The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1873-03-22
Our Sugar Interests.

Among the industrial interests of the
Southern States none have been so tardy
in recuperati0n as that devoted to the
production of sugar. The crop of sugar
OF 1861, in Louisiana, amounted to 49,,
40 hOgshGadS, while the largest crop,
since the war, has not reached one fourth
Of that quantity. This tardiness is the
result OF several causes, prominent
among which was the scarcity of seed
cane ut the close of the war, and the
slow and costly process of resecding
plantations with this crop. The want
OF capital and labor, of course, is parent
to this and all other obstacles i'll the way
of sugar production but this drawback
has been found in the path of progress
in all other industries in the Southern
country, and hence we must look to 9TH
Ell causes for the want OF progress i'll this
particular branch Of agriculture.
Previous to the war large plantation
and an immense capital were regarded
as Indispensable to successful sugar
planting. Sugar houses and machinery,
involving an investment Of S50,000, were
not regarded as eXtraVag1nt, and much
larger sums were frequently apprOpria-
ted to those purposes.
In view of such practices the idea very
naturally prevailed that none hut those
possessing a fortune to begin with could
! engage, successfully, in the culture Of
| sugar; and this erroneous, but still pre-
vailing opinion, has had much to do in
preventing this industry from keeping
pace with other agricultural enterprises
in our section. 1t is true that the prac-
| tical experience Of few cntcrpriSing
spirits has dispelled the error, to Il GER
| tain extent, by demonstrating that cane
could be grown successfully on small
farms, and manufactured prOlitably on
! work slowly, and the area devoted to
cane is still confined to an aggregate OF
about ten miles square in Louisiana.
| The recorded fact that Il gentleman in
st. Landry parish, in 1863, made 1870 hogs
heads Of sugar, of 1200.pOunds each, and
400 barrels OF mOlaSScs, Oh 70 acres, witt
the labor of twelve hands in the culture
and eighteen to twenty i'll taking off tho
crop, netting clear profit to the farmer
of S31 900, is convincing proof to the
small circle of observers who witnessed
the operation; but it requires time fOl
such isolated demonstrations to over,
come the fixed opinions and prejudice'
Of whole people.
The consumption of sugar in the Uni
ted States now exceeds 100000 tons, ant
is annually increasing. Now let us eX
anime the capacity OF our State to sup
ply this demand. The average yield o
sugar in Louisiana, under our prcsen
imperfect system of culture, is 13O
pounds per acre. Very little improve
ment in the system Of preparation ant
culture would increase the yield to 400
pounds, or one ton per acre. Much large
crops are even now, by no means unfre
quent. Such average production wOul,
require all area Of 100000 acres to suppl
the home demand, and such an are
would not cover the sugar: l9Eds of OIL
great State. Louisiana il '9R.1ply capa
bic of supplying the present demand
and with a good, reliable, economics
government, she would not be long i
! developing her capacity in this direction
In one or two decades, with a health
! home government, she would become
= in fact as well as in name, the Sugar
Bowl of the United States.-[Rurs
= Southland.