St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1882-03-25
GContributed.l
COTTON OR SUGAR?

State, by which it appears that 40
per cent. of u bale of $50 pounds is
the average yield of the fourteen
cotton producing States. By the
same table we find the largest Weld
in Missouri, where 63 per cent of Il
bale is produced, while Louisiana
comes next, with an average of SO
per cent, or 265 pounds of lint cot
ton to the acre.
Assuming this cotton to be worth
eleven cents per pound land 1t
would have to be of good quality to
bring that much, we find that il
would realize to the farmer 500 Is,
to which must be added the value
of the seed, say ST, and We have n
total of $50 Is fol each acre plant
ed in cotton, less the cost of gin
ming, which the producer can hg.
ure ont for himself.
In contrast to this, we will eu-
deavor to show what an acre
planted III sugar cane would real
ize. Though we have 10 official
statistics to which we can refer, We
will be guided by what has been
repeatedly, and is still being done,
as evidenced by the growing mag
nitude of the tenant system" IN
the sugar parishes.
The most reliable authorities on
the subject agree in placing the
yield OF sugar cane at from 20 to %
tons to the acre. Mr.. Walker, OF
ST. Mary Parish, one of the most
euterprising planters in the State,
who has made the culture of sugar
caDe his especial study, and has
made numerous experiments III the
interest thereof, gives as the result
Of his experience that 20 tons is Il
good yield, though he claims hav-
ing produced as high us 40 tons i'll
good season. He says that the
tenants on his large plantation
average Is tons to the acre. Allow
ing for the inferiority of the land,
we will suppose that the farmer Of
this section produced only Is tons
(although all the cane We had the
opportunity of seeing, in the season
,ust closed, warrants US i'll assert
ny that this parish can produce
,ver 20 tons to the acre. we find
hat by selling his cane to the mill,
Il The established price all over the
State, 81 per ton. the farmer would
have $50 for each acre planted i'll
cane. Or by grinding it. he would
get Is tons; 10000 pounds of cane
would give him, on II low estimate,
1900 pounds of sugar. which would
bring say five cents per pound, or
So. and fifty gallons of molasses,
worth 80 cents per gallon, SIS.
Total. 800, less one-third To the
milk owner for grinding, which
would leave $50. as against $50 Is
or cotton, or nearly 60 per cent.
III favor of cane. These figures are
taken from the result OF daily ex-
pel1ence in the sugar region.
Should any doubt eAi It us to the
capacit. of the soil in this parish
producing what we have estimated,
We will state that in Catahoula
parish, where the land is in no re-
spect superior to that of st. Tam
many, the cultivation of cane on a
small scale has been attended with
success, over 800 gallons of molasses
being produced to the acre.
I'VE are informed that before the
var 500 hogsheads of sugar were
iprodnced yearly on the Marigny
estate. near AIandeville. This, we
believe, will conclu.iveiy prove that
we are moderate in our estimates.
1t will be observed that while we
have estimated the result or raislps
sugar cane at the lowest heuref' We
have given cotton the most favofa-
bile aspect possible. This we dl'
70 more favorably contrast the dbl
s.r.,oa between TIE two crops.