St. Landry democrat., 1884-03-22
VOTERS OF ST. LANDRY.


my election. and my views and inten.
tions will be misreprescnted, miscon-
strued and misunderstood, and being
determined to neglect no honest means
to secure it, am compelled to speak tc
You again through the medium of the
parish press. Bnt as every word utter
through this medium costs me money
and having none of that commodity ia
waste [ will have to do like the Western
farmers do to save freight-cOndense
what would require the space of ten
columns to do the subject full justice,
1 into one.
Albert II. Simpson, a young man, was
married four years ago, and soon after
commenced the culture OF sugar cane
on Mrs. S. B. Wilkins plantation on
Bayou Fuselier, in the parish of st.
| Martin, near Arnaudville, as a simple
/ laborer. They furnished him with team
and all necessary implements, and
loaned him seed for the 1st year. His
share in the products has been, as near
as it eau be made so, about the same as
| is usually given in cotton when the
one-half. Last years crop 1883, was his
fourth crop. The first year he made
ten hOgsheads, the second six, the thirds
fourteen, and the fourth fourteen
hogsheads. The general result of lis
crop of 1889, was:
IA hogsheads sugar at $72 per
hOgshead $1008 90
ID bbls molasses as $f4 per bbl. 1856 90
300 bushels of corn at Scots 80. 100 90
IS bbls sweet potatoes which /
will set at $50. so 90
Making total gross earning
for the year of .$1344 90
Without counting $50 more he made
at odd jobs between the time he laid by
his crop, and sugar grinding time,
which was offsett by his general crop
expenses of that year.
The result last year, 1883, was as fol-
lows:
IA hoghds sugar at S65. ......S $40 90
20 bbls m0lasses at S15 ....-. 300 90
20 bbls potatoes so 90
Making total gross earning of $3.50 90
His expenses We're $50 and proceeds
OF odd jobs $50 leaving $50 more in his
favor. So we have as his own net ear
ming for 1889, $672 and for 1883, $500 for
his share OF crop, and $50 OF odd work
over his expenses u total of 1920, his
average net earning for each of the two
last years being 1856. SIS
Calculating the average of nloiasses |
at One barrel to each hOgshead sugar,
this being far below the average, and |
setting the sugar at the low average
price of $65, and mOlasses at S14 per
barrel we have as his average net an
nuai earning in sugar and molasses
alone $503 and few cents.
But the above is far of being fair sam |
pie OF what can be realized in the cul- |
ture of sugar cane in Louisiana, though |
as good sample as | could wish to have /
TO work upon III treating of the subject.
In the first place the land he works
though not bad grounds, is far of being
OF the best for sugar cane. 1t has been
worked OFT and on, for the last 80 years,
and the mill is an old style horse mill.
L Is claimed by very good authority
that by simple and not very costly addi-
tl0n to ordinary sugar mills, fifty per
cent more OF the sacharine or sugar
making substance of the cane can be
extracted. Upon that basis this young
mans results for the two last years
would have. been 81 hogsheads each,
adding by the sugar alone to his net
annual earnings about $240.
Ihe rapid development of the refn-
ng industry in the lower parishes is
-ull proof that there is a great gain by
,etinlng, but on this point | am not
to say more.
will now consider what can be real
zed in the culture of cotton, and shall
AXE for example for this subject, the
esults OF Tom Moore who has worked
IN Mr. D'Avy's farm near 0pelousas,
or the last two years. Mr.. Moore is
one Of the hardest working
men. He had soil almost virgin, of
Unsurpassed fertility, easy drainage and
possessing all the best farming adVan-
ages. His result for the two years was :
;54O, 220 bushels corn at so cts per bush
4, $125, 30 barrels potatoes $14, pro-
eeds OF jobs $125, making a total for :
he two years Of 1904. Deductiug $40 4.
t crop expenses we have left as gross
arning, $764 or $382a year, and ii he !
ad been working on the conditions /,
Oung Simpson worked, his net annual
hare would have been $191. :
The above facts show that labOrer :
reducing sugar cane under ordinary :
produces to the amount :
over $1,000 annually, while the one
reducing cotton under the very best :
produces only to the !
mount of $3.50. !
No amount of my humble verbiage l
ould add much TO the eloquence of the :
bOye figures. tbs clear that laborer u
alsing sugar cane produces fully the :
mount of $500, more than the one =
using cotton and in those localities :
dapted to the culture OF the cane the :
tate is losing that much on every la :
orer thus employed. =
Those who may doubt young Simp- =
ms results, are respectfully referred 2
, r. B. Wilkins, the manager of the
lantation or to any Of the firms doing $