Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1864-02-25
From cur Correspondent "Pip."
New Orleans, La, Feb'y sth, 1864.

New Orleans, La, Feb'y Eth, 1864.
| DEAR JACK:-I have just returned from q
visit to the sugar plantation Of Mr. Zundt-
A formidable party of twelve Paymasters and
clerks filed three carriages, and crossing the
river on the steam ferry, we proceeded in a
southeastern direction, following the stream
around what is called The "English Bend
With skill at one end Of the ribbons and
speed at the other; with good roads and the
weather as beautiful as the Imagination can
conceive, Or the sunny South afford, we had
a right pleasant, dasl1ing ride. Our host, q
bachelor and "a gentleman of the cid school, ;"
received and entertained Us with all that hos
pitahty which is SO beautiful an attribute Of
the Southern character His dwelling is sur
rounded by q garden containing violets and
iaponicas in full boCI, some splendid ever
greens, and l. variety Of the most magnificent
ornam"ntqi shade trees, whose swelling buds
spring.
I walked over the plantation and through
the sugar mills, and learned many things con
cerning the growth and manufa cture Of that
staple. The sugar cane has at each joint an
eye, which, like that of the potato, is the
germ from which the vegetable grows. The
ground being prepared, Tie cane is laid in
long rows and covered with earth At about
the time when it commences to srrout, the
dirt is scrapad of, leaving it with but very
thin covering y hen the plant is up, the
land is pioughed, throwing the earth from
the stalk; and a few weeks afterwards the
plow Is again called into use to throw the
earth around the stalk. After that al the
cultivation is done with the hoe. The cane
grows for three years from one planting. The
first years growth is the largest, but the sec
ond furnishes a better article and 5 generally
used for the manufacture Of surar. After the
third year, the land is planted with corn and
peas for one season, TO enable it to recuper-
ate its exhausted energies. Tie season for
harvesting the cane is during the autumn aad
winter. 1t is taken from The field right to
the mill, where it is pressed by machinery
moved by steam. 1t must be admitted that
the sugar mill, with all its vats and applian-
ces did not strike me as being quite as clean
as could be desired.
AS we sat around the dinner table, our host
in reply to a question TO that effect, Informed
us that his plantation contained eight hun
dred and sixty acres. Some Of our party
suggested that this would make ten farms in
the north. MIR. Zundt talked 1T some length
OF the proposition Of having northern men
take confscatcd plantations and sub,divide
them, expressing great doubts as TO the sue
cess of the measure. He urged that ii would
require as much machiner: to work planta-
ton OF one hundred acres as it does to work
one of five hundred. lie did not see that
one man might own steam sugar mill with
which the work Of a number of small planta-
tions nj ght be done, as We usc d grist mill or
thrashing machine a: the north Yet it is
quite as practicable The fact was that our
host, though q most csttmable gentleman,
could not arise above his southern prciudices
There has always been a complete aristocra-
cy Of Capital in this country, and the plant
ers most cordially dislike to see ii displaced
by a democracy in which Labor shall assert
It's own Independence. Every plantation is
perfect village of itself, which the owner
rules as entirely as the old f. udal Lords Of
England ruled their estates Around most
CT the plantations there are gathered one or
more families Of poor whites, who live in
state of the most abjcct Dependence The
planters simply tattened on the proceeds Of
others labor Thus VAS one man raised to a
position of afiiaence and power at the ex-
pensc of fifty OR a hundred being reduced to
poverty and servitude
But one of .ae happy results of this war
viii be to revolutionize this state of things
Slavery being abolished, Capital aud Labo.
vii! seek their equilibrium Northern men
VII come down here in numbers aad infuse
their energy into the agricultural develop
ment OF this country. The land will be dis
tributed in smaller lots, and labor will eniov
its own products This is a most suggestive,
as it is most important topic aud l NAV
speak Of it again in future letter.
Yours &c, PIP.
s| In the Congressional proceed