The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1905-08-11

| have therefore procured. so far as ii
lay in my power, what consider trust
/ worthy data on these points, and give
| them herewith.
! Mexican statistics show that in 1904
| 3S.66S acres were planted in sugar cane
| in the following eighteen counties in
| the State of VeracruZ: Acayucan,
| Coatepec, Cordoba, Cosama1oapam.
| Chicontepec, Huatusco. Jalacingo,
| Jafapa, Minatitlan, Misantla, Orizaba.
OZuluana, Papantla, Tantoyuca, Tux
pam, Los Tuxtlas, Veracruz, and Zon-
golica
The yield of sugar depends upon the
| location of the plantations. On the
higher levels it is not so great as in
the hot lands: 26 to 40 tons of cane
per acre in the higher lands would be
| fair production. The saccharine mat
ter from this quantity of cane is 65
per cent of the weight of the cane. and
the quantity of white centrifugal SUI
gar produced runs from 1-2 to 10 per
cent or over-say, about 100 to $50
pounds of sugar per ton of cane.
VALUE OF LAND AND LABOR.
Nothing definite can be said as to
Vic SdidC VI Liz IditQS. w ilu. uHCul-
tivated lands suitable for planting
cane cost from S. to $40 and more per
acre, but improved lands vary much in
value, according to location degree and
kind of development, transportation
facilities. and improvements. Lard
may be cleared and planted in cane at
a cost of about $50 per acre. There
are no irrigation works in the State
of VeracruZ; such systems as are in
operation are privately managed and
no official records of their operations
exist.
The labor required is also a variable
quantity, governed entirely by local
conditions, methods employed, dis
tances on the plantation, etc, but
chiefly by the location. In the hot
lands the harvest is short and a large
force of men is needed to gather IN
the cane, while up in the higher ranges
the harvest continues much longer and
fewer men are required, although these
work for a longer time. However, in
the cooler regions the cane must be
replanted every two or three years, and
in the hot lands only every ten to
twelve years. Labor, by reason of it's
scarcity, demands a higher price in the
hot lands than in the more elevated
and populous districts. In the latter
from so to 81 1-2 cents a day are paid,
while the isthmus the daily wage
runs from 81 to s1.25.
All field labor is arranged on piece
work basis. That is to say, laborer
receives a certain price for the per-
formance of given amount of work or
task. Naturally this price will vary
in accordance with climatic conditions.
being higher in the hot country than
in the cooler regions. Although the
cane is taller in the former, the weeds
are much more troublesome On the
uplands about 43 cents is paid for the
planting of 400 square yards in cane
For cleaning the cane fields, which has
to be done four or five times before
the cane is cut, 81 to 43 cents is paid
for from 800 to 400 square yards, but
this depends altogether on the condi-
ton of the plantation. If the work is
easy, as many as 1900 square yards are
counted as task, but under ordinary
conditions man will clean hectare
(2.41 acres) in three days. A task for
cutting cane is reckoned as from so to
90 bundles about a yard in circumfer-
ence. containing usually 20 canes. The
pay for this work is 81 cents. One man
ought to cut l hectare (2471 acres)
in about five days.
The local labor supply, when INSULT
cient, is increas ed by aid of labor con
tractors. with whom arrangements can
men from other parts of the country.
and SO much per day for a stated time
Convict labor is frequently so obtained.
METHODS OF PLANTING.
For the purpose of giving information
as complete as possible on the plant
ing. cultivation, and cutting of cane,
as we'll as on the results and yield of
sugar and aguardiente, 1 submit the
following reports from several well
established sugar estates in this con-
sular district, all owned and managed
by Mexicans we'll versed in the busi-
ness:
Plantatio A.-The total number of
acres owned by this company is 1885,
valued at 81, 100000, of which 24S4 acres
are planted with cane. The production
during normal years is from 5000 to
1O, 900 arrobas, or, say. from 100000 to
$50. 900 pounds of cane per hectare (2.4l1
acres) The quantity of sugar produced
is equal to about per cent of the
weight of the cane, and the estate has
a capacity of 1900 tons of sugar for the
season, which is put on board cars 1T
a cost of 2 cents per pound. The value
of the sugar making and distilling
plant is put down at the following fig
ures Buildings, s424,613; machinery.
$50, $50; railroad, s242,019: furniture.
and tools, $23,S00; live
stock, $11, 74O; carts, drays, ETC., and
shop, s9S25; empty pack
ages, sacks, etc, Sl2,S26. The distilling
department has an apparatus for the
of aguardiente with ca
pacity of 5000 Iiters (2113 gallons) daily.
About 100 persons are employed per-
but during the harvest sea-
son 500 are employed. The daily wage
ranges from 81 cents to 81, but all work
is done by the task. Labor is to be
had in the vicinity, but the company
prefers to bring it from other parts,
and the laborerS usually return every
.l,A &c. nv let