457 



griudiug season found the planters with short supplies of water. The« 

 State election distnrbed the labor market' and delayed the grinding- 

 operations until in November, when dry freezing- weather destroyed the 

 value of the cane standing. The quantity of seed-cane planted for 1875 

 was also quite small. The total loss from flood and frost is estimated 

 at 50,000 hogsheads of sugar. 



The "llobert Diffusion" process of scgar-mauufacture has been sub- 

 jected to scientific experiment, and has shown such satisfactory results 

 that a large factory upon this principle has been started on the Louisa 

 plantation in Saint Charles Parish. The company propose to purchase 

 cane of the small planters at fair prices, and thus save them the outlay 

 for machinery. This Mill bring into cultivation a large area of aban- 

 doned lands by men of limited capital-, who will thus be enabled to 

 concentrate their energies upon cultivation. The number of independent 

 factories is expected to increase rapidly. 



Among the reports of special culture is that of Mr. L. A. Briugier, of 

 Ascension Parish, who from 236 acres of cane produced 482,000 pounds 

 of first and second sugars and 28,348 gallons of molasses, an average of 

 nearly 2,042 pounds of sugar and 120 gallons of molasses per acre. Of 

 this area 19 acres that had been heavily covered with cow-peas for two 

 years previous to planting, and turned under each year, averaged 4,014 

 pounds of sugar and 214 gallons of molasses per acre, or double the yield 

 of the land not fertilized. 



Mr. James Vigues, of Point Coupee, in 1872, fertilized two and a half 

 acres of very T)oor laud with bagasse at the rate of three or four tons 

 per acre, the ground being plowed to a good depth and the manure 

 harrowed in. Sound seed was planted and carefully covered with the 

 hoe. The cane grew very large and yielded 1^ hogsheads of kettle- 

 sugar per acre. In 1873 the stubble grew almost as large as the original 

 plant, yielding 2.J hogsheads per acre. The yield of 1874 was 1^ hogs- 

 beads per acre, and the stubbles in 1875 are still very promising. 



Mr. J. B. Sterling, of Point Coupee, after several years' experiment 

 in planting the butts and the tops of the cane separately, has found in 

 every instance that the tops produce a superior cane. 



The crop of Louisiana sugar for each of the last ten years is stated as 

 follows : 1865, 18,070 hogsheads ; 1866, 41,000 hogsheads ; 1867, 37,647 

 hogsheads; 1868, 84,256 hogsheads; 1869, 87,090 hogsheads; 1870, 

 144,881 hogsheads; 1871, 128,461 hogsheads; 1872, 108,520 hogsheads; 

 1873, 89,498 hogsheads ; 1874, 116,867 hogsheads. 



SxocK-FEEDiNa ou AKTiFiciAL MANURES. — Mr. Mcchi, iu a commu- 

 uicatiou to the Mark Lane Express, gives reasons for his preference of 

 stock-raising as the basis of a recuperative farming, using artificial 

 manures merely as an auxiliary. A neglected, poor farm with shallow 

 soil, after draining, should be constantly i)lowed by steam and covered 

 with the best Peruvian guano and salt, about two hundred weight of 

 each per acre, with, perhaps, a little nitrate of soda and phosphate of lime. 

 This would give a good supply of root-crops and green crops for stock- 

 feeding. These fed on the land with cake, to sheep and cattle under 

 cover, would at once place the land in condition for grain-crops. On 

 heavy laud summer folding, and on light laud both summer and winter 

 folding, should be practiced. A crop of winter-tares following the steam- 

 plow would keep (town the weeds, and, if fed off in spring, would nicely 

 prepare the ground for root-crops. An abundant supply of these being- 

 secured, should be fed to stock with grain and cake. The farmer is now 

 measurably independent of artificial fertilizers which cost Mr. Mechi 



