342 



NEAV ENGLAND FAEMER. 



July 



duction of beet root sugar, -which has reached 

 150,000 tons \wr iiniiuin. Of this,in the German 

 Customs Uuioii tlio increase has been from 15,000 

 to 02,000 toHS,fonniii<j; now one-half of the whole 

 consumption of sugar in theZollveiein. In France 

 a great increase in the production of beet sugar 

 took place under the protective policy of the 

 government, wliich discriminated in its favor 

 against the cane sugar of the colonies, until the 

 growth became large, and then it reversed its poli- 

 cy, discriminating in fovorofcane sugar. Never- 

 theless, the course of the Provisional government 

 in 1848, towards its colonics, diminished the re 

 ceipt of colonial cane sugar in France from 120,- 

 000 to 00,000 tons. In the United States, the du^ 

 ty up to 1857 was 2;^ per cent, per lb. Since then 

 at 30 per cent, it has averaged about 1 cent per 

 lb., and yields a revenue of $4,500,000 per an- 

 num. Since 1842 the increase in production and 

 importation has been steady as follows : 



IMrtKT OF SlOAll AND CROP OF LOUISIANA. 



, Imports, lbs. , New Orleans. 



White. lirown. Total, lbs. crop. lbs. 



1843 1,098,025 63,534,331 71,632,356 140,000,000 



1853 1,000,000 506,000,000 601,000,000 321,934,000 



There wore in operation in Louisiana in the 

 year 1853, 1,481 sugar estates; of which thei-e 

 were worked Ijy steam 943, and by horse power 

 538. TJsing-tlie old process by open kettles, 1,428; 

 using the vacuo process, 53. The total value pro- 

 duced was ,$12G,*J2'J,000, more than equal to this 

 year's cotton crop. 



The increase iu foreign supply is 430,000,000 

 lbs., and in domestic 182,000,000 lbs. The latter 

 finds an increasing and rapid sale up the Missis- 

 sippi yalley and through the West, some of it com- 

 ing to New York through canals and lakes. Of 

 the imported sugar, by far the largest proportion 

 is from Cuba, and more than one-half is refined 

 in New York, in 17 establishments which employ 

 4,500 men on a capital of $10,000,000, and pro- 

 duce $20,000,000 worth of refined sugar per an- 

 num. It is undoubtedly the case that the use of 

 refined sugar is becoming more general. The re- 

 finers, whose business up to 1842 was protected 

 by allowing them a drawback on the refined sugar 

 exported, and which drawback gradually became 

 greater than the duty on the raw sugar, now, in 

 common with all other sugar consumers, demand 

 a repeal of the sugar duty. 



Under the supposition that the present duty is 

 an advantage to sugar growers, equal to the amount 

 paid, (1 cent, per lb.,) then the amount paid by 

 all the sugar consumers in the country is $8,200,- 

 000 per annum, of which the government gets 

 $4,500,000 and the. sugar planters $3,700,000, 

 which would be about $2,500 to each estate. 

 The sugar planters deny, however, that they make 

 any protit, as follows: 



H^ New Orleans, May 9th. 



Messrs. Editors — My attention was drawn to 

 the enclosed article in your valuable paper, and I 

 propose to give you my own experience as a sugar 

 planter in a few words, and as the last season was 

 one of unusual production, and my crop larger 

 than usual, I think it is not an unfair selection ; 

 and as it is not in my way to inquire into my 

 neighbors' affairs, I cannot pretend to give you 

 their experience, still I venture the assurance that 

 very few realize eight per cent, per annum, and 

 many of them are making, in my opinion, more 

 leeway than headway. 



My plantation, witk 100 negroes, cost me $100,000 00 



I m.iUe 600 hhds. su},'ar of fair quality, sold at 3i cts. 16,250 00 

 25,000 gallons molasses, 14 cent 3,500 00 



$19,750 00 

 Paid the merchant's commissions on sale of 



the crop, 2i per cent., is $443 75 



Freiglit to (lie city of N.Orleans, $l,12i ^hhd. 75p 00 

 Freight on 700 libls. Molasses, 75 cts. ^ Ijbl. 525 00 



Overseer's wages 1,200 00 



Sugar maker 300 00 



Kngineer to superintend my own engineers 250 00 



120 bbls. Mess Pork, at $14 1,680 00 



Paid for 700 Molasses bbls., at $1,50 1,050 00 



Paid for assistant Cooper to make 500 sugar 



hhds. 62i 312 00 



One suit of Jeans and Limiseys for the Ne- 

 groes, at $3 300 00 



Two suits of Summer wear, $1,50 300 00 •», 



Shoes for the workers, s.ny two pairs for 70 



persons 157 00 



Purchase of 6 mules to replace others 840 00 



Taxes 342 00 



600 bbls. Corn, at 65 cents 520 00 



Physician's bill for the year 250 00 



Paid for Plows, Carts, &c 295 00 



Uepairs of Kngine, resetting Kettles, Fur- 

 naces, &c 560 00 



Iron, Salt, Hay, &c 225 00-$1Q,300 75 



Deducted from sale of crop, leaving $9,440 25 



Being less than 6 per cent, interest on the in- 

 vestment. In these expenses I do not include my 

 family or house expenses, nor do I take into con- 

 sideration the loss of some valuable hand.s — plac- 

 ing the births against the deaths. 



The very great increase in the production of su- 

 gar affords evidence of far better general results 

 than are here represented, and it is to be remarked 

 that the crop has inci'cased threefold since the 

 duty was reduced from 2i to 1 cent. 



Catiies' IDfpartmcut. 



ERRORS IN BREAD-MAKING. 



SOFT UKEAD. 



"What is the reason," I am asked, "that soft 

 bread is so much used ?" Many ignorant persons 

 prefer it ; it can be swallowed without much 

 mastication, and the labor of kneading is much 

 abridged. Bread, to be good, requires much knead- 

 ing, and baking until the crust is Avell-browned. 



MEDICAL TESTIMONY. 



Medical men have had their attention drawn to 

 this subject, (the use of alkalies in bread-making,) 

 and many efibrts have been made to discover an- 

 tidotes, and to prevent the ill effects of alkaline 

 compounds ; and although medical men disagree 

 on many points that come within their province, 

 yet on this point they are nearly unanimous as to 

 the cause, the effect, and the remedy. Some of 

 the effects of the long-continued use of alkaline 

 compounds, are, difliculty of breathing after mo- 

 tion, weariness, heaviness, gums apt to bleed on 

 the Slightest touch, fetid breath ; and "dissections 

 of sucli cases have always .shown the blood in a 

 very dissolved state." The remedy is abstinence 

 from alkaline compounds, with a diet of fresh 

 vegetable or wholesome fiirinacea. 



INDIAN CORN, 



Is a noble gi-ain, a rich boon, nicely covered up 

 and presented to the human family in a clean 

 condition; no grain more so. The meal of this 

 grain , so far as I have observed, is ground too 

 tine, so that when it is cooked it has a pasty con- 

 sistence. Corn ought to be always coarsely 

 ground. It is naturally more friable than wheat. 



