The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1888-04-13
NEW ORLEANS LETTER.
Gen. :. =. Baker Gives sono Intor-
sroetine lBformation on Louiela-
M sugar plantations.

10 Ne EdttoT:
As hare recently visited the entire
sugar districts Of Louisiana, 3 few words
about them may prove interesting. 70
begin with, yOu dom t.Waut one. They
are dangerous properly. II takes atarih
70 run one. The sugar plantations 81
this sfete extend along the MiMfa1ppi
river, about l60 miles above the citY,
and 30 miles below. There are some ~
60 on the Red river, and 3 few other
streams but the most and more inn
portanf, are on the Mississippi. They
each have 8 frontage on the fyeE, from
the necessity Of receiring supplies and
ehipping products. They nm h dze,
from about 400 to 400 acres. There y :
m0nOtOnoug eamenee9 IN their appear-
ance. There d the planters mAndOn
under the spreading i've oaks, or mag
n0lias, large and airy with pK1jG0.
Near BY are dozen or twenty houses
for laborers, formerly houses for the
slaves, 30 arranged as to make street,
and near them house for the oyerseer.
Not far away ID the most material build
ing, or group Of buildings on the planfa-
ton, with q tall brick chimney. where
the engine, boilers and presses are locat-
ed. This general description portrsys
them al, the conditions perhaps vary
ing with the wealth Of the planter.
Some Improvement may have been add
ed since the war, but the substantial
outlines are az In anfe-bellum days.
Above and below New Orleans, for the
distance mentioned, there Is nothing but
one continuous line Of sugar plantations,
except that some Of them have been
converted into rice growing. The land
Is dead level and il heavily drained
back from the river, into the inevitable
marsh, or bayou in the rear. They are
all protected from overflow By leFees,
raised and kept in order b. The Eteke,
and Tor which special fAx = I9N1a5
The lines Of the several n1lds are marx
ed by drains. The Land Is broken IN
parallel burrows as for corn. The cane
Is planted in rows about six feet apart,
overlapping each other. One planting
of this will last about three years, when
It must be renewed. It takes about one
twelfth Of the crop of cane to furnish the
planting. The planting Is done between
January and March, according to the
season. 1t must be constantly cultivated
and takes labor to make crop. I eaw
gangs Of negroes in the field, at work
with hoes looeening the ground. The
r1pened grain is cut from about Septam-
Der on till finished and then carted to
the mill. There it Is run successfully,
E6s
placed horizontally. 1t Is then boiled
in succession Of iron kettles, and clari-
fed with time. When done, it is trans
ferred into large wooden watts for cooling
and granulation. 1t is then put In hogs-
heads, placed so as to drip. This drip
ping goes on for several weeks, and
when the sugar is comparatively dry. il
is ready for market. The yield varies
with the season, the culture and the
ST9H9 s aga Z Il f e an Expensive crop to
raise. The maximum value of good
crop is said to be about 500. The land
is low, fat and miasmatic, and only
suited to black labor. A planter told
me that he had had as many as q dozen
laborers quit the field in day from
chills, and qulnine is used in vast guam
titles. Labor is employed by the year,
but paid by the day only at the rate of
from IS to IS cents per DAY. But houses
must be furnished in the contract, the
laborers boarding themselves. Some of
the negroes have become knights
Of Labor, and two years ago they
: struck on the planters in. the midst
Of their crop. But sm told that the
= strikers" we're speedily removed by
1 sheriff and posse, and new laborers
in from Alabama, who filled the
vacant places without scruple. Still, it
exhibited danger which is ever present
now on the plantation where labor is
restless at best. The sugar planters
strong and influential body
Of men in this State. They are pretty
much all politicians, at least in the sense
Of taking care of their special interest.
They are all high protective tariff men,
and control their delegation in Congress
in that regard. The tariff on the kind
Of sugar here raised, is about two and
half cents per pound, or 20 per cent.
The planters are but few hundred In
and how long such tariff viii
be tolerated, is question now being
by the American people.
These plantations are valued at from
S25, 900 to $780, 900, according to size and
To succeed, presupposes
capital and good management. The
seasons and the breaking of levees often
produce failures. The growth of beet
sugar, which has proved such success
N Europe, is making its appearance In
California as competitor of the cane.
No new fields are being added to the
sugar area. That sugar will long MAIN
ain its supremacy as the leading staple
Of Louisiana, do not believe.
J. 81. BAKKR.