, 1892-09-24
DETERIORATION OF SEED CANE.
(LOuisiena Planter and Sugar Manafocturer.)

safest, no doubt, although can not say that l
have ever been troubled in growing cane from
any kind Of seed. Our soil is loose, absorbS
moisture readily, and on this account seed OF
any kind planted in dry weather, even Will
start without any rain to speak OF, as shown
this year. | DO not think there IS another
district on the island where seed will start I'M
der such unfavourable conditions as here. 30
my article was not caused by reference to
what seed would be safest to start, cheapes, to
procure or which would raise the finest growth
Of cane. | explain the fact that our cane had
gradually deteriorated as O sugar producer,
and assumed az O cause for this TACT, that
thought il was the continual raising OF our
cane from its weakest sugar producing part.
] stated what [ proposed to do to overcome
what | assumed to be the. trouble-you know
The result of The publication Of my letter.
Everybody disagreed with my opinion except
Mn. Homer, who thought that cane should be
improved as well az anything else IN vegeta-
bile or animal life. Now ] had tried to thlnk
of what cause to assign for his gradual falling
off for several years, and the top business
ran across my mind all at once. The more l
thought Of il the more satisfied | became that
There might be something, in it, and | decid-
cd to lay the matter before Prof Hilgard, and
as you know with very satisfactory results to
me, where 50 many island people disagreed
with me.
Now. ! have taken such stand n thus mat
ter that | Gm probably a bat OF q crank on the
subject. and try to think of anything that as
sists my side, and would like to know from
those who claim ne deterioration Of cane why
the island output has not increased during
the last seven OF eight years, proportional to
increased acreage cropped :? do not know
the figures, but eight years ago the crop was
about 10000 tons this year with 80 per
cent. more acreage, it is about 10000 tons.
This is 4 guess only, but not far off. Now we
all have improved mills, pans, mud presses,
triple effects, etc, each Improvement at the
time having claimed for it five to ten per cent.
Of q saving Of sugar. Lots OF money has been
spent on sItiIizers to keep up the lands.
The cultivation Of land is better now than
eight Years ago, through the III. reduction OF
about $4,000 worth OF steam plows. So it
begins to look to me as il the millions spent
ON improved machinery, tho hundreds Of thou
sands on fertilizers, and the same OH lmproy-
ed cultiyating machinery, have not enabled
the island producers, or planters, 10 keep pace
with the gradual deterioration OF the cane;
the amount Of crops being kept up By increas-
cd acreage.
Now as all the plantations, during prosper
GUS times, made all the necessary improve
mentS to enable them to cultivate harvest and
manufacture their cane at the least expense
possible and with the very best results, and at
present prices are scarcely able to exist, the only
hope | see for them is to improve their cane,
either that which we have, or try new v~aieties.
Thecost Of raising an acre of cane whether to
produce two or SIX tons Of sugar is virtually
the same, SO that if plantations can exist now,
and by any Improvement in cane bring IN five,
ten, twenty, fifty, or even 100 per cent. better
returns. why they can start IN and pay diyi-
dends again.
The above results can better be brought
about through a station for experimenting on
cane and sugar in the hands of thoroughly
educated scientific men, and the sooner plan
tation owners realize this fact and start one,
the sooner they will get dividends.
lhaye gone into this subject at some length
so that you would understand how / think and
feel on the cane subject. l may be entirely
wrong or my ideas may be terribly exaggerat-
ed and when so few older and more expert
enced plantation managers coincide with me
/ sometimes am led to think | may be a little
off, but time will tell.
The future prosperity of the country de
Ponds entirely upon its plantations, and in my
way of thinking, the plantations depend on
some means of improving the productiveness
Of their cane.
A. MOORE.