The New York herald., 1874-07-01
THE CROPS.

Gratifying Condition OF the Sugar and
Rice Crops In LouisiAna-The Fruit
Crop OF Michigan a Fine One-Better
Crops i'm Connecticut Than There Have
Been in Ten Years.
The New Orleans Times OF recent date gives
some interesting facts to the incoming rice and
sugar crops. Last year IT says the yield was about
GO, 900 hogsheads OF sugar.
1.-The situation this year." 1t says, 'Hs different
in many respects, and the prospects are far from
being as discouraging as the uninlorme generally
suppose them to be. The overflow not only Justi-
hed the worst apprehensions, but rendered ma
terla loss certain. When the floods first came and
were hurled With such disastrous effect upon the
sugar-produclng parishes II was difficult TO see
now the inundated regions would recover in time
TO give any promise whatever Although the
recovery eXceeus the most sanguine eXpecta-
uons, stlil there are regions yet under water N
which the crop Is entirely lost The Black River
country and the east side OF the Laourche will
give little OF no yield, but the Teche country
emerged from the iood with prospect wholly un'
expected Estimates locally made in that section
put the loss by the overflow down TO approx
mately a,G0o hogsheads The acreage IN sugar
available Tor crop was somewhat larger than last
year, but what was prospectvely gained liz ina.
way mas been more than lost IN the sections which
remain stlll under water As lar as can hear
the crop looks unusually promising. The stUoble
cane Is reported on the best authority, as LOOKING
quite as fne as the plant cane. thus iar since the
decline Of the overflow water The weather has
oeen Tor the most part favorable ana Is
Rarhcu!ary SO at this time. With continn;
ug favorable conditions there Is no naZard
IN estimating a mucn larger yield than lasJ
year, Notwithstanding the losses by the mood.
which are now estimated at about 10000 hogs
oeads 1t is q gratifying fact that this year the
planters, or at least very large number oi them,
oave been enabled TO lay by their crops already;
whereas last year IN consequence OF the long and
!ncessant rains, they were not disposed OF unti In
pect Is au encouraging one. Both stubblc and
pant cane nave at the present time q healihy
ganced, being laid by luily month earlier than IN
1878 10 that extent the CONTINGENCIES unlavora-
Die TO large ye!d are reduced: The parishes
adapted to sugar culture are also adapted TO
RICE CULTURE.
.he former, nave led THIS year to largely increased
acreage OF tina latter as beng more remunerative
md certain III lts yield, RICE culture Is & pursued
Jonn the BAPTIST, st. Charles, Jefferson, orleans,
ST. Bernard, Plaquemines, ASSUMPTION Laiourcne,
TerreoonEe, st. Martin and ver!nhon. the IN,
crease OF acreage III Plaquemlnee and 81. Bernard
Ia estimated a. $500 acres, and oil the Laourche,
In the parishes OF Ascension, ASSUMPTION. La.
fourcne, ST. James, ST. John and st. Charles, say
400 acres. The total increase according TO these
figures would be 5000 acres but that is subject 10
q loss by the food varously estimated
At l5oo TO 2,o0o acres. occurring chiefly in
toe parish OF 81. Charles, leaving in net y,
the crop IS reported highly promising. In Plaque
mines, which is Dy lar the largest rice producing
early, and the injuries theretrOm not appreclaDle,
50 lar as rice was concerned; and rom all sec
are equally encouraging. The stand ls good ana
the frequent rains of late have brought the crops
RAPIDLY forward. The weather could not wei! have
ocen more favorable or opportune, Tor the decline
OF the river would have rendered irrigation I'M
possible, had there been drought. In the nature
OF the case these favorable conditions OF the
weather are temporary, and the rice
might yet be subjected to the injurious
effects Of drought. As promise against
that misfortune, we are no" to nave o
steady ana gentle rise, what Is known as the
June rise, from the upper rivers. The growing
importance oi the rice crop in Louisiana is attested
by the increased production from year to year, as
shown Dy the following approximate estimates
Crop lS70-7lBa:res cleaned 81
Crop l7-72-Barres cleaned rice $1,000
crop lo72-13-Barre Is cleaned rice....
Crop lS75-74-Barres cleaned SUUU
1t will thus be seen that in three years the crop
was almost doubled in amount. These estimates
are on the basis OF 30 pou ndS OF cleaned rice to
che barrel and five barrels TO the acre, approx
inlaueiy Seve barrels OF rough rice to the acre.
The total rice acreage lS7U-7l was, therefore,
say 10000 acres, and that in 1S73-74 was Ii, COO
acres. A net gain OF d, 600 acres this year gives
promise OF 900 and yield OF not less than
10000 barrels, 25 800 900 pounds of cleaned rice