The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1877-12-27
NEW ORLEANS, DECEMBER ~. 1877.
BEET SUGAR.

We recently published an article from the
st. Louis Republican proposing the cultlva-
zion OF the sugar beet In this country and
proplesying the great success and profit such
an enterprise would meet with here. Other
Northern papers have said substantially the
same thing, and the cultivation Of the sugar
beet has actually been begun In several por-
tions of the Union. notably In California, Ohio
and Pennsylvania, without however, return
ing those great profits these journals so
confidently predicted. The fact that Cuba
would be unable In the near future, to supply
this country with sugar, has long been evil
dent, and quite number of Northern and
Western farmers, not believing In Louisana's
ability to make good this deficit, resolved to
enter the beet root field and supplant us alto
rether. They were deluded In this by the oft
repeated assertion that the sugar beet is one
Of the most profitable crops In the world.
Notwithstanding the assertions Of score
oil knowing papers, we must declare beet
sugar failure This Is the discovery that
France has Just made. The success that
siluar-beet cultivation in France met with
In the past is due simply to the~fact that 1t
was encouraged and supportedby the govern
ment Since the days when Napoleon Bona
pnrte resolved that blockaded France should
produce it's own sugar, and ordered the culti-
walton Of the sugar beet by the farmers. 1t
has been under special government protec-
tiun, A tariff keeps cane sugars out OF the
country, while bounties are actually paid for
beet sugar.
such ID the system that has prevailed in
80. 4. u,.H ,DdD
ahiscrop profitable one.
In 1876 the decline in the cultivation of the
sugar beet began. In that year the reduction
fa the acreage planted was considerable, 1t
being no less than $4,000 acres in one depart
ment alone -Nord. 1t has been discovered also
that the roots grown in France are becoming
inferior In quality, and now seldom produce
over per cent OF sugar as compared with
the former average Of from to 10 per cent.
In Austria, ALSO the protection of beet
sugar has been carried to such excess that 1t
will have to be very much reduced, Ii not
eventually abolished.
LII Russia the beet sugar industry is in
anything but prosperous condition, and its
cultivation Is rapidly being given up by the
farmers 1t Is the same In every country In
which beet sugar Is raised. There seems
every reason to believe, therefore, that the
production of this article will yearly de-
crease, and that Its place will be taken by
cane sugar All that Is necessary for this Is
the removal or reduction of the artificial
urops and government bountes on which
the sugar beet industry has hitherto rested.
The general testimony Of tho French farm
ers Id that in any country where the sugar.
beet can be raised, almost any other crop will
yield greater profits This fact alone will
prevent the cultivation Of this article In Amer
lea, as we are not under the same necessity as
Austria and Russia are-raising our own
sugar.
These facts ought to convince the people OF
this State of the bright prospects we have
ahead for our sugar industries. The dis
astroue storms, freezes and bad weather
have had the effect Of making some plant
erB gloomy over these prospects; one coun-
try paper, indeed, got so blue last week
as to actually propose to cease cultivating
cane altogether and go in for corn. We can
not have cyclones every year, and the condi-
ton of sugar cultivation in Cuba and Europe Isl
most promising to Louisiana. Inboth Of these
places sugar cultivation Is now only carried
on by the direct interference and protection of
the government ITSELF and at such a small
profit to the farmer that the crop must yearly
decrease. If the Department Of Agriculture
obtains, as it has promised to do, some statis-
tics of the beet sugar industry in Europe, we
think it will have the effect of putting an end
to all the nonsense the amateur agricultu-
raj papers of this country are preaching to the
farmers, and convince the people Of the North
and West that their mainstay and support, as
far as sugar Is concerned, must always be
louisiana cane fields.