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

r oiA, ny Mr' +. "A. ChampOmier. from the
press Of Cook, Young & Co., New Or.
leans, is announced to have been received
BY the New York papers favor that has
not been extended, so far as We have seen,
TO single press in Louisiana. If the
document is for sale, we should be pleased
to know where copy can be obtained,
as we feel some degree of interest in a
subject which concerns nearly all our sub.
scribers. The N. Y. Journal of Com.
merce furnishes the introduction. which
we transfer to our columns.
4ts4 [Batoa Rouge Advocate
. | 4-eal. INTRODUCTION.
In presenting to my patrons my Tenth
Annual Report Of the sugar crop Of Loui.
siana-viz: 1644-45 and l645-46 and
le495O to ls56-57-I beg leave to in.
dulge in few general remarks touching
the cane culture Of Louisiana, drawn from
facts and observations, as I have been
familiar, since the crop of le3O-3l, with
whatever has passed in the sugar parishes
Of this State.
! 1t seems to me that the winter Of 1884
l-35 must have been very similar to last
winter, judging from the crop made in
1885, which barely amounted to 3O,.
600 hogsheads, the extent of cultivation
being about one half what it now is.
Some planters, more enterprising than
others, had made trial as far up as AL.
exandria to introduce the culture Of the
cane. but from that year it had been aban.
doned until 1874, when several planters
in Rapides undertook to make new trial,
and they, am happy to say, have met
with degree Of success in their under.
taking quite equal to their expectations
convincing me by their crops that the i'm.
preston long prevalent that they were in
latitude too far North for the cultivation
Of cane was erroneous, for their lands this
season have produced better yield per
acre than those Of any section of tho State,
except the Raccourci lands in Point Cou.
pee, which latter have produced about the
same ratio. have not found that they
suffered comparatively greater injury from
the bard winter Of last year, nor did they
suffer more than other parts Of the State
from the very severe freeze of 1e5l-52.
& At that time we had covering Of snow
to prorect our lands in Lower Louisiana,
while theirs were exposed to all the ele.
menis and yet they made good crop in
1852, which proves to my satisfaction |
that there must be some other difficulty
besides cold when Louisiana fails to make |
crop, as has been the case this season.
We have had several successive dry
springs and summers, and last winter was
not only very cold, but also wet. The
lands were in the worst kind Of order,
and everything entrusted TO the earih's
bosom for noUrishment and growth seemed
to deteriorate and decay from day to day,
until our planters were SO disappointed
and perplexed that they thought there was
some disease in tho cane Such false re-
ports have circulated but too much abroad,
and have extended far. enough for the
planters Of Cuba TO rejoice in the belief
that Louisiana can produce no more sugar.
Qu; uiura pcrra. For my part l am not
to believe as some do on this
point. Sixty.three years have passed
over my head, and they have .demonstra-
tod to me that although they came ono af l
ter the cher they were not always alike,
moro particularly in the productions of'the
earth. il seems 10 mo that il almost all
sorts of produce son1e seasons, give forth
moro ab0ndaat returns than others. Il
haze lived long enough to see Louisiana
produce in two Successive years-say
lS5253 and le53-54 two astonishingly
largs Crops. il the former year the yield
ofacaae was really surprising TO great
many Plaaters. AZ for myself l am fear
|al ,hat i cannot live long enough to wit I
ness the fealizaiionio Of another such yield.
The. fAlowing crop Of 1854 was tho
laEgeat ever produced by Louisiaua. aud
eams ostof u vast deal Of good cane. In
|aci the crop Of the year before, large Is
1 ives, was tho product Of comparatively
ew acres Of hnd. while the larger crop of
1853 81 was realised out of all tho best
,ort Of stabblss Of .ths previous crop and
j large planting besides; and bad Tho |,
rieA Il sugar been ~ abu1dant - it was
- gear prsvioss, The stale wdald haxe T
peoauesd over 600. 900 hogshcada, provi. |,
led .ouf plantess lad tie ability 10 secure
1, which I hass my doubts about, tor some
would have dese better 10 have iea The i
saaA il the 6slds instead &C making sugar.
y hey, 1as themselves 10 debt BY the op.
.sasiss.a MARI that The crop Of 1852 was L
ma3ov sAaY = aevofa winter. which lad 4