Houma Ceres. [volume] (Houma, Parish of Terrebonne, La.) 1855-18??, 1857-03-28

put in matelas, the stubbles come out o
the ground as thick as could be, and they
would, have no doubt, have made good
cane if the planters had not ploughed
them up alter it had taken all summer to
bring them out of the ground.
AS intimated in my Introductory re.
marks Of last year, was fearful of having
very poor report to make OF the present
crop. but could not have been easily
persuaded to believe that it would turn out
to be as small as find myself in duty
bound to report it. This remarkable re.
suit however, l attribute to two incidents
the first being the killing frost Of October,
1888, which blasted the hopes Of all the
planters of tho fine sugar-growing par.
lshes OF lberville, West Baton Rouge and
some other parishes in which it could not
have proven as severe for know both
the lands and the tillers of the lands but
when | see large half Of them make no
sugar at all, l am forced to the conclusion
that something extraordinary, and some.
thing which | do not understand, must
have occurred in that section of the State !;
something different from any Of the vicis.
situdes experienced in other parts of the
State. The second is the hurricane of
August, which not only caused great de.
struction of life and property on Last Is.
land, but made great havoc among the
crops Of the rich and productive sugar
parish Of St. Mary, besides prostrating
great many dwellings, out-houses and su.
gar-houses thus causing an almost entire
failure Of both the sugar and corn crops
of that parish. The hurricane was most
severe, and the destruction most complete
in the parish Of St. Mary, but wherever
It passed land it took wide sweep) it
forced the cane nearly TO the ground in
one direction. and then, by change of its
course, raised and bent it in the other di.
rection. After a few weeks the crops
thus affected seemed to recover, and to
present a tolerably fair promise, but when
they were taken off," there was found to
be deficiency in the number of cart
loads to the acre, and remarkably mea.
gro yield Of sugar. This l find has been
the case more particularly in Terrebonne,
Lafourche Interior, and Plaquemines,
where some planters have hardly realized
one-half the expectations which they had
formed from the appearance Of their fields.
In the result Of these three parishes am
greatly disappointed. l had hoped and
expected to give better account Of these
than necessarily appears in my report.
As for the coming crop, it is the general
impression that shall have an oppoltu.
nifty, in my next report, to give better
account of Louisiana's s capacity for produ.
cling sugar. God grant that may never
see a repetition Of 1885 and 1855, which
find much alike in the ratio Of produc.
lion, though the latter season has fallen
upon period Of high prosperity in the
country at large, while the former found
It on the eve Of bankruptcy. Our planters
have much to contend against. An extra.
ordinary combination Of extraordinary eau.
.es has resulted in an almost total failure
IF the crop Of the past year, and given
point to assertions that the cane culture is
dying out in Louisiana. But we have
ai.h that the energy Of our planters, aided
by an ordinarily .propitious season, will
show that our State, if not deprived Of the
Government protection, is yet reliable for
] good proportion Of our home consump.
ion. though il seems probable that the
present deficiency and consequent high
prices will induce an excessive import Of
oreign sugars which the next crop will
,aye to contend agaist. Cuba, Porto Ri
o aad Brazil, now rejoice, but we have
aith that Louisiana will yet regain her
ormer rank as sugar-producing State.
Respectfully. P. A. CHAMroMlER.
February 10th, 1857. '
The three great ques.
ions now distressing the scientific world,
Whether two messages, delivered 81.