Pointe Coupee Democrat. [volume] (False River [i.e. New Roads], Parish of Pointe Coupee [La.]) 1858-1862, 1859-11-19
THE DEMOCRAT.
Special Correspondence Of the Democrat
New ORLEANS, Nov. Is. 1859


The cultivation Of the sugar cane has
not progressed in the same ratio as that
of cotton Both articles were grown bv
the early settlers of Louisiana merely for
domestic use. AS early as 1868, an at
tempt had been made by Mr.. Destrehan,
OF the Tch0Hpitoulas District, to manu-
iacturc sugar upon more extensive
scale, but such was the impcrfection of
the machinery Of that day, and so few
understood the proper mode Of cuItivat-
Ing the cane, that the effort was aban-
doncd, and the only use made Of tue few
canes grown from l14G to 1894. was to
supply the New Orleans market with
the cane stalks, and the manufacture Of
syrop in limited quantities. It was not
until l7o5 that Mr.. Etienne Bore an en-
terprising native Of Upper Louisiana,
who had become connected with the
Dcstrehan family by marriage, deter
mined to enter upon the cultivation of
the sugar cane. as a regular and perma-
nent branch Of agriculture. The family
into which he had married, vet retained
fresh III their memories the loss and al
most ruin Of the former trial and fail
ure. They erdeavored toEissuadc him
from the utoplan and ruinous specul;,-
ton. But Bore was fully determined
upon his course, and Immediately pur-
chased of Soils & Melandcz, two Span
lards VIII? supplied the city and country
with cane stalks, all the seed cane they
could spare, and with this nc made a
beginning which proved SO successful
that several of his neighbors were in
duced to enter into the same branch of
business; s. that by the year 1902 the
total number Of hogsheads raised in the
country amounted to between four and
five thousand. In the mean time a re-
tinery had been established in New Or
leans, where lOaf sugar was made.
From 1903 to 1916, the production in
from 5000 to $4,000 hogshcads. |
This year, 1916, tariff on sugar was
adopted by Congress, which induced a
great number Of planters to enter upon
the growth and manufacture Of this
staple.
The annual production from 1916 to
1928 Increased from Is, 900 hhds. of one
thousand pounds each, to 5000 hogs
heads.
In 1928 the capital invested in this
branch Of industry was estimated as fol-
oWs:
3oo plantations, valued at $34, GOO.
300.
Manual power, about q 600 hands
Animal power, aboilt $4,000 horses.
Mechanical power, about 1910 horse
)owcr
From 1923 to 1880, 3s3 new planta-
ions were opened, which required a
urther outlay of $16,00o,00O, making a
otal outlay for 69l estates Or planta-
ions, of about $50, 600, 900.
In the year 1884, the tariff on sugar
vas greatly reduced, the consequence of
which was, l53 plantations were COM
'elled to abandon their sugar works.
In ls4o the number of plantations Or
sugar estates was 525 The manual la
'or upon Which was estimated at 40, 900
lands; the mechanical labor at 10, 900
lorses; and the annual expenses of a
we'll regulated plantation was estimated
1t $50 per hand, which, I should think,
vas entirely too low.
These 525 estates, with their naehin-
'ry, required, at low estimate, a cash
Investment Of at least So, 100000 The
annual average crop was not over TO-
100 hogsheads, with $50, 900 gallons of
nolasses. The sugar at 6 cents per
pound, and molasses at 30 cents per
gallon, amounted to 81, 90o,ooO; annual
expenses, 100000; leaving a balance
n favor of the planter Of $2,9o0,OOo, Or
'bout 81 per cent. on the amount of capi-
al invested From which it is pretty
'vident that in Louisiana, with it's un-