The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1897-04-21
Cattle Fed on MolasSes.

NEW ORLEANS, April THE Louisiana
for one of their chief products, the low
grade molasses, or "black strap" as it is
commonly called. This stuff has been
accumulating in their sugar houses for
years. The planters were unable to sell
it or to get rid of it in any other way.
Formerly Louisiana, or New Orleans,
molasses, as it was usually called, was in
general demand, sold readily at a good
price, and constituted one of the most
important lines of revenue to the planter;
but with the introduction Of the centrifu-
gal machinery and other similar improve
ments the yield of sugar to the ton Of
cane juice increased, and the amount Of
saccharine left behind in the mplasses be-
came less and less until finally there re-
NAMED only thick black fluid looking
like liquid tar and having slightly sweet
flavor. For few seasons the planters
succeeded in getting rid of most of their
molasses, but the rapidly decreasing prices
left them little, if any, profit, and the
m GLASSES was work e1 over with the bet
ter grades and sold in the rural districts
of the South, where it was principally
consumed by negroes and poor whites.
When, however, the molasses, or "black
strap" as it began to be called, sank to 3
and cents gallon, it ceased to pay to
sell or ship it. That is, the cost of coop
erage and freight was greater than the
value of the molasses. The cost of mo-
lasses barrel is Sl.50 and the contents at 3
cents gallon, were worth only 81 so, and
at t cents only 81. If it were shipped to
New Orleans, with freight at 81 barrel,
the planter lost from so cents to 81 bar
rel. He naturally declined to sell at q
loss, and kept his molasses on the planta-
ton, waiting for better prices
For the last two or three years the great
problem in the sugar district has been
what to do with the black molasses. Only
small proportion of each years crop was
sold, and the amount left over at the end
Of the season accumulated and steadily
increased until there were from 100000
to so, ,OOO,O0O gallons on hand. There was
no storage room for it, for the planters
had to got rid of it each year to make
room for the fresh molasses Of the new
crop. Some of them dug immense ponds
in the open fields, in which they dumped
the molasses by the million gallons, to
remain there in case it might be in such
demand at any time as to pay tor its
shipment TO market. Others despaired of
any improvement in price, and millions
of gallons were turned into the Mississip-
pl duO OLuOl oIlOaAlS III LuO SuHdl Ol5Ll lCVs
The molasses in the Mississippi did no
harm, and merely sweetened the great
river trifle, but that poured into the
Teche soon ruined that beautiful stream,
once deemed the most picturesque in
Louisiana. 1t killed off the fish and
aquatic plants; it contaminated the bayou
and converted it into foul sewer, and it
drove away many of the planters living
along it's banks. 1t rendered it ilnpossi-
BILE to operate mills on the banks, or even
to run steamers, as the boilers rusted and
were ruined by the molasses in the water.
Finally the people rose against the nui-
sance. The United States Court was ap-
realed to, and the grand jury indicted
, some of the offending planters for dump
ing the stuff into q navigable stream.
This action broke the practice up.
But while this mitigated the nuisance
it did not get rid of the molasses, which
continued 10 accumulate worse than ever,
and the problem of how to get rid of it
became more pressing. Last year it was
admitted that the Louisiana planters had
some $4,000, ,000gallons of molasses to give
| way to any one who could find use for
it and could make it pay the cost of re-
moval. The notice went far and wide,
| and the Louisiana Sugar Planters Asso-
citation, the postmaster at New Orleans,
and the newspapers have received thous-
ands of communications and propositions
since then from all the four quarters of
the world-from Patagonia, New Zealand
and Siberia, There were propositions to
convert the molasses into rum, and one
factory was erected for that purpose; but
then the cost of this manufacture is great,
large capital is needed. and the demand
for rum is not great enough to take of
tho onfira ,ioio n1o Tho
same objection existed to the manufacture
of vinegar. Other suggestions were the
! use OF the molasses as fertilizer, as
food for stock and as fuel. It could be
furnished ON the plantation as fuel at the
rate of about 81 ton-ths price which
coal commands there. 1t made good
fuel, although it called for special fur
| mace for its consumption. A number Of
the sugar factories have used it as fuel
with advantage, but this got rid of only
portion of the mclasses crop, and did not
result in the shipment of any of 1t out of
the State.
Last year number of planters expert
mented with 1t as food for stock and
cattle. At first steady diet of molasses
was found far from beneficial to the ami
mals. but after many experiments it was
discovered what proportion Of molasses
cOulQ De mixed VIII Inc corn, Qsy or O2LS
to produce the best results. The scheme
worked successfully and the demand for
"black strap" as a food for cattle has
steadily grown, until it is now in demand
in other States, particularly in Texas. The
Texas railroads have made such favorable
rates to the Western or cattle section of
the State for molasses in bulk or tanks
that "black strap can be lad down there
cheaper than any other k.nl of food, and
it promises to become the Chief food de-
pended on for fattening cattle. It Is be-
lieved that the demand for "back strap"
this year will be sufficient to consume the
entire crop, and that the planters will be
left with no rnolasses on their hands. AS
the crop averages some 125,000 tons,
equivalent asI food to 10000 900 bushels
OF corn or oats, some idea can be formed
of the Importance of this new business
both to Louisiana and Texas. Texas cat
tie in future will be fed with molasses,
not corn, or the business of fattening cat
tie for the Western market may be trans
terred to Louisiana in order to have the
cattle nearer the sugar mills.-Ne,o York
Sun.