The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1906-08-26
GREAT POSSIBILITIES
OF SUGAR CANE CULTURE


and does require from to mules and
two men to large plow to break up the
land, on account of the land being mucky
and hard, two mules and one man could do
the same work here on account Of the
soil being loose and sandy. In Louisiana;
where the grass and tie vines grow in
abundance, and where one man and two
| mules can work only eighteen to twenty
acres OF cane properly, here one man and
two mules can easily work forty acres,
because the land is loose and sandy, and
no great amount of grass or vines will
grow in this soiL For this reason the
cane will require less working.
Future of Pensacola.
'Moneyed men and land owners around
Pensacola and Escambia county would
do well to begin now and think seriously
of the future of Pensacola and what will
sustain its trade and prestige after all
the pine lumber has been cut and moved
off these lands The days for timber
around Pensacola are surely numbered,
| and then what will happen? No pine,
no turpentine, and but little of anything
else to uphold the trade and shipping,
| prices of city and county property is
| bound to tumble and depreciate in value
| shipping, no business, no money, makes
| dead town. The remedy is in planting
sugar cane and building sugar refineries
| wherever needed and begin now. There
| is plenty of capital in and near Pensa-
| cola to do these things and save the old
town the humiliation of going down at
a more rapid rate than she prospered in
| the past.
THE nearby lands, judging from what
have seen, should produce, If properly
cultivated, from rs to 35 tons of cane per
acre.S Sugar cane grown on sandy soil is
| always sweeter and natures earlier and
has more saccarine matter or sugar
making properties in 1t that can grown
on heavy black lands, which though
heavier in weight has less sugar in 1t
than sandy soil cane. The former kind
OF cane is always best, especially for the
sugar mill owner, as he gets more sugar
out Of 1t and thus makes more money
than on the heavy, sappy cane grown on
black lands. For tenant or small cane
grower, who averages say 80 tons of cane
per acre at about 1925 Der ton. (Some-
times cane Is worth more and sometimes
less than this price) This would give
him very good profit on his crop and
years work, cultivating about 40 acres,
and make 1t worth any mans time and
trouble that he would be compelled to de-
vote to this sort Of work.
Compared with Cotton.
IAN acre of this sandy land could
hardly produce more than $50 pounds of
lint cotton at about 91a cents per pound
and the expense of ginning and picking
would necessarily have to come out of
this meagre amount received on one acre
OF cotton. Note carefully the difference
In gross receipts per acre between the |
acre Of cane and the acre Of cotton and
the corresponding profits on each product |
The question of tenants or small far
mers working from 40 to IS acres of these
lands 1 think would be the best plan for
all parties concerned, unless laborers
were plentiful and could be hired at from
80 to 80 cents per day in the planting and |
cultivating season, and in the cane cut |
ting and grinding season at from 81 % to
s1.35 per day, as is paid In Louisiana
These wages at first sight may appea. |
small to some people who do not care to I
work much, but they are steady, and |
there Is work in cane crop nearly all |
the time, and for this reason. At the |
end of the year the cane grower can |
figure out as much earned during the |
only one or two days a week on the ships |
on an average all during the year, and |
besides sugar cane growing is more
healthful than loading ships any old
time. If the laborers and small planters
cannot be found around Pensacola and
vicinity, they can be found elsewhere, |
and the proper sorts of inducements will |
get them the same as other sections are |
getting them.
"Of course, If sugar cane is grown |
largely and extensively around here, it is |
necessary to have sugar houses and re- |
nnerles to convert the cane into sugars |
OF high grade. These would be an alb
solute necessity to the success of the small |
planters and large planters alike Sugar |
rehnerles with the proper equipments |
and machinery would be a paying in
vestment. Nothing but the best in this
line would pay, and this only on condition
that enough cane Is grown in the i'm |
mediate vicinity to keep the mill grind
Ing at least three months in the fall and |
winter.
Interest In Pensacola.
Many years ago 1 lived in Pensacola
for nearly seven years as a youth and
grew up to young manhood in this town. /
was only an ordinary youngster around
mere, with no relatives or friends with a
pun TO help me along or start me into
the road to success. did the best could
then with the small means at my com
mand and the disadvantages a youth in
AS, strange land naturally has to contend
WIFI; L did not then make a big success
IN n1e, put i was satisfied and nearly
always happy and always had a soft |
spot In my heart for the old town even
before 1 first came here, and also after
leIt mere, and always will have for the
reason mat my good, old father is buried
IN tiorida soil, and also that my first
child Is buried in Florida soil. in one of
the PENSACOLA graveyards. My best wishes
are TOT Pensacola and her future pros