The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-04-11
CATTLE FED ON MonAssEs.
A Use Found at last TOR tho "BiacE strap"
OF Louisiana sugar Plantations.

New ORLEANS. April The Louisiana
sugar planters have at last found q use for one
OF their chief products, the low-grado molasscs.
or black strap" NJ II is commonly called. This
stun has been accommodating In their sugar
houses for years. The planters wcro unable TO
sell II or get rid of 1t In any other way.
Formerly Louisiana. or New Orleans. m~olasses,
ms II was usually called. was in general demand,
sold readily alta good price, and constituted ono
OF the most important items Of revenue to tho
planter; but with the Introduction OF the cen
trifugal machinery and other similar improve.
mcnts tho yield of sugar to the ton of cane
Juice inCrcascd. and the amount of saccharino
left behind In tho molasses became less and less,
until finally thcro remained only a thick black
fluid looking like liquid tar and hav-
ing n slightly sweet flavor. For n few seasons
tho planters succeeded in getting rid Of most Of
their molasscs. but tho rapidly decreasing prices
left them little. II any. profit. md tho molasscs
was worked over with the better grades and
sold in tho rural districts OF tho South, whore it
WINS principally consumed by negroes md poor
whites. When, however, the molasscs, or black
strap ms 1t began to be called, sank to 3 and 4
cents n gallon. 1t ceased to pay 10 soil or ship it.
That Is. the cost of coopcrnGc and freight was
greater than the value OF the molasscs. The
cost OF n molasscs barrel is $3.50. and tho con.
tents. at 2 cents gallon. were worth only 81 so.
md at 4 cents only So. I'it wore shiprcd to New
Orleans, with freight a. 81 q barrel the planter
declined 10 sell ut "a loss. and kept his molasses
on the plantation, whiting for better prices:
lcm In the sugar district has been what to do
with the blrck molasses. Only a small proper
amount left over at the end OF the season accu-
mulatcd end steadily increased until there wcro
TScrc ' VAS no sto ,~ Do'g room for f #! Tor , bn p hsnf.
ers Ind to yet rid Of II each wear to make room
for the fresh molasscs OF the now crop. Some OF
which they dumped thc moiasscs by the million
gallons. to remain there in case 1t might b. in
such demand Mt any time rs to pay for lis ship
ment to market. Others Lespa!red Of any i'm
provemcnt in price; and millions Of gallons were
the sugar district. Tho molasses in tho Missis.
sippi did no harm, and merely sweetencd the great
r rinsr a a ,, ,rifG ,,a but that poured into 18th the Tschs
the most picturesque in louisiana. 1t killed
Of n the fish and AQUATIC plants: it contaminated
its banks, II rendered it impossible TO operate
the boilers rustcd and were ruined by the mo.
lnsscs IN the water. Finally the .neople rose
was appealed TO. and the Grand Jury Indicted
some OF the offending planters for dumping the
stun into, a navigablc stream. This action broke
But while this mitigated the nuisance 1t did
not get rid of the molasses. which continued to
how to get rid Of II became more pressing. Last
year il was admitted TINT the Louisiana plant
crs had some 25.ooo,ooO gallons Of molasses
to give away TO any one who could find a use
Tor it and could make II pay the cost Of removal.
s Ths no pisn wsn' h t"r ana Tiaei t Snd P 5hS L9.isian a.,
New Orleans. and the newspapers have
received thousands OF communications and prop.
o%sitions since then from all the four quarters of
the world.from Patagonia. New Zealand, and
siherin. There were propositions to convert the
for that purpose: but then the cost OF this man
mfnc,ure Il, great, a large capital is needed. and
or the entire Louisiana moiasses crop. The
same objection existed to the manufacture of
vinegar. Other suggestions were the use
food for e Stock "'ct,S and as as a fuel. er It could be- as fur
nishSd on the plsn,ation as fuel at the rate Of
for a special furnace for its consumption: A
number OF the sugar, factories have used it as
fuel with advantage. but this got rid of only a
Eof rio ! .h Of me mo Of sSn &c crGp "a and =, Iid no; result
Las, Year a nnmtcr' OF planters experimcnted
with il as a food for stock and cattle. At first a
ssnsGcia aie to 9 9be n nSissis, b %ss sff fepn %an far ex 1roT
mcnts it was discovered what proportion of
molasses coulu be mixed with the corn, hay. or
.,sISitx s,rsRn as food for cattle Ia;
il other states. particularly in Texas. The
Texas railroads have made such favorable
state at for m moi a esi in bulk TX or ert tanks st that 3 black see
strap can be had down there cheaper than
any other kind or food. and 1t promises to be-
come the chief food depended on for fattening
cattle. 1t is believed that the demand for
" black strap this year will be sufficient to
consume the entire crop. and that the planters
will be left with no Inolasses on their hands. AS
the crop averages some 1875. 900 tons, equiva-
lent as n food to 10000. 900 bushels Of corn or
oats, some idea can he formed Of the importance
OF this new business both to Louisiana and
Texas. Texas cattle in future will be fed with
molasses. not corn. or the business OF fattening
cattle for the Western market may be trans
ferred to Louisiana in order to have the cattle
nearer the sugar mills.