Evening star., 1925-04-22
CHEAP SUGAR WILL
Be CANNING BOOM
Fine Outlook for Fruit May
Also Result In Record
Preserving Year.
BY j. @. ROYLE.
- x


NEW YORK, April 22--The de-
licious aroma OF preserving fruit will
arise from the kitchens of, America in
unparalleled volume this year. For
the American housewife makes few
mistakes in her Judgment of markets
and the season is opening with sugar
conditions better and more stable
than for a long time. Weather con-
ditions In general throughout the
country have been remarkably favor
able for fruit and there are excellent
prospects for good yields.
Sugar Prices Way Down.
The contrast as to the sugar Is
particularly sharp, as compared with
two years ago when, for no apparent
reason, Eastern refiners of Cuban
sugars skyrocketed prices to such
an extent that the entire country be-
came alarmed.
Housewives formed organizations to
curtail consumption and the President
directed an inquiry to be made. This
inquiry developed that the Cuban
American growing and refining inter
ests had complete control OF the do
mestic sugars. cane and beet raised in
the United States and its island pos
sessions. The high prices continued
until the new domestic crops became
available.
Increase in domestic production in
the last two years has exerted
steadyfng influence and there have
been few wide fluctuations of price.
These crops are steadily increasing
and apparently have sufficient weight
to prevent a runaway market.
Cuban Supply Very Heavy.
In addition. Cuban production, ac-
cording to recognized experts, prob
ably will reach a total outturn of
about 100000 tons. Production in
the island up to the first of this month
showed an increase over 1924 of 437, :
139 tons. Stocks at Cuban ports the
middle of this month considerably ex-
ceeded 1000 tons. Western beet
sugar producers are now quoting $50
cents a pound, or a tenth of a cent
under Eastern refiners.
The Louisiana sugar industry now
is changing for the better, and it had
need, for IL was in such desperate case
that 1t almost disappeared. Bankers
who had to take over plantations and
suddenly found themselves in the
sugar business are still suffering from
a bad attack of nerves
In the old days the Louisiana plant
er was the aristocrat of farmers. but
none the less a farmer since his
problems were largely agricultural.
He planted the cane, harvested It..
carried 1t to his little mill, pressed
out the juice. boiled the sirup and
sod the brown sugar. But after the
Civil War the labor problem became
difficult and processes more complex.
Changes i'm Methods.
The planter found the sugar house,
not his fields, was taking most of his
time. He suddenly was forced to be-
come q manufacturer and salesman.
although he still had to produce his
raw material. He could not afford to
hire executives for the various phases
or the industry. Leaks developed, es-
pecially in production of cane Fields
became infected with disease and
production dropped. Last year the
average Louisiana production was 10
tons of cane per acre or only 3 tons
more than seed requirements. 1t takes
IA tons to the acre to pay for culti-
waiting and harvesting a crop.
The industry has been saved by de-
velopment of disease resisting cane
that has been proved capable In the
Terre Bonne section of yielding from
80 to 40 tons an acre. Sufficient seed
from these varieties will be raised to
plant the entire belt within two or
three years.
Eynarfz