The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1871-10-24
From the N Y. Evening Post.l
CONDITION OF THE SUGAR TRADE.

/ CONDITION OF THE SUGAR TRADE.
The trade in sugar this year has been un-
satisfactory to the importers. Prices inn
proved slightly in January, after the i'm
position of the new duty, and during part
Of February, but the arrival of large guam
titles of green sugar from the West Indies
caused a decline in early spring, the price
falling as low as 81 cents for good refining
Cuba. Prices in the Cuban market also
declined to 81 rails. In April the reports
from Cuba Of deficiency in the crop were
so strong that reaction occurred at the
very time when the largest purchases are
made for the United States market. Cuba,
as usual, took the lead in the upward move
ment. Ten rails were reached in that mar
ket, and we responded with 9k cents here.
The early purchases for our market in
Cuba brought good profits, of course, but
those subsequently, made were followed by
heavy losses. Our prices receded tc %
cents, recently went up to % cents, but
again dropped during the week of the Chi
cago fire to 81 cents.
There is at present, however, a decidedly
better feeling in the market. This change
began in Europe during the last three weeks.
The price in London advanced from 27s.,
No. II boxes in bond, to 30s., ON account
of discovery that the abundant bect-root
crop Of the Continent is so deficient in sac
charine matter that about one-iifth of the
usual production will be wanting. The
weather has been unfavorable to the crop
in this respect. The entire beet-root crop
of the Continent is not now expected to ex-
coed the amount produced last year, 900,-
600 tons.
The call for refined sugar, in the mean
time, from the interior, has been pressing,
and there has been but little stock at the
refincries. Liberal contracts had before
been made, and speculation has prevailed,
causing the impression that during the re-
mainder of the year prices will be sustained
if not pushed still higher. The most avail
able market is the English. The stock
there had run down to l52, 900 tons; a
year ago it was 100000 tons. The total
deliveries for this year to the 9th of 0cto-
Der, 1871, were 465, 900 tons. At the
same date in 1870 the total deliveries had
heen 440, 900 tons. The increase of con-
sumption in Great Britain was, therefore,
$4,000 tons. The importation was $4,000
tons less than that of last year up to the
same date, and the decrease in stock on
hand was "a 900 tons.
AT the beginning of the next year it is
probable that the deliveries from the re-
iinerics will have become regular, and mod
crate prices may be expected, unless there
be renewed reports of short crops in cane
sugar. What the real deficiency in the Gu
ban crop of this year may have been it is
impossible to say, but from all quarters
taken together we have had our full supply
Of sugar, and there can be no such dearth
in the market as that which now exists in
the coffee market. We had received on the
23d of September, from Havana and Matan-
zas, only 5000 tons less than last year,
while the expectation to Europe amounted
to 900 tons less. From Porto Rico
and the British and French islands we re-
eeiyed such enormous quantities that the
whole importation at our four leading ports
up to the LIST of October shows an increase
OF $4,000 tons, and the large distribution
of $4,000 tons per month as the average,
against ~ 900 per month in 1870, has been
of no avail. We entered the present month
with stock, at the four ports mentioned
of 5000 tons more than we had last year.
The distribution during October, November
and December, 1870, was 92, 900 tons we
imported AZ, 900 tons. We can expect but
little more from Havana or Matanzas, there
being prospect of demand from England;
the stock at those places, too, on the 23d Of
September, was only about AZ. 900 tons, in
boxes for which there is little demand here.
The closing importations of the year will
probably be less, therefore, than those Of
1870. "a
From advices received this week, the
Louisiana crop appears. to be no heavier
than that of last YEAR AZ 600 hOpSheadS