The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1913-04-14
MONDAY, APRIL u, 1913.
COST OF SUGAR PRODUCTION.

The secretary OF has just
made public the substance of the re-
uuri OF the cost uf producing sugar
zane and cane sugar in Louisiana. II
scme comparisons with the cost Vt
production i'm Cuba. In view of the
contest over sugar. duties which is now
xoins an these facts will be of general
interest.
The investigation was made III 1912
Ivy r.. j. Sheridan. commercial agent
of the bureau of foreign domestic
ommerce. under the general dircc-
ton of the tariff board. and the CONF
piiaticn completed by him by direction
uf the secretary of III
The AGRICULTURAL and factory costs
are shown for the three years of .
1910 and 1911. ON account Of the
aevere freeze the sugar costs per pound
for la1l we're ahnormhally high.
Three hundred and twenty-nine
thousand six hundred and cighty-four
acres in twenty-three parishes are i'll
sugar cane. III 1911. 5.s0a.a44 tons
Of zane were raised and 6~93.2S?.S33
pounds uf sugar produced. The aver
~ cost of producing ono ton of canc
harvested for the factory was 81 in
1911. S4.30 in 1910. and s4.15 in 1909.
The highest cost per ton was &l7.17
for 1911. sG.27S in 1910. and sS.272 in
1909. The lowest cost was s..I3 in
1911. SILL in 1910, n 1928 in 1909.
The number Of ton harvested per acre
and the number Of pounds of sugar
per ton Of cane governed the cost of
production.
In 1911. the average number of tons
harvested per acre was 17.47. in 1910.
1895, and in 1904. 1855. The highest
number of tons harvested per acre
vas $3.50 in 1911, 24.04 in 1910, and
2s.5 in 1903. The lowest number of
IONS harvested per acre was 1923 in
1911, 1904 in 1910, and 1886 in 1909.
In the factories the average cost
Of production per ton OF cane ground
was $3.50 in 1911. s5.4a in 1910. and
ton ground was $6.15 in 1911, $500 in
1910. and s6.4S in 1909. The lowest
cost per ton of zane ground was $4.?2
in 1911. Sass in 1910. ana $i.?3 in
1909.
The effect of the freeze on yield and
cost may he noted in the yield per ton
and cost per pound. The average yield
of sugar per ton of zane ground was
1873 pounds in 1911. 147 pounds in 1910
and 1855 pounds in 1903. The highest
WELD was III pounds in 1911. 173
pounds in 1910 and 1873 pounds in
1903. The lowest yield was ia pounds
in 1911. 122 pounds in 1910, and 1873
pounds in 1909.
The average cost of production per
pound of sugar was 4.39 in 1911,
3.72 cents in 1910. and 1852 cents in
1909. The highest cost per pound OF
sugar was 1876 cents in 1911. 4.51 cents
in 1910. and ass cents in 500. The
lowest cost per pound of sugar was
5.a3 cents in 1911. Alb cents in 1910,
and $50 in 1909
Interest and depreciation are not
included in any of the costs.
The factory having the lowest cost
in 1905 Of 2.6a cents per pound had
. yield Of 1873 pounds of sugar per ton
of cane. Its cost of cane at factory
vas but *3:s2 and it's total factory
cost "af s4.33 per ton Of cane. It's
cost of repairs and maintenance was
below the average and its general eff
fciency better.
A comparison of Cuban and certain
Louisiana factories for five years shows
an average yield in Cuba of 1898
pounds per ton Of cane. and 1919
pounds in Louisiana. a difference in
yield OF 67.4 pounds Of sugar per ton
OF cane. The .ucrose in extraction
Juice Was 1910 per cent in Cuba and
ab"ut 11.' per cen in Louisiana. =
The plantation labor cost per acre
wac 'o.3 per cent Of the total cost.
while the factory labor cost was 45.9
per cent Of the total conversion cost
per ton exclusive of cost Of cane. This
Is owing to the fact that production
IN the plantation is carried on nv
manual and animal labor, while fac
Tory production 10 the work Of ma.
chimes. chemical processes, and white
labor, the work in the grinding sea.
4,n going at. top speed.
On 169 plantations 142.as1 acres
we're cultivated; 32.7 per cent Of these
we're in .tubble cane. in 1911. 5o.4 per
cent IN plant cane. $40 per. cent
IN restorative crops: 1s per cent Of
the acreage Vas occupied with canals.
bitches, roads and headlines.
The appraisal value Of the eouin-
menta y buildings Of a sugar factory
having l'90O tons daily grinding ca
pacity are shown to- he s473.33l1.
and In. = 2,30o-ton plant tn. value was
appraised at &~904,724.34. Tn. cost. ~
transportation of cane purchased IN
factory ranges from / cent per ton to
81 emit per ton Of cane.