Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-04-16
THE SUGAR BOWL OF TEXAS


E. CURTIS.
r. and the Chicago Record Herald.
Is expected to be the future sugar
BOWL of the United States. 1t lies 400
miles south Of the cane fields of louisiana.
and. excepting Key West, Porto Rico and
the Philippines, is the southernmost terri
tory in the Union. The soil, the climate
and other conditions are said to be be-
yond comparison for the production of
cane sugar, which Is not a new industry.
for it has been produced here for more
than thirty years. In 1870 Louis Brulay,
a French merchant Of Matamoras, Mex
ico who was brought up on a sugar PLAN
vorable conditions planted cane and
made sugar in primitive mill. From
that day to this he has cut his regular
crop Of cane annually without using a
pound Of fertilizer. Fifteen years later
John Closner. seventy-five miles farther
up the valley. planted 400 acres Of cane
He was equally successful, and these gen.
tlemen have produced enough to supply
the local market along the lower Rio
Grande, greatly to their profit.
X
Their cane fields have been cut annu-
ally for ten years without replanting. and
have yielded an average
Productive of forty tons of cane, or
1o,VVO POUNDS or fenne0
AA~o' sugar. to the acre. Their
cane has averaged 16 per cent saccharine,
! whereas in Louisiana IL per cent is the
maximum. and the cane has to be re-
planted every third year. In other words,
every ton of Rio Grande valley cane
yields at least 200 pounds of white gram
| ulated sugar. while the Louisiana cane
| is not expected to yield more than 1873
pounds.
These results have never been pub
| lished until recently. but are now gener-
ally known. and the available land is
being taken UP rapidly and planted to
! cane as fast as the irrigation canals are
| extended.
| There are similar advantages in the
| production of cotton where two bales an
acre can be produced by irritation with
| the same labor that yields half q bale an
| acre in the other cotton states. The irri-
cation system is q perfect insurance The
crop never fails. Furthermore, when the
cotton is picked the stalks are plowed
! under and the same land is planted to
alfalfa or to winter crop Of vegetables,
which are almost as profitable as the cot
| ton. and are gathered and shipped to
northern markets before the next cotton
planting season arrives. Picking begins
! about the LIST Of June. 1t is finished by
the list Of September. and with ordinary
| cultivation will average a minimum of
one bale to the acre.
r 4
Farmers here claim that the early clean
ing up Of the crop and the blowing OF
| the stalks into the soil
Fighting the Immediately after pre-
p.y w., vents the breeding Of
~VAA "S0'Ai' the last two genera
tons Of the boil weevil, which has been
| or or tn ho IND, In
other parts Of the south. A new genera
ton of weevil is produced every thirty
days. from the middle of May until the
time for the insects to go into their an
nual Information. 1t is claimed by en-
the damage. The early generations are
practically harmless, and. therefore. by
blowing them under before they get In
| their work little or no damage is done.
| The boil weevil first made its appear
ance in the lower Rio Grande valley about
twelve years ago. crossing over from
Mexico, and spreading rapidly northward
and eastward until practically all Of the
| cotton belt has been affected. with loss
of many millions OF dollars annually to
the planters. But early planting and
early picking are said to prevent any de-
| struction from that cause.
| The planting season begins the middle
Of February. and it has been found that
the best results are produced by blowing
| the land into deep burrows and filling
| them with water by irrigation. When the
water has sunk into the soil the ridges
are leveled, the surface is narrowed and
cultivation and three or four irrigations
during the season will bring the maxi
mum results in the quickest time. and
the crop may be picked and the stalks
plowed under before September 1.
The first bale Of cotton sent was sent
to market last year from this locality.
All labor in this section is done by
| Mexicans, who come over the river when
| remain permanently, because there is no
| lack OF employment and wages are two
or three times as much as they can get
at home. The agricultural and industrial
conditions In northeastern Mexico are
discouraging. There seems to be no en-
terprise on the part Of the landowners.
and there Is no way by which a peon can
obtain a piece Of land to cultivate for his
own benefit. Dissatisfaction on this &C
count has been growing gradually for
years. and although there has been no
demonstration like that in Chihuahua and
! other parts Of western Mexico, the dis
satisfied element along the Atlantic coast
have only been waiting for a leader to
has been stimulated by the contrast that
has been shown on the American side Of
the Rio Grande. where everybody is
| happy and prosperous and can find all
AS natural consequence thousands Of
laborers have crossed the river. and as
many more will come as are wanted. A
farmer who needs help, a contractor who
wants gang Of laborers. can find an
employment agency in every Mexican
family this side Of the Rio Grande. They
are eager to send for their friends and
relatives whenever work is offered them.
Every one of the little towns down here
has its Mexican quarter. They herd to-
gether and mind their own business.
Sam Robertson. of whom 1 was writing
the other day, has handled all kinds Of
labor in railway con-
Mexican Labor struction and on other
r,.- contract work. and he
ASeAA"oA0' declares that the Mex
| lean is the best he has ever known.
| HE is reliable. Industrious, honest and
| SOBER said Robertson, and when he
gets acquainted with his job he will do
his work as we'll and accomplish as much
as any other race. He has his draw
backs, like all other human beings. He
| is very religious; he wants to celebrate
every saints day and other fiestas, and
has plenty of them, and he may indulge
in an excess of aguadiente at times, a