Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1875-01-08

insecure title under constitution that could
be altered by nm ignorant and preiudiced
majority, which could ut any time put most
cxtortionnto charges on their improvements.
The probability is that if all these lands thus
held by companies and municipalities are
not put into the market, tho government, oil
Their by taxation or purchase, will get pos
session Of them, for nearly, If not all, tho
land on the Gulf coast is held by one or the
other. The planters, therefore, do but little
in the way of improvements, only putting up
tho necessary buildings for their families and
their machinery.
The crop of sugar last season would have
been over n million of pounds, but owing to
adverse circumstances large part of the
cane was left in the field. There would also
have been some twenty-five thousand bar
rels of molasses. The parties who AFRO work.
ing these small plantations have but limited
capital, and there are no largo commission
houses In Tuspan from which planters could
get such assistance us was needed mt the
time of sugar making. Many of them wero
obliged, therefore, to lose II part of their
cane. As there were no coopers in tho
place, the planters were obliged to got their
barrels and boxes from Galveston that being
the only port in immediate and regular CON
motion with Tuspan. Barrels from Calves
ton cost the planter over "a each, and us the
lumber comes also from Galveston il makes
the sugar cost half cent per pound for only
boxing it. Coope rs arc now establishing
themselves IN the place, who will soon have
their stoam-machnoy, and MS there is plenty
of cypress barrel can be made here as well
and us low rs In the United States. There
are also plenty of trees suitable for box lum-
Der, and rs there are now two steam saw
mills ut work the boxes for sugar will cost
very little for the future. There are also
three steam sugar mills, which of course re-
duces the cost of making the sugar. Anoth-
or difficulty the planters encounter is that in
Galveston, which is our principal market,
the same sugar pays half II cent per pound
more duty than in New York, The planters
also suffer from the excessive freight TO the
ports of the United States. 1t is now sup
posed that, with the lines of steamships
about to he established for New York. New
Orleans and Galveston. besides the sailing
vessels now running from Texas and other
southern ports boxes for sugar and barrels
for molasscs at fair prices, and increased ia
cilitics for money to operate with, the sugar
crop will be doubled next season.
This part of Mexico is certainly one of the
most favored by nature. The sugar.canc,
once planted, lasts from fifteen to twenty
years, and this with the very little care that
is given to it by the MeXicans generally, and
it is supposed that the same planting will
last for even longer time when cultivated
with the ntellg ence and experience of the
foreign planter. Beside the cane, which
grows to the height of Is and 20 feet, and
thick in proportion, some of the most vau-
able products of the world arc produced
spontaneou sly; for instance, vanilla beans.
tobacco, gum elastic, cedar, fustic, mahog-
any, sarsaparilla inlup anachuite, and many
other articles useful AS medicines and dyes
Besides these which grow naturally, there
are in cultivation coffee, the best in the
world; cotton, which, if left alone, grows to
be quite tree, bearing cotton for several
years without replanting; tobacco, corn,
beans, peas land other vegetables; bananas,
plantains, pine apples, oranges. grapes, man
goes lemons, and many other Of the tropical
fruits. So far does nature lend itself in aid
ing cultivation that when n native farmer
commences work on II piece of land he cuts
down the trees, lops off the branches, cuts
down the weeds, and when dry burns the
latter of. leaving tho trees with the larger
-.
rotting for years. As soon rs the burning is
done, without narrowing or blowing with n
pointed stick he makes hole in the ground,
into which the cane, corn or other seed is
planted. Should few weeds spring up in
the course of the year, they are cut down
with Il kind of cutlass called "machete."
When the weeds become troublesome, he
cuts down more woods and abandons the
old place With no more cultivation than
this the cane gives from 2OO0 to 5000 pounds
of sugar to the acre; corn gives 20 to IS
bushels to the acre, and two crops year,
worth IS cents to 81 per bushel. There are
times when 1t runs up to 81. So As corn can
be planted every month in the year, one can
always have green corn to eat. With nearly
are no frosts, the thermometer seldom fall
ing below 400, and rarely ever rising over
9O9 in the shade. From so little attention
being given to these things, potatoes and
onions generally retail mt l2A cents pei
pound, and other vegetables in proportion,
all Of them producing about the same guam
tity to the acre as in the United States.
Beans are sold generally from 80 to ? per
bushcl.
In starting now plantation, and, of
course, before one has timo to cul tivate
field Of grass for his animals he finds in the
woods a tree which gives him all the forage
he needs. The tree is called "Ojitc," the
leaves of which give more nourishment than
the best clover. 1t is only necessary to cut
down the small branches and twigs with
their leaves on, and all the animals will cat
it. As the tree grows wild, il is found cv-
crywherc, and an acre of woodland may
have hundred trees upon it. In clearing
land they are generally left standing.
The grass most used here is called "Saca-
teparoln 1t is u jointcd grass, and grows to
be or feet high, and can be cut five or
six times each year, and when once planted
cannot be killed out. Where planters have
many animals they are allowed to run on the
grass, which saves the cutting This, of
course, requires much larger space, and
must be divided into five or six acre lots,
and by changing the animals from one lot to
another it gives time for the grass to grow.
Allowing animals to run upon it gives
chance for weeds to grow, which must be
cut off every two or three years. | have
soon this orass craving amOnu trees. and