Southern sentinel. [volume] (Plaquemine, Parish of Iberville [La.]) 1848-1858, 1856-12-06

Total for these countries, l,7S3,0S0 900
The total consumption Of the United States
in 1855, was about720 millions los.
From 1880. when inclusive of indigenous
sugar, France required g 100000 pounds,
or six pounds per head Of the population. Yet
it is not in France alone, but every where Else
on the continent-o oil Europe, and especially in
England and the United States, that it has
reached Il height never before known, nor even
anticipated, and. il is believed, oct Of propor>
ton with the frog ess of production. This
fact alone, were there no other reasons, would
suffice to explain the steady augmentation of
the price of sugar. The d difficulties in the way
CT procuring labor in the cane growing colonies
OF England and France, and the failure Of the
crops, for the last three years, in Louisiana and
other Southern States Of the Union, have also
exercised their influence upon the sugar mar
ket. This failure, in consideration of the above
facts, is the more calculated to arrest our at
%tentlon, as the discovery of lis causes, and their
remedy, is not only a subject of ptcuniary in
terest to the planter, but to the American pubs
lie at large. Many reasons have been assigned
as explanatory ofthe evil. Ofthese, the priuci-
pal are: Exhaustion of The soil in consequence
Of neglect Of the agricultural principle of rota~
lion, and the scanty supply OF manure or the
use OF manure not appropriated. as respects its
composition; and exhaustion or deterioration of
the plant itself, owing TO its not being renewed
from the seed. If these are the main causes
of The failure of c~rops-which seems probable,
as the former prosperity of the culture of fhe
cane proves that it is not subject to insurmoun>
table obstacles OF Il climatical characterize
evil will soon be removed. But the unfavera-
bic episode in the progressive Development of
our sugar growing interests appears insignifi>
cant when placed in Iuxtaposition to the por~
t~entious phenomenon of the consumption of
sugar having gained too rapidly upon its gene
raj production. In view Of this fact, which
seems to be evident from a comparison of the
annual estimates of production and eonsump~
ton, the strenuous efforts resorted to for a quar-
Ter of a century past by European countries, TO
develop the home manufacture of beet~root
sugar, aud, of late years, to grow the Chinese
lmphee, and toconVert its saccharine substance
into marketable sugar, and quite recent trials
with CaffreIand imphee, in various parts of
Europe, southern France and GaudaIoupe gain
additional significance. They seem to indicate
that the tropical regions, which formerly had
the monopoly Of the sugar production, are no
longer equal to the task of furnis hing the re@
quisite supply.
Even in tropical regions, the districts adapted
for The cultivation of cane are limited: but the
greatest drawback in the way of an indefinite
of the manufacture of sugar, to meet
the constantly growing and indefinite demand
of the article by the crowed population Of the
temperate zones and northern countries, con-
sists in the inefficient condition, and numerieal4
ly, physically and Intellectually, of the laboring
forces for tho fnrnIap Eapoo kL,o o1Iaavop b,
the latter to substitute for The circumscribed
lands of the tropicstheir own boundless
tracts of fertile soil, and to render their more
intelligent and efficient Iaboring forces availa~
bic in the production of this important article.
question is one of immediate agricultural
and manufacturing interest; and it behooVes as
not only to follow closely the movements of
the age in reference 10 it, but if possible, to
anticipate them, and to take the lead in this, as
have done in other matters. The reports of
The trials made in France with the Caffreland
are exceedingly encouraging. In the
Southern departments two crops have been
obtained in the same year; and as a great yarie.
" exists of the species, it is very probable that,
# all should not prosper in our middle States
1t least some might be found amongst them
to their soil and climate. The national
gain which would result from the success of
iuch an experiment is incalculable, and highly
it to tae especial and immediate
consideration of our farmers. The sugar pros
luetion in the South, and the quantity of maple
obtained in the other States, amounts
,nIy to a third of the entire consumption of
United States.
Cane sugar was manufactured, according to
he census of 1850, to the amount of 247, SIT
L y &c IanR H. A ~ 49, 80 Fl.