The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1870-09-21
Labor in Louisiana.
COMPARATIVE VALUE OF SwEDEs, CHI
NAMEN AND NEGROES.

A gentleman, largely engaged in cot
ton raising in Louisiana, gives us some
interesting facts about the compare
tive value of different kinds of labor
employed on his plantation. His main
force is negroes, about $50 in number,
whom he hires on the following terms
The mules and all the tools required
are furnished by him, and he makes
reasonable advances for food and cloth
ing and the negroes give him Il half
bale of cotton TO the acre, and have the
rest of the product for themselves, re-
imbursing him for his outlay for sub
sistence. He was fortunate in enga-
ging twelve Chinese at New Orleans,
who had served eight years under COO
lie contracts i'll Cuba, and were expe-
rienced in plantation work. To these
Chinese he gives one-half of the profits
over all the expenses supplying mules
and the other working capital, and adj
vancing means for supplies as wanted.
His Swedish employees, but few in
number, were obtaine6 in New Orleans,
where he found them out of work and
glad to accept the same terms that he
made with the negroes. These terms,
as also those with the Chinese, are con-
sidered by all hands very liberal, and
if the cotton crop turns out as well as
expected, they will each make a hand
some sum of money during the season
The Swedes, though not as skillful in
the use of the hoe (for want of prac-
tice) as the Chinese and negroes, are
, in other respect the best hands. They
cultivate thoroughly and carefully
keep the mules in fine condition ano
take good care of the tools. The eli
mate and the labor seem to agree witt
them perfectly. But, of course, large
supply of Swedes OF other white labor
ers from any part Of the world canno
be depended on, although their remu
neration in IL good season would be am
: pie. Next in order of value stand tn
Chinese-and those employed in tn
case under notice are decidedly infer
Tor to the Celestials more recently i'm
=, ported direct from Hong Kong. The
e are fully as industrious as the negroes
=, neater in details, better mechanics
o. and in all respects more satisfactory
In the use of liquor they are more ten
IN perate than the blacks. 1t should |
said that the freedmen do much MOI
{, work when Chinese or others are con
4 peting with them on separate portion
of estates, however, since it is n
deemed expedient to have them lab
together Last year, when the negro
;, had monopoly of the work, our info
mant had occasion to find much fat
with their idleness and shiftlessness.
This year they are doing their best u
der the stimulant of competition, viii
we take to be proof that the import
ton of the Chinese to the South W
~ have good effect in bringing out t
~ industrial resources of the freedmen.
:. Subsequent to the engagement OF t
Al' three classes under mention, the sal
- planter hired eight Pennsylvania fal
70 hands, but for SOME reason they ma
not taken readily to cotton cultu
though he has not tried them 10
6. enough to determine their real wol
for that business, as compared with
Ds others. This gentleman, like OH
planters in the same region, IS lmpre
Ms ed with the desirability OF import
~ as many Chinese as possible. Wher
= er they have been set at work III
South they are doing well. The
kansas Association report very tavo
IS. bly, OIL the success of their importatl
CyTRAWBERRY PLANTS f
NC s,1r lv Ii ST. JOII,