The Savannah morning news., 1901-01-28
PROFITS IN SUGAR CANE
Interesting Work ON the Subject
Published by Capt. Purse.

Published by Capt. Purse.
The reviviug interest in the cultivation
of sugar cane and the manufacture of
sugar in this section, inaugurated by
symposium, published in the Morning
tiles on the subject contributed, has Late
iy received an added impetus.
This comes through the publication of
a valuable work on the subject by Capt.
D. G. Purse. Capt. Purse utilizes for
the first part of his book, the treatise
on the history, botany and agriculture of
sugar cane, prepared by DR.. William 9.
Stubs, director of the New Orleans Su-
gar Experiment Station; Capt. Purses
original contribution to the volume Is
made UP of history of sugar cane cub
ture in Georgia, South Carolina and Flor
ida, with various tables of comparison and
reference. With the assistance of these
tables Capt. Purse demonstrates that the
cultivation of sugarcane and the manu-
facture of cane sugar in this section of
the South, can be made an exceedingly
profitable enterprise.
Capt. Purse shows that the cultivation
of sugar cane and the manufacture of
sugar were carried on in Georgia during
the early part of the last century, car
Ileu Oil, 100, With pTolll ana advantage.
In his "Recoilections of Hopeton Plan
tation," the estate of James Hamilton
Copper, Capt. Purse shows that as ear
ly as 1929 Mr.. Copper erected and main
taIned on his plantation the first COM
plete sugar manufacturing plant In Geor-
gla, on a scale in advance then of any
similar sugar plant in the West Indies
or Louisiana. Mr.. Coupers annual cane
crop exceeded 800 acres and, it is esti-
mated, yielded above thirty tons of cane
to the acre.
In a supplementary preface to this edi-
ton of his work ON sugar cane culture,
DR.. Stubs says: "A recent visit to the
cane-growing regions of Southern Geor-
gta and Florida has convinced me of the
adaptibility of these sections to the sue
cessful growing of sugar cane and the
ma uufacture of sugar, when the intelli-
gent and progressive practices of the brst
sugar producing countries are universally
adopted. Both the soil and the climate of
this section are favorable to the grown
of cane
DR.. Stubs ANALYSES of various samples
of cane sent him demons rate that the
sugar content of the Georgia cane is SUI
per.or to that of the Louisiana product
1t is the crude, cli-fas Toned, defective
methods of extracting this sugar cot mt,
that are now in vogue, that prevent
this section attaining the station among
sugar produ>i countries to which is
natural advantages of soil and climate
give it title. lone or two factories OF
the latest type of improvement, VIII
erected and of ample capacity, would, in
my opinion" says DR.. Stubs, demon
strate the profits of such an investment
and such a demon tration would at once
serve to attract capital to erect factor
les, in number and capac ty to meet the
wants of every community in this SC
ton
The samples of cane analysed by DR..
Stubs were from fields in the central
part of the state, originally pine lands.
This grade and kind of land can be had
at remarkably low price.
Lands in Georgia, now planted in
cane," says Capt. Purse, represent a
value of So to SO per acre; lands equally
as good, in the woods, 81 to 81 per acre
and the costs of preparation, which is
inexpensive. The same facts are applica-
BILE to Florida The lands in both Georgia
and Florida suited to cane culture are
found along our lines of railroads, in
healthy locations and in the midst of an
active and intelligent population, with
abundant school and church facilities
where every surrounding, under scien-
tific direction, will combine to insure the
highest development in both cultivation
and manufacture"
Capt. Purse reaches the same conclusion
as does DR.. Stubbs-that the establishment
of modern sugar plant is all that IS
needed to demonstrate that the enterprise
will be profitable. Even under the crude
conditions that obtain to-day there is
money in the crop though a very large
percentage of the sugar content of the
cane is wasted in the process of grinding
and boiling. because Of the Inadequate
machinery that is used
Capt. Purses book is a convincing argu-
ment on this subject and it is to be hoped
that its wide distribution will serve to
awaken public interest, and supply need
Ell Information, to which purposes It is
admirably adapted.