it over the
west of Europe Venice had imported it as early as
996, anterior to the Crusades. The process of re-
filming 1t is modern discovery made by a Venetian
about the close of the fifteenth century.
When the Saraoens obtained footing in Spain,
'hey soon after introduced the cultivation Of sugar
dntothak country, which spread over the southern
provinces, and was carried into Portugal. From
these countries its cultivation was introduced into
the Canary and Madeira Islands in the early part of
the fifteenth century.
1t has been doubted by some whether the sugar
cane is q native Of the American continent. The
weight Of evidence, however, is in favor Of the
affirmative, supported by the opinion Of Baron de
Humboldt. 1t is also said to be o native Of the
Sandwich Islands.
The oldest English settlement made in the West
Indies was at Barbadoes in 1927, and in l647 they
commenced exporting sugar to England. In 1866 she
attained her maximum and employed 400 vessels in
the trade, averaging $50 tons each. jamaica,
wrested from Spain by Cromwell in 1856, contained
at the time only three small sugar estates.
The first cultivation was commenced in Hayti in
1906, and was found t, succeed better there than
any where ese Being at first in the hands Of the
Spanards it for q long time was the source from
which Europe derived its chief supplies. Previous to
its des0aton by the madness of abolitionism In 1890
there fewer than IS 900 tons, 130,OO0,000
pounds, of sugar exported from the French portion
of the island.
With the destruction of that island, its culture
spread to other portions of ntertropical coun-
tries where labor could be had favorable terms.
large number of French refugees from st. Domin-
go settled in the then colony of Louisiana, where
they established sugar plantations, and greatly
tended its cultivation. The culture was also
rapidly increased after its purchase by the United
States, aided by American skill and enterprise.
By the fall of st. Domingo Jamaica was greatly
enriched and reached high stage of prosperity;
but by the abolition of the only labor suited to its Gull
ture, it too is following ST. Domingo in its relapse
and decay.
The Venetians, in the fourteenth and fifteenth CEN
turtles, imported small parcels Of sugar into England
and France. Prior to that period, and for some time
after, honey as with the Greeks and Romans, formed
the chief reliance with the people in the north of
Europe for swectening their food. Early in the
seventeenth century it was only the rich who could
afford to use sugar. In 100 England only imported
10000 tons, or q, 900 900 lbs.
The taste for it gradually spread, and with the in
crease of the consumption its production was aug
mented by the large accession of African labor car
ried from the continent of Africa to the British,
Spanish and French West India Islands, and into
Brazil and other localities. The production and
consumption mutually grew together until all parts
Of the civilized world have measurably ceased to view
it as auxury but consider it to be necessary ament
for food cotton is material for clothing With the
overthrow of st. Domingo, its cultivation was trans
ferred to those nterrOpcal countries where slave Ia
Dor was either perpetuated fresh supplies al
lowed to be introduced from abroad. Some OF the
largest fortunes in England, in which New England
participated, were made by the same trade, and by
the sugar culture and distilling in jamaica of
whom their descendants are to be found in Massa-
chusetts and in the west OF old England, including
the great Gladstone family.
We have since seen the culture Of sugar extend
from small beginnings in the West India Islands to
the Mauritus the Brazils, Bengal Isle of Bourbon,
Java, Siam, Philippines, &C., which, with the
French, Dutch, Danish and English West India
Islands, including Demerara and Berbice, produced
in 1888 100000 tons, of which 203,0 900 tons we're
imported into England; while France in 1880, with
about 100000 population, consumed 67,25O 900
kilogrammes, equal to 12-l26 kilogrammes per
head, or about AZ to lbs. each. This
consumption, however, was exclusive of that
derived from the indigenous production from beet
root sugar, and that which was Struggled into the
country to avoid heavy duties, which in 1882 was
from l6,OOO,0OO to 100000 lbs. Thus, allowing
for the quantity fraudulently introduced, with all
other supplies, the total consumption Of France at
this period was about 1913 100000 lbs; and the
population being about 80 100000, gave consump-
ton of about lbs. per head; while in England the
estimated consumption, at the same period, was put
down ct about "a lbs. per head. In the United
States, for the same year, the estimated consump-
tion was about 10000 80 900 TONS 10000 900 to
lbs, thus giving from 10 1913 to l2 lbs
per head OF the 80 1000 tons consumed, r. 900 TONS
900 lbs were produced in the United States.
The total production Of the world in 1888, exclusive
OF the United States, &C., about 100, 900, 900
lbs, or 100000 tons, and the consumption at the
same period in Europe, including beet root sugar,
amounted to 1,lOs 900 900 lbs. Since 1888 to 1855
we shall find by the following tables, that, not
wthstanding the production of sugar in the twenty
three years has enormously increased, the con-
sumption has gained upon it. The application of
the London Exeter Hall principles. or the war
abolition upon African labor, first in St. Domingo
then in the British West Indies, and then on labor
in the Spanish colonies and in Brazil, has had the
effect to cause consumption to overtake the labor
production and the white populations of the tempe
rate climates must, for the future, expect to pay
largely enhanced prices for the tropical products Of
cotton, sugar and coffee, necessary to their com
fort and well being.
The miserable attempt to revive the slave trade