The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1881-09-29
Sugar.

Inc table OF the values OF I'm ports
into the United States for the year
1880 gives the extraordinary large
amount of 1882, III as having been
expended by this country in the pur-
chase of foreign sugars. With those
who have not given particular aitcn-
ton to the subjects of sugar raising
and sugar importatiOns the idea has
largely prevailed that the United
States produced quite sufficient sugar
for its home consumption, and the
knowledge that there is taken an
nually out of the country sum of
such magnitude for the purchase of
this largely used article will, it Is
hoped, direct public attention more
directly to this subject, and finally
secure the adoption of such means az
will perfectly develOpe and stimulate
the home manufacture Of sugar. The
three great sugar producing States,
before the war were Louisiana, Texas
and Florida. Their combined pro-
duction for the year 1862 was un-
precedentedly large, and was esti-
mated at $4,000 tons, or 427,S40,0O0
pounds. In 1865, however, this
branch of industry had become so
nearly extinct that it was estimated
that no more than 5000 tons of domes-
tic cane sugar entered into the total
sugar consumption of the country.
Last year the home production Of
sugar from the tropical cane was
about 250,000,000 pounds, while the
impOrtations We're placed at ILL.,
650,000 pounds, and these figures, il
must be understood, do not include
molasses, meladO and other forms Of
sucrOse.
In Europe the manufa. ture OF sugar
from the sugar beet has been success
fully accomplished, both Belgium and
France producing more than omehalt
of the home consumption. Though
long before suggested and tried in
Germany, the best sugar manufacture
is purely French in its economical
origin. The continental system of the
! first Napoleon raised colonial produce
to a fabulous price. At six francs
/ per pound colonial sugar was within
/ the reach of few. The high price led
many to cast about for means of pro
/ ducing sugar at home, and a great
stimulus was given to this research
+ by the magnificent premium of q
/ million of frances offered by the
Emperor to the successful discOverel
of a permanent source of supply from
plants of native growth. OF the
many plants tried, the beet proved
the most promising, but it required
twenty years of struggles and failures
10 place the new industry on an indie
/ pendent bases. Twenty years more
enabled it to compete successfully
with colonial sugar, and to pay al
| equal tax into the French exchequer
To-day the total produce of this kinC
of sugar on the continent Of EurOp
has reached the enormous quantity o
56O,OO0000 pounds. of which Franc
| produces about oDe-half in her 40
! manufactures. Ia this country TIA
attempt to make sugar from beets Ina
not yet proved successful. In Illinois
| Wisconsin and California the manu-
facture has not proved profitable, ant
has been largely abandoned. Expert
ments, however have been made wit
sorghum, yielding the most satisfac
tory results, and from this plant it
hoped to obtain the production of thi
valuable article. The governsnen
should endeavor to facilitate and hel
forward all reasonable enterprise
having in view the successful develop
ment ofsugar production, and to kee
within our own coasts the immens
sums we now expend abroad for thi
necessary article.