New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1875-09-01

from their factors. whose misfortunes had
Taught them the necessity of acting with
more caution, II was natural that the plant
ers should be discouraged, but they were far
IRON being respondent. and made such
arrangements as were vet in their power to
make the best use of their ratt0ons and plant
cane, and extend the cultivation to the
utmost possible extent within their means.
The result has, const quently, been more
satisfactory, and the year closes with q
cheerful and buoy8nr feeling, presenting a
strong contrast to the general gloom which
prevailed at the close of last year. Such
vlcissitudes, however, are no more than
might be expected from crop which has
presented SO many contingencies. Without
recurring to the earlier history OF the cnl-
tnre in Louisiana, il is sufficient for our
present purpose to state that in the decade
from 1928 to 1898 the yield varied from
30 900 to $500 hide. with an average of
5l,323. after which the culture was con-
tinued with increased energy. and much
larger investments of capital, resulting in
1884 in crop of 100000 hhds. but the next
year was disastrous, combination OF the
uptayorabIe contingencies to which the
culture is always. more or less, exposed, in
Guiding an early killing freeze, cutting
down the product to $4,000 hbds, which was
the minimum of the previous welye years.
The ensuing season was more propiti0us,
but the six years, from 1886 to 1871, pre-
seDt,d an average Of barely $4,000 hhds,
the lowest yield being 81 900 and the highest
ll5000. Encouraged by their success plan
ters engaged in the culture with still more
energy, and, with favorable season, were
enabled. in 1912. to make crop of $4,000
hhds. In lsi3 the yield fell to 100, 600 hhds,
but in the ensuing year rose to 100000. In
the thirty years that have since elapsed, the
culture has been on ansore extensive scale,
and shown marked variations in the extent
of the product. In lS45 the crop was only
10000 hhds, but in lS47 amounted TO
240 000. After some slight changes it re-
coded, in 1850, to I'll 1901 hhds, when it
exhibited more striking incre ase, rising in
1888 to 439, 224 hnds. After this liberal yield,
as il 10 show the precariousness OF the Gull
ture. in 1854 the yield was only 3i6, 635 hhds;
in 1855 it sunk to !3l Az and in 1856, under
a combination of unfevorable influences. it
was only 1886. No.wit astanding this dis
astrous result. the planters p-rseyered in
the cultivation, and in the ensuing year
were rewarded with yield of 279, 697 hhds.-
In 1853 the crop rose to 1862 296 hhds, and In
the ensuing year to 22l SAC followed in 1860
by yield OF 22S,1 IS, when we came to the
memorable crop in 1861 Of 449,4l0 hhds,
which is the largest on record. The war
then interrupted the cultivation, and the az
gre gate for the ensuing eight years was only
450, 49l hhds. The year after the war the
planters returned to their plantations to find
only ruins remaining OF their burned sugar
houses, the machinery destroyed, the fences
gone, and the fields wilderness. They,
nevertheless, went 10 work with renewed
energy, and 10 1866 made crop of *, 600
hnds. In 1870 the yield was 1881 hhds;
in ISL il sunk to l29 46l, in 1872 to los, $50,
and in 1873 TO 50, 49s. while III the past year
it has risen TO ZIG, So. The big crop of 1861
sold at an average of $54 g. y hid, and
realized s25l95 27l while in 1868 crop Of
76S0l hhds averaged sl17 70 T. hid, giving
$l3,S0l, l39 From 1894 to 1855. inclusive,
hid. averaging S5f 30, but in the short crop
year of 1886 the price rose to $ll0 For the
Fix wears from 1857 to 1862, inclusive, the
average was $40 IS; but in 1868 it rose to
$l79 20. and in 1864 crop only 1887 hhds)
to s203 80. In the ensuing year it averaged
tof course in currency Slil 80 but with
the liberal crop OF 1870 sunk to 1893 -, since
which the annual averages. have been
sos IS 500 50, - so, and 1852. These
Variations in results inculcate that planters
should not be discouraged by temporary
reversee, nor readily elatsd by extraordi-
nary success, but rely on the average of a
series of years. This often affords an in
centive to increased efforts, as was the case
last year, inspired by the hope Of making
UP. by favorable season, for the losses OF
an unfortunate one. The planter, moreover,
is now encouraged by new and more favor
able features IN the culture. We refer espe-
cslly to improvements in sugar making,
aud more satisfactory relations between
the employers and the laborers. With re-
gard to the former, it is confidently al
legged that d saving may be effected
OF 20 TO 40 per cent. on taking the average
that a crop which would formerly have
yielded 1000 hhds may now be made to turn
out 1890. Even if we suppose that the sci
entifc and practical men who hold these
views are too sanguine. and II we reduce
the estimate of increase to ten per cent,
which we believe TO be much below the
probable results. if affords largely in
creased profit, from which the planters may
reasonably anticipate satisfactory success,
when under the old system they would have
met failure. With respect to the labor
question, involving the chief element of
cost, the reduction in wages, which has been
rendered inevitable by circumstances be-
yond the control of the planter, has enabled
the latter to continue the culture and give
employment to hands whom he would
otherwise have been compelled to discharge,
while it has taught the laborers the neces-
sity of economy and thrift, and that they
mustrestriot their expenses within the limits
of their pay. This result, we are happy to say,
has been favorable TO the employee as well
self-denial, and closing the year in a much
better situation than when he wasted his
pay, under the old system of extravagant
wages-that is, eXtravagant, compared with
what was paid in other branches of indus
try. While the crop of 1915 shows a
gratifying increase over the previous year,
It is vet far short OF what might be conf
IDENTIFY expected, in case of increased in
vestments of capital IN the culture and
suspicious weather. 1t has, nevertheless,
been OF sufficient extent TO pay fair remu-
neration to the planter. and has impaired
more healthful vitality to the New Orleans
trade The latter is mainly dependent on
the rectiots, which embrace l0i.779 hhds,
against 1854 las. year, and 95, S37 the
year before. Thus oar supplies have been
more copious than for the past two years,
but fall shoit Of 1912 and 1901. when
they were respectively IL 1913 and l29, 00l.
The year commenced with limited stock
in the sheds, mostly held by spectators,
while the stock was moderate. The move
ment in September was, nevertheless, on a
much more liberal scale than in the year
previous, the sales summing up 2Jli hhda.
against only 453, mostly on the basis of
9lae, or a a lee less than in 1873. The first
receipts of new crop we're on the eighth of
October, and consisted of 8 bbls from Mr..
d. Daigle's;pla ntation, parish of Assump
ton, which, chasing fair, were sold from
the landing by the consignee, Mr.. II. Bel
tram. to a dealer at csc. This was eight
days earlier than in the previous year, when
the first receipts sold at the fancy price of
lie. Doriug the ensuing ten days the ar
rivals OF new crop, were confined to a few
trifiing lots, but subsequently, became more
liberal, and fair business was done, but
at irregular and flower prices, common to
fair closing at 6l2 a Sac, against SIS d9hc
in September auu prime to choice at S3a q
l0l4c, against l0l4 10lkc, showing that