St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1881-05-07
A Change of Policy.
ICapitolian.l

A wall reaches us from the sugar
planters, with regard to the condi.
ton of the plant and stubble cane
If the picture is not overdrawn, the
injury caused by the extreme cold
weather, will make the sugar yield
of 1891, one of the shortest, since
1866.
Many of them have courageously
set to work to make the best thew
can of the disastrous situation.
These are planting corn, peas and
cotton, while others are going to
give sorghum a fair trial.
It will never do to "cry over
split milk" The greater the diff
culties, the more is a brave mans
pluck and ingenuity brought out.
Work and determination will bring
ANYBODY out of trouble.
The freezing blasts which spread
destruction in the Northern States,
showed no Partially to the cane
fields of Louisiana. While they
have caused great mooTary injury,
we believe that they viii have
brought, too, blessing i, disguise.
Every year, the planters and
farmers of our State, stake their
all in but two products, cotton and
cane; and almost every year, either
one or the other and sometimes
both, are tupendous failures
The consequence is that more
cotton and cane are planted during
succeeding years, in the attempt to
regain the losses incurred in that
one season.
It is evident that a change of
policy is necessary. Our tilIers OF
the soil must diversity their crops,
80 that when one thing fails another
is there, to at least enable them
to hold their own.
Planting should not be pursued
on the hypothesis that complete
success is assured. Prudence should
guide the hand of the husbandman,
so that he may not undertake more
than he can handle when the worst
is encountered.
The time has come when our peo-
pie can no longer afford Ito 20 it
blind" in any undertaking. Judg-
ment and intelligence must be exer-
cised in our agricultural pursuits,
if stable prosperity is ever to be OBJ
tanned in Louisiana.
Agricultural societies should exist
in every neighborhood, so that the
light OF information may be spread
over the home and field of every
farmer or planter.
Through these societies the re-
suits of experimentation would be
made known, new cereals would be
introduced, and in fine, all the re-
sources of our fertile soil would be
brought out and turned into dollars
and cents.
We suggest, as a remedy for the
troubles of our agriculturists, the
formation of these societies to OBJ
serve the double purpose of bring
ing immigrants and conducting field
operations in a wide-awake and
careful manner.
Will not our contemporaries join
us in advocating such movement ?
BEET Roof SUGAR.-The follow
ing particulars concerning the pro-
duccfon of beetroot sugar are pub
lished in French paper of the
second instant: Notwithstanding
that the average rate of duty was
reduced from 2Ss to los per cwt last
October. the actual revenue realized
by the sugar duties in France du
ring the month of January, 1881,
was E4OO, 900, against E328, 900 for
the same month in 1880. The total
European production of beet-root
sugar for the campaign 1880, 1881
is now estimated at $4,000 tons,
against l, 403, 929 for 1S79-SO. The
production of sugar from the beet
root is estimated for the present
campaign in France at 5 per cent,
while in Austria, with roots which
were said to be of poor quality, the
proportion is S.25 to 8.33, and in
Germany still higher, being $50,
and i'm some fabrics even Q to 81
per cent. In Germany, during the
campaign of 1880, the cost of
manufacturing is said to have been
reduced 10 per cent by means of a
moro rapid process and more com.
plete extraction of sugar. During
the month of January, France i'm
ported from Germany, Austria and
Belgium 22,S51 tons of beet-root
of which 11,S56 tons were
from Germany. Ten years ago the
total expectation from Germany
for the. entire campaign was only
about 10000 tons, while now it has
reached GEO. zoe TONS"
NEW YORK MILLIoNAIREs.-