The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-06-09
AGRICULTURE.
OUR SUGAR INDUSTRY.
Varieties of Cane-How to Make Sugar, Etc
by r, ARMANT.

When people succeed in nothing, or very
little. they lose no opportunity of telling those
who succeed that it all comes from luck anc
that the most energetic efforts as we'll as tho
most Industrious patience are Of no avail, un
less that blssfuI Providence (of their igno
rance wills that success should attend the
toll Of that individual.
The intention of such persons is evidently
to leave upon the mind of the person ad
dressed the impression that he Is simply a
passive tool. or accidental agent, of chance.
and to better conceal or excuse their own mar
rowness Of intellect or lack Of industry.
| II there is chance or luck anywhere II il
certainly not in planting where the seed sown
will germinatc, rise, thrive. mature and be
harvested according to such care and prepa-
rations as have made possible the progress of
| the seed in it's medium.
| The day has arisen when we must collect
oil our energy, assemble the experience avail
able amongst us to cope against the fleet
spreading menace to our industrial condition
| Experiments and Investigations have
already taught us the soaring truths that
OUR SUGAR INDUSTRY
was suffering because:
|. We have no standard variety of cane
| thoroughly adapted to our soil and com
pletcly aCClimated to our seasons: that. when
this point is acquired, we shall have to seek
for the greatest producing standard among
the adopted variety of cane
2, The methods in use for tho conversion If
the raw material into It's mercantile form of
sugar leave us with n net loss of over a. ner
cent on what gain we would otherwise make
ours with the proper systems; and, on the
other hand. we know that the perfect system
will be the result of research and experiments
with the aid Of science, such as We are not or
gained to make or ave made. and which we
shall never have III nfe until we resort to the
proper means to attain that end, and those
are: liberal contribution towards establish
Ing proper experimenting COnttivahCes
And. lastly, we are aware that our system
of cultivation as we'll as our means for reap
ing are far from being as economical
thorough and expeditions rs we need them.
As we have already dealt with the first of
these propositions relating to ainndard tame
OF our great staple, we need not repeat our
opinion on the subject.
But regarding the second proposition, |
whose Importance our planters readily ad- |
nit what have we done in Louisiana to solve !
the prOblem2
We have done nothing practically. With
the exception Of such practical planters AS |
Mr. M s. Bringier or A. BOugere who are |
isolated In their researches, the first, as to |
mechanical improvements in
THE EXTRACTION OF CANE JUICE
and it's conversion into sugar. without the
actual losses; and the second in the aDpIica-
ton of proper nutriment to Cane-prOductng
soils; with those exceptions, left to their in,
dtvidual resources and sphere, our planters
nave no practical organization, by dint of |
which the experiments or improvements can
be practically tried.
Their discussions as to the tariff and its re-
1uCtiOn do not amount to any weight. how
3vGr fOrCibe their arguments may be- for the
simple reason that Northern intrrcafs hnri,,u
yield II mill in the amount Of profits they now
tertve from the existing tariffs nsufffGicncv
" cVasivcness.
Efforts in that direction are, therefore use-
ess and our best relief would he available in
! larger production of sugar at a greater rate
If profit.
Our Agricultural College, towards which
some had looked for relief or for assistance
'XiStS in name only.
visit to Prof. MCCulOch at the Univer-
ity, will convince the skeptics or the ontbrl-
lasts that in its present condition, the
CHEMICAL LABORATORY Is USELESS.
nd that it would require no less than SIO0OO
to place it in condition.
few words Of conversation with our oe-
eemed scientist OF the University will further
OnvinCo all qucring ones that, besides the !
laboratory, such experiments as would tend &
o throw some light upon the processes now
)llOwod must be conducted with special an {
Aratus that cost good deal and that the !
lantGrs, being the first concerned in the mat {
5T, should act in concert and procure the i
roper organization Of the laboratory and OK !
station. which the act of the insti- I
ltlon as well MS its spirit ncrcr pr0vided for. !
Let some one now calculate the amount of l
OllarS yearly lost in our sugar manufacture
Y processes, and compare with that our
OSltlVG Knowledge that 10 per cent gain can n
0 obtained on the Improvement of actual sys- 2
ms, are our planters so poor that they could t
OF contribute their fractional share to q fund t
n the salvation Of their own interests! v
1t would not do to show too MANY Of orr y
ELECTS nor the dSparagng condition of our s.
University, which we should have made the Y
1st agricultural college Of the South, but a
arsh ringing truth MUST be spoken some
mes.
There is another powerful argument in G.
lVOr OF our planters arOusing from such tor Il
id indtfferenCe; and that is. the repeated i'm ii
DsitiOn Of quaCks and humbugs who are 20 ii
Y around and pOCketing the money of our 81
Aople while their aO-CGtLed pnndccn are b
renchlng the last sources of our fertility d.
inning our already exhausted soils and Il
rowing back into dark chaos the few sparks ft
progress that now and then have arisen II
nOng us. b
When our agricultural college is properly g
50 as to serve as a centre of control +
J all these points of dangerous duhiOusness n
lero will be less raShneSS on the part Of the d.
iventurprs we allude to, and whose remem- oil
,ance with good many planters is coupled
it'll nice account Of wasted dollars of Door
lgar, of ruined soil. ir
When we do that we may establish pro- al
SO distinction between the luck of igno- W
mt and the 'ability' Of practical men e
w
FERTILIZERS. in
Is
SUBSTANCE OF FERTILIZERS al