Pioneer of Assumption. (Napoleonville [La.]) 185?-1895, 1877-09-29

lsltnoei next 10 CUBA among the
purveyors of cane sugar. Pre-
cisely how much of this article
may have been exported to for
|eign countries from New Orleans
IN the prosperous decade before
the war we can not ascertain ;
but in 1850 the amount of do
nestle sugar consumed in the
United States was not less than
lOS,O00 tons. This quantity
had swollen by 1853 to t172, 900,
and IN 1859, and again in 1862,
touched the maximum of I9O,-
600. What an abrupt and utter
ruin then fell upon our sugar
industry may be measured by
the fact that the cane crop
shrank in the very next year to
$4,000 tons. This again fell off
in 1864 to 10000, and by 1866,
the closing year of the rebellion,
dwindled to the deplorable mini
mum of 5000 tons. Never, per-
haps. in the history OF the world
had an industry of such maies-
tic proportions so swiftly and
completely perished. That which
was shattered in three years,
has in twelve but very slowly
and very partially recovered.
According to the last annual
report of the New York Cham
ber of Commerce, the estimated
aggregate crop of Louisiana,
Texas and other Southern States
in 1875-76 most of which was
distributed in 1876, did not ex-
ceed " 1000 tons.
When we reflect that beet
root sugar, as an article of COM
merce, dates no further bach
than the wars of the first Napo-
leon, the development which
this branch of production has
attained in three-quarters of a
century is astonishing. But of
the 3,500,000 tons which, as we
have seen, summed the yield of
raw sugars throughout the world
in 1876, not less than l ,317, ,000I
tons were traeeahle to this
source. Nor is this industry, asI
IS popularly supposed, to al
marked extent monopolized BIZ
France. That country, it isl
true, still furnishes more than
any other, namely, 100000 in
5he year just manned. But the
German Empire, with 346, 900, |
was not far behind, while Aus
sria-Hungary, which came later
nto the field, could point toI
10000. Even Belgium and |
Holland together supplied about
100000 tons. But the great
ourveyors of this staple in the
uture will probably be Russia
md Poland. Already in these
ables they are credited with
,45, 900 tons, and 1t is certain,
according to Mackenzie Wall
ace, that the planting Of the
ugar beet is acquiring immense
mpetus in the midland provin-
'es OF the nothern empire. How
ormidable a competitor this ar
icle has already become to the
,roduct of the cane may bel
measured from the fact that in Ii
good year the countries mem
ioned are almost competent tol
upply the whole demand of,
europe, whose consumption for
he year ending Nov. | 1876, is
tated at / ,633, 900 tons.
In the United States the to-
al consumption of sugars in
S76, including the product oil
he maple tree and the sugar
nade from molasses, is compu-l
ed at 1850 tons. This isl
hree and a half per cent. lessI
han In 1876, but it is at leastl''
hundred per cent. more thanl
be amount consumed in 1868, B
r than the average of the del d
ade Immediately preceding that b
ear. Such an increase. alto /.
ether disproportionate to thell'
ain IN popular, presents a GU
ious problem for the considera-
ion of the political economists. /
he consumption of sugar, j
Ihich of all so-called Injuries is
i most general demand, is COM
lonly reputed a trustworthy
sst Of q eountry's prosperity.