, 1874-08-19

OOSOOSS0b A0 S0&AAS o
0ut one source of revenue, the pro-
duction of sugar, the small attempts at he
introduction of the cultivation of cotton NOT
having led to any result. Until some IS Years
ago the sugar industry brought indeed great
riches to the island but since then the times
have changed. Science has taught both the
agrlculturist and the manufactures many re.
sources formerly unknown, and thus il became
possible for those who progre ssed with the
times to produce more, better and cheaper
sugar, which again produced, as a natural con-
sequence a sinking in prices. Those who
dd not progress, did, in reality, go back; the
revenues decreased year by year and ruin
threatened. Such has been St, Crooks lot.
~ the time OF its prosperity, the planters
learned to consider themselves as sufficient:
TO Dc planter raised a man to a kind of no.
blllty, which did not suffer outside influence
from the Mothercountry, which itself but late.
ycame into the great current, in the scien.
tine industrial domain, the island received no
new lmpulsej and thus many, nearly all the
improvements of modern times passed by her
unnotlced. Denmark bears her part Of the
blame for this, In SO far as there has never
been taken a serious step on her part to cali
forth a better state of things, and what has
been done has generally been done without
any special professional ability.
When, however, the causes of this retrograda
movement are given in S.. Croix, it is not
In the aboVe-stated direction they are pointed
out ones own defects and imperfections are
not willingly acknowledged, but the blame
is lad exclusively on the want of rain. God
mas cast off St. Croix, it is said the rain,
the necessary condition for the growth Of
the sugar cane, has diminished sensibly the
consequence has been repeated failures of
crops, and the unfortunate situation-out Of
which only one possible expedient of relief
IS now conceived, viz the erection of Central
Factories, without its being~eomprehended
where the necessarily great amounts of money
are to come fronts thus, in the eyes of the
planters, principally due to purely natural
causes. Let US examine if this complaint is
well founded, and if it should be found to be
the contrary, let US then try to point out the
real cause of the altered state of things.
AS aforementioned, the sole industry OF
the island is suger making from the sugar cane,
and its prosperity is thus dependent on the
degree of ability possessed by the planter in
cultivating his land, and the quantity Of sugar
he can extract from the cane he grows
two operations which, although they ought to-
be totally separated, are still in the same hands
in st. Croix. Each of these branches OF indus
try must be examined by itself, and, as both
former governors and the present governor, and
y ANS NASO VAN Pl"hVOi0 GuOlAlSOAFOcJ nOOh bnV q
greatest defect in the manufacture Of the sugar,
we shall begin by considering that.
The Cane being ready for reaping, it is cut of
as closely as possible to the root and brought
to the mill, but, as the plan ers, as a rule, have
not got labour enough, it generally lies there
for several days before it is ground, which, in
the warm climate, is very detrimental. The
mill bas-excepting that it is now driven by
steam instead of formerly by wind-remaincd
the same for a long series of years, and with
it about SIS p, ct. of juice are extracted. When
we consider that the cane contains about 80 p.
OF. of juice, which gives Is p. ct. sugar, or, in
other words, about 16 p. ct. sugar, it will be
perceived that, imm ediately, in the first ope.
ration, there is a loss Of 6 p. CT. sugar, or more
than ] Of the whole saccharine constituents Of
the cane, as the 55 p. CT. extracted only con-
tain about 10 p. CT. of sugar. The question is
naturally asked, why the planters have not,
then, procured better machines, and it is in re-
atty incomprehensible, for the reason generally
stated, that the ground cane (megass), which,
after being dried, is used as fuel for the boilers
and ooppers, burns better the more sugar it
contains, and that therefore it is no object for
the planter and less for the labourer to extract
all-is 50 puerile, that it cannot be accepted
in earnest. When, therefore, there is, already at
the first operation, a perceptible defect, it is by
No oooono hottor with tho fol10yuinn nrO0n aSpa