The sun., 1873-06-26

very materially. So much for the alleged
increase In the production.
Overland above this uninportant decrease
of SUGAR produce in the Western Depart
mcnt, We have n total lack Of all supplies
from the Central Dcpartn ut-'uerto
plincipc alone before the war cYport~l
10000 hog~hcl1s--Iud u very important
iimiuution of shipments from all the ports
of the Eastern Department, thp.r from
santiago de Cuba alone falling OF over
sixtN-hvc per cent.
when Havana can boast Of no increase
at this late period of the season, when
grinding has ceased on four-nfths even -
the largest estates and on all the average
sized ones, il is safe To predict that the crop
of the whole island will fall short of that of
last year.
There are, however. many reasons why
II should have surpassed 1t and surpassed
IL considerably and these reasons may he
classified as follows: I. The introduction
into sugar estates of the Western Depart
ment of very many thousand slaves,
originally field hands on sugar, cattle,
coffee, and other estates OF the Central
and Eastern Departments, which estates
have either been destroyed by the patriots
or abandoned by their owners. 2. The
importation Of between eight and nine
thousand slaves from Porto Rico, all OF
whom have without exception been
located on the sugar estates OF the Western
Department. 3. The importation since
the commencement Of the war of over
100000 Chinese, all OF whom are bought,
and Immediately on landing sent to these
same estates. T. The increase and improve
mcnt of machinery on the sugar estates in
that section OF the island-the Western
still held by the Spauiards.
The first three OF these reasons why the
sugar crop of Cuba should increase are
matters of fact well known and admitted
10y all interested in the question. The
fourth reason-the increase and improve
nent Of machinery on sugar estates. espe-
cinlly the necessary investment OF capital
thereby occasioncd in such precarious times
iIs thcsc-requircs some explanation.
The maximum yield of sugar is about
eighteen per cent. of the weight Of cane,
but this result Is attained only under the
most favorable circumstances; that Is, by
the use OF powerful mills and Of the best
machinery. A bull mill and open jamaica
I h'llNS VIII Nltlu III rlNul bHlN uIbui
four per cent. of the weight of cane
ground Much of the saccharne matter
remains III the ground cane, and much
Is lost IN boiling AZ high temperature.
! With powerful FAwCErr 4 PRESTON, or
West Point Foundry mill, and complete
train a. manufactured by l,lLLGEUN, or by
DERosNE y CAN Of Paris. the same cane
will produce, including the conversion of
the molaSscs into sugar 10y centrifugal
pans. from sixteen To eighteen per cent.
when slaves were worth in Cuba about
three hundred dollars. aud easily replace
able AZ that figure from Africa. a hull mill
or small engine suited the Cuban planter
! A. the slave trade gradually declined. the
value Of slaves rose, and us il requires the
same amount of Labor to-day-wheu field
hands are worth Fl eo0 10 ~, 200 each, and
scarce at that--to cultivate. cut. carry to
mill, and grind the cane, the sugar pro-
ducer of Cuba is obliged 10 resort to every
possible method of improving his yield of
1 ouE"r, and La. sole resource l. to improv"
! or increase his machinery. This accounts
! for the fact that in no one epoch of equal
| duration since the commencement of sugar
| cultivation in Cuba, have 50 many large
mills been put up, and so many vacuum
and centrifugal pans aud other improve
ment, been introduced upon Cuban sugar
/ estates as during the last four years
Another stimulus is added TO incite the
present owners Of slaves and sugar estates
/ in Cuba; neither the estate nor the slave
can be exported; in their eyes one Is value
! less without the other. and they are
naturally DESTROYS to save and place out of
/ harms way all they can before the final
| dreaded crisis arrives.