The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1877-06-03
LOUISLANA'S SUGAR FIELDS.
THE GARDEN OF THE soUTH-RIsE OF THE
NEW SUGAR INDUsTRY-NEw YORK CAPT.
TALMAKING THE FIELDS BLOOM.
,Sew orlean. Correspondence, N. Y Sun

theW orleans CORE espondeDce, N bun
NEW ORLEANS, May I9.-About one.
fourth of LouisIana's territory contains
more than one half of her wealth aud
three fourtbs OF her population. This is the
southeastern part OF the State, which con-
tains q little over 10000 square miles, of
which only about 3 900 square miles, or 2, :
000. QUO acres are cultivated and but one half
of these have been utilized. This section
contains some of the most fertile soil on the
| face of the earth. 1t is watered by hum
| dred navigable streams, and it was pro-
tected from overflow by magnificent sys.
tenn Of levees, extending 200 miles in all,
| and containing &c, ,000, 600 cubic yards of
earthwork.
During the last years of slavery little
| moIe than ono million acres of this sec
tion were cultivated. About one-haif of
this area was devoted to sugar production,
and the other part was mainly planted with
cotton and rice. When the compulsory
labor system prevailed it's greatest produc-
tion in one year, 1861, was SOC, 900 900
pounds OF sugar and 81. 000, 900 gallons of
mola6ses.
The sugar crop was grown on about 300
plantations, each having a mill and ma
chinery to work offits own crop. Few sugar
houses were equipped at a cost of less than
SIC. 600, while many places were fitted with
machinery costing more than $LOO, 900.
When the war began there was more than
$50 ,O00, 900 worth of machinery in the
sugar region of Louisiana. The great bulk
of this was furnished and kept in repair by
Northern foundries.
In THE region last year there were made
lsO, 600 900, pounds OF sugar aud IL 600 600
gallons of molasses on something over 500
farms and plantations, and about ope.
third of the acreage cultivated in
1861. While the war was at its height the
sugar industry of Louisiana was completely
l-1 car 1
were destroyed, the fields were abandoned,
and the costly levee system was completely
broken up. Pending the interregnum of
military rule between the war and recon
struction majority of the planters were
busly engaged in repairing and restocking
their plantations. Before they had time to
accomplish this the plague of Reconstruc-
tion fell upon the State, with it's reckless, ex-
travsgant, and plundering governments,
which retarded progress in every branch of
industry. Then the levees, without which
it is worse than useless to attempt the culti-
walton of the sugar lands, were made the
subject of open ring j0bbery enormous
taxes were levied bad feelings we're Ge-
signedly stirred between the planters and
labOrers, and capital was scared away
from one of the most profitable agricultural
Investments in the country. While many
planters paid more than twenty-five per
cent. interest for sums entirely insufficient
to work their land properly, hundreds of
others could get 30 capital on any terms,
OF these planters who employ ed their own
means, large numbers, accustomed to the
reck less eXtravagaDce of the old regime,
failed because they could not adapt them.
selves to the modern circumstances, and
adopt the economical principles aud prac
tices essential to success under the pre- sent
modes of cultivation. Thus, within the past
few years, some of the finest sugar estates in
| z IT. l,..,, Il
| than was once expended in oTnamenting the
grounds around their proprietors' resi-
dences. In 1872 the celebrated Valcour Ames
estate, which was once considered to be
worth over n million dollars, and on which
! 500 coo had been spent for ornamental
gardens, was sold for 500, 1000. There is
scarcely II plantatien in the State which
would bring $3.50 600 now, though such
property has risen rapidly in value in the
| last two years.
Under slave labor the average produc.
ti6p of the gross acreage was estimated at
800 pounds to the acre, and one man cul
tivated cane for about 5000 pounds of
sugar. Since the war, mainly the choicest
land has been cultivated, and the average
yield has been largely increased. In 1868
the yield from the net acreage (about
three fourths of the gross acreage) was about
| l 600 pounds. In other words 60 900 acres
of cane produced %, ,000, 900 pounds of sugar.
In 1874 the same proportionate result was
obtained in a much larger crop. Fields OF
less than fifty acres have been forced to
produce over 4 600 pounds of sugar and 200
gallons of mollasses to the acre, but such
results are extremely rare, and the same
field is not likely to return such yield
twice in century. steady yield oi
500 pounds of sugar and 90 gallons OF
molasses to the acre, as au average of what
is actually ground, is certain result ot
careful cultivation anywhere in the sugar
district. Taking as q standard the grade
of fully fair sugar and fair molasscs, this is
worth Sl6O on the plantation. Why an
industry from which such results ensue
should lauguish is a mystery.
The prOportionately few planters who
have been able to command money at q
reasonable rate of interest or who have
applied their own capital, are now enjoy
ing splendid incomes from their sugar es.
tates. One of these, a native of New York,
cleared S34, 600 in 1873, $33 600 in 1874
over 935 600 in 1875, and SAL, 900 in 1876,
on an actual crop for the mill of less than
500 acres, with average annual expenses
under $4,000.
mn o-o,, y,odo On n olo.