The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1877-08-25
THE SUGAR CROP.
INTERVIEWS WITH SOME OF OUH
LEADING BROKERS' Ann MER-
CHANTS,


LEADING BROKERS' Ann MER-
CHANTS.
The General opinion Is that the Prospects
Are Fair.
Our climate is so changeable and uncartain n
that it may perhaps appear prem sture to give to
the public opinions concerning the sugar crop,
ultimate success Of what depends 30 largely
upon the conduct Of the weather and the general
department of winds and Temperatures. With q
view to give general opinion, however, Of the
present status Of the crops. going far to
give an idea of the prospects so interesting to q
large portion of our comm unity, we thought that
interviews with our leading sugar merchants and
brokers would be good reading for the commu-
nifty, and, therefore, our reporter went around
and talked about the matter with the parties
most interested in the business, with the idea of
giving to the public what facts he might elicit
from the shock of conversation.
After careful reading of the subjoined inter-
views it appears that the situation at present is
good, and that the prospects are fair. It is true
that the cane is somewhat backward in general,
but that is made up by the greater acreage
planted. The stubble, it must be said, has been
in many, might as well say, in most loo alities,
failure, but the plant cane by it's steady growth
and healthy development has more than coun
terbalanced the lszy and sickly results of its in
ferior sisters As far az we can Judge from the
interviews published below, there will be
q very small difference between the growing
crop and that of last year. II the season is very
favorable there will be no doubt an excess over
last years products, and If the weather happens
to be untoward little diminution may be ex-
peote,l. As matters now stand the prospects are
go ID, and our merchants interested In the sugar
business may depend upon fair crop. At all
events, unless all the elements combine against
the sugar planters the present data tend to show
that the crop will be at least equal to last year s.
We give as follows the result of our various in
terviews:
RICHARD MILLIKEN, ESQ.
| The inquiry as to the progress and prospects
OF the crop was not unattended with some diff
Guilty. In the first place, those who thought they
knew all about it didn't feel inclined to furnish
all the private intelligence they were possessed
Of for reasons obvious to commercial men, and
those who didn't know too much did not care to
let out what they wanted to know. On the whole
it was somewhat of difficult task for a reporter
to average the opinions expressed in the coming
sugar crop, for at this season of the year it il
next to impossible to form any accurate estimate
In his tour through the sugar mart the reporter
happened to greet first that veteran in the trade
Richard MIlken, ESD, when the following col
loquy ensued:
Reporter-Mr. Milliken, the DEMOCRAT 10 abou
to publish fair statement Of the coming sugal
crop, and as you are one OF the most experienced
men In the business, I thought call on yor
might develop the true condition of things.
Mr.. Milliken-I am just little busy now, but
Eli give you all the information I can. l had
much rather that you should call little later.
Rep.-Mr. Milliken, it would be source Of
considerable satisfac ton to our readers to know
everything about our coming sugar crop, and il
you would be kind enough to give me your
opinion it may be OF interest to our readers.
MIR. Milliken-Wel, as things now stand, / cant
give yon an opinion about the crop, for nobod,
sons. and I couldn't give you an opinion that
would be authentic or sure, because nobody
knows anything about it. would dislike to OK.
press any positive opinion.
Rep.-Mr. Milken, what do you think of the
coming crop? will it compare favorably with
that Of last wear or not?
| Mr.. M.-You can understand about as well as
can that cannot form an opinion now any more
than you can, and / cannot express positive
opinion any more than you can.
Rep.-Taking ell things into consideration, dc
you think our sugar crop Of this year will come
up to that of last?
Mr.. MO givs You my own opinion from
what have seen. and that in very few words, l
think we will have this autumn what might be
called fair crop. It as true the stubble is very
poor, 80 far as I have heard, but the plant
cane looks favorable. II we have good fall, one
In which during the latter part we have rain, the
| crop will turn ont well.
Rep.-Tak Dg all in all, don't you think we will
have what might be called fully fair crop?
Mr.. Nah that's hard to say. / haven't got
time to talk to you at length, or l could tell you
much more. Ali know is what intelligence
comes to me. As everything now is, the stubble
is late and the cane not like that OF last year.
| A. THOMSON.
After some little delay the reporter was ushered
into the presence of A. Thomson, ESQ.,, whose
prominence in sugar circles is too well known to
need comment. Mr.. Thomson, after the object
OF the reporter was made known. in most
agreeable manner received the quill driver and
expressed much pleasure at the visit. The re.
porter opened the subject.
Rep.-Mr. Thomson, the DEMOCRAT desires
to publish, as nearly correct as possible, a
statement of the prospects of the coming sugar
crop. Gould you give me what information you
possess On the subject?
Mr.. Thomson-Wth pleasure, sir; have been
suffering for some time past, and have been
| EcHHy boO uuCu llulSpO 'eu tO D6 IQerOugnly
in the market From what have heard we can
expect fair crop this year.
Rep.-From your correspondence what would
yon Judge the yield to amount to this season?
Mr.. THAT is something / could not definite
| ly state. The crop 80 far is much better up the
coast than down, and as far as one can judge the
yield will be good. On Burbridge's and Miller g
plantations the crop will be very good il we have
weather that Is at all favorable. The cane is now
drawing well, aud looks fine for ripening. Takir
all Ia all think we'll have crop OF 17o 900 ho gs-
heads ifthe weather is good for the growing crop.
Rep.-Don't you think that is rather high
estimate?
Mr.. T.-No, not at all if we have the weather
for cane. 1t all depends upon that. There has
been great deal Of fertilizers used this year,
and the result has been that they have increased
| the size OF the cane, but whether the production
OF the saccharine matter has been increased re.
maius to be seen. AS a rule, however, from those
places have heard from the stubblo ls very poor,
and it will produce but very little, if anything, in
the wav of sugar.
Rep-What Would Won consider fair estimate