The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-03-25

the big Corliss engine which operates
the plant was built in Minneapolis, and
a st. Louis concern built the sugar mill.
The grinding capacity Of this mill will be-
constructed so that two more units Of
an equal capacity can be added, which
will bring the grinding capacity to 5000
tons Of cane daily, or 300 tons Of sugar.
The preliminary work at every point has
been we'll conducted and with reference
to the future and big results. ~.
A trip Of inspection over one Of these
great plantations demonstrates that every
economy that American ingenuity could
devise has been utilized in the conduct
Of the business. Railway tracks have
been laid all through the cane fields, and
as the cane is cut it is loaded on the cars
and hauled by locomotives to the mills.
Here, after being run through the roll
and the strip extracted, the bagasse, as
the cane is then called. is fed on to an
endless belt and carried to the furnaces,
into which it is fed for fuel. One plant
ing of the cane is all that is necessary,
as it will grow for many years after
ward spontaneously. In Hawaii the cane
has to be replanted every three years.
Some Facts About Profits. ~
What are the profits from sugar grow
| ing?, That depends, OF course. upon this
price of sugar. In 1902, for instance,
ly low. averaging about 8 cents pound,
the big Hawaii plantation made profit
| of about 5000 an acre. At cents q
pound, with an average of ten. tons per
| acre, these. same plantations cleared $500
per acre. The fertiiizing and irriEatins
| expenses of these plantations average
$40 an acre. The average cost of pro-
ducing sugar was .1.7s cents per pound.
BY the saving of irrigation and fertiliz-
! ing expenses a Mexican plantation will
make an additional profit Of $40. 900 per
year for every thousand acres Of cane it
cultivates On tract of 5000 acres this
would amount to $4,000 year, but in
addition to this saving 1t has been dem
onstrated that by modern methods and
cheapness of labor supply sugar can be
produced for 1 cent a pound. II land
only produced five tons to the acre, there
fore, and marketed its product alta cents.
1t would make a profit of $500 per acre.
Profits will be much larger, however. as
| Mexican lands will produce as abundant
ly as the Hawaiian.
Greatest Demand for Rubber.
The enormous electrical development Of
the past few years and the many new
uses to which 1t is being put have
stripped the world of rubber, and the
price of that commodity is today $3.50
a pound in its raw state. while the mar
ket is clamoring for additional supplies
to meet the demand. Rubber grows wild
on the Oaxaquena plantation. but the
owners have planted several hundred
acres with the trees, and Will. In few
wears have never ceasing supply from
these. The rubber plant requires some
4 years of cultivation before 1t. can be
tapped. At seven years of age 1t will
WELD one-half pound OF rubber, and this
: will increase in amount each year until,
:, when the plant is ten years old. 1t gives
one pound of rubber a year. The aver
age number of plants to the acre Is; 400,
. which would give an average income per
year for rubber of $500
} The managers of the bigger plantations
are not devoting their energies entirely
to sugar and rubber. however They en-
gage largely in the cattle business. al
wavs having many hundreds of acres
: suitable for pasturage. They buy lean
cattle at low prices and after sfattening
them on the pastures sell them at a high
percentage of profit.
They are also large producers OF corn,
beans, and cacao and from the sale OF
these derive large revenue. - Most Of
! them conduct general stores for the
benefit of their armies Of employees, and
these do q business Of about IS 900 or
, more month at a good proht.
: Water Transportation Sure.
The location of the plantation lands on
the Coatzacoalcos river gives them deep
water transportation for their produce to
-sbany part Of the globe and assures them
of ready access to markets.
The completion Of the Tehuantepec
railway is going to greatly benefit the
5 owners of these big plantations. 1t
means an enlargement Of their markets,
: will seek the Atlantic and Pacific ter
miaals of the road. The work that Is
now being conducted on the Panama
2 canal is also having its effect here in
t the greater demand for sugar and other
; supplies, and this trade will continue for
t progress on the Isthmus Of Panama.
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