Vol. VII. No. 162. 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



211 



SUGAR INDUSTRY. 



Demerara Seedlings in Louisiana. 



The DenuTara sugar-cane seedlings D.74 and 

 1).95 have been grown by many Louisiana platiters for 

 some years past, and that they are giving favourable 

 results is evident from the fact that the area devoted 

 to their cultivation promises steadily to increase. 



The i|uesti<>n of the value of these seedliiig.s to [ilanters 

 in Liiui.siaiia is discu-sseil in a short article in the Siii/ai- 

 P/aiitern' ./oiinm/ of May 2;5 last. 'I'lie weather conditions 

 in tlie State during the earlier ' part of last season did not 

 suit these canes, and D.7-f gave too spindly a growth, while 

 r>.95 promised good results only on the very best soils. For 

 a time, therefore, it is .stated, there was a prejudice against 

 the.se seedlings, and .some planters curtailed the area devoted 

 to them in the plantings of last autunui. At the reapings, 

 however, which took place mainly in December, the Demerara 

 canes yielded sur[irisingly well, the tonnage per acre lieing 

 e(]ual to that of the native varieties, while the harvesting 

 process was easier, and the return of sucrose higher in the 

 case of the seedlings. 



The superior sugar content of the seedlings, it is stated, 

 is becoming more generally recognized in Louisiana, and on 

 tlii.s account some factory owners aie willing to pay for them 

 a price 5 per cent, higher than that otiered for native canes. 

 It appears, however, that D.74 and D.95 grow more slowly, 

 and n\ature later than the standard varieties of cane usually 

 grown in Louisiana, but in view of the satisfactory ultimate 

 yields given by the former, this is a small disadvantage. 



Conditions and Cost of Sugar Production 

 in Mexico. 



The cultivation of the sugar-cane is on the increase 

 in Me.xico, and a good deal of foreign capital, largely 

 from the United States, is invested in the industry. 

 The outp\it of cane sugar in the republic, for the year 

 1007, was 115,000 tons. Particulars relating to the 

 Mexican sugar industry have been published in past 

 n»mhers oi the Agru'idtural N'eivfi (Vol. VI, p. 259, 

 ;;nd Vol. VII, p. 99). The following additional details 

 as to price of land suitable for cane cultivation, cost of 

 preparation, production of sugar, etc., are taken from 

 the latest published report of the U.S. Consul at 

 Mexico Cit)^ who states that they are furnished in 

 response to numerous enquiries for information on the 

 subject : — 



Lands in a virgin state, suitable tor the growing of 

 sugar-cane, and situated in the tropic.d portions of the coun- 

 try — that is, in tlie States of Veracruz, ('hitii)a.s, and Tobasco 

 range in price from SI to 63 per acre. In the Tampico 

 .section of the State of Taniauli|ias, one finds such lands 

 higher in price, the intiu.x of Americans having had the etteet 

 of increasing the value of the pio[)eity. 



Regarding the cost of clearing, cleaning, and planting 

 lands .suitable for cane cultivation, from $27'38 to !S32;{7 

 per acre is a fair estimate. This includes the clearing and 

 Inirning of timber and planting of cane, also the cultivation 

 of the cane for the first croii. This cost refers to lands which 

 may be located in the .States of Veracruz, Chiapas, Tobasco, 

 and Campeche — that is, the hot lands, where vegetation 

 i.s exceptionally rank. After the first crop is obtained the 

 expense is, of course, reduced accordingly. 



If modern machinery is employed, and the plant worked 

 under the supervision of an experienced and competent man- 

 ager, with cane yielding a density of 9 to lOf/ Beaume, 

 from 200 lb. to 210 fc. of white sugar are obtained from 

 1 ton of cane. 



The cost of producing white sugar in Mexico after the 

 land has been pre|)ared, i.e., planting cane, cultivation, 

 cutting, conveying to mill, crushing, and boiling juice, 

 paying all salaries, taxes, interest on capital, etc., — in fact, 

 incbuiing every expen.se on the plantation — is from !5!30'88 to 

 $44 82 per ton of sugar, according to the wages for labour. 

 These range from 25c. to 38c. [ler day ; in some instances, 

 perhaps a little le.ss. 



Under j)re.sent conditions it is .said that cane can be 

 delivered at the mill for about f 2 per ton ; produced under 

 gCTieral administration or by contract, about $3 [lor ton. 



The Pessou Cane Harvester. 



At a meeting, held in May last, of the Louisiana 

 Sugar Planters' Association, the merits of a new cane- 

 cuttiiiij machine, known as the Pessoii cane harvester, 

 came up for discussion. 



] )uring the last reajiing sea.son, it is stated, this harvester 

 underwent several practical estate trials, with satisfactory 

 results. The cane reaped by the machine in the chief of 

 these trials was the Demerara seedling D. 74, of which 

 4 acres were cut, and laid out in rows, in four and a half hours. 

 Four mules were used to draw the machine, and three men 

 were emiiloyed in the work. This rei)resents a reaping power 

 of from 120 to 200 tons of cane per day of ten hours. 



The machine is built entirely of iron and steel. It is 

 mounted on four wheels, two of which run on either side of 

 the row of canes to be cut. The revolving knives may be 

 raised or lowered to any level required, and one of the chief 

 advantages urged in favour of the harvester is that by its 

 means the canes may be cut much lower than by hand 

 labour. This, of course, results in a superior return being 

 obtained. It is claimed that the experiments so far carried 

 out have demonstrated that the weight of cane cut per acre 

 by the machine is 2 tons greater than that reaped by hand 

 labour, while the yield of .sucrose obtained represents a gain ■ 

 of 45.'i tb. per acre, as compared with the return given 

 under ordinary cane-cutting methods. This is equivalent 

 to an additional 5 per cent, in the average crop yield. Figures 

 relating to estate work done last sea.son by the harvester 

 are given in .support of the above claim. 



It was remarked, in relation to the experiments carried 

 out, that the use of the machine had no bad effect on the 

 stools of cane, and tiie resulting ratoons show no signs 

 of damage whatever. Alternate rows were cut by the 

 maciiine and hand labour respectively, and there is little 

 difference to be observed in the condition of the ratoon crop 

 following, and now under cultivation. 



One of the speakers who had had exjierience with the 

 Pessou harvester expressed his conviction that the machine 

 was of practical design and constructioTi, and that in the 

 hands of an intelligent man, it cfluld be worked with great 

 benefit and .saving to planters. 



Probably the harvester will require certain modifications 

 before it is tlioroughly adapted to practical estate use, but if 

 developed, and put on the market at a reasonable price, 

 such a machine would, of course, rfesult in an enormous sav- 

 ing of labour on large estates. This should especially 

 recommend it to the consideration of planters in British. 

 Guiana. 



