THE CHINESE SUGAR-CANE. 11 



increased within the past few years, and that it 

 must naturally increase in time to come, yet the 

 demand has been greater than the supply, or, in 

 other words, the demand being so active and the 

 supply limited, prices have greatly advanced, so 

 that sugar that was sold ten years ago for six 

 cents is now worth nine and ten cents, or nearly 

 double what it was then. There are several 

 reasons for this : much more is used than for- 

 merly for preserving fruits, for confectionery, 

 &c. ; less sugar is produced in the British West 

 Indies than formerly ; new markets have been 

 opened and have been supplied ; while hard win- 

 ters in Louisiana have, in some instances, killed 

 out the cane, and there have been many other 

 things to contend with in its growth, all of which 

 have tended to diminish the supply of this valu- 

 able article. There are other well-known facts 

 connected with sugar-growing in Louisiana, 

 which show the difficulties and obstacles there 

 are in the way of sugar-^i^'^^^^n^nin that state. 

 One is, the great expense they must be at in 

 draining the land, and preparing it for the growth 

 of the cane. This objection will hold good of 

 much of the land on which sugar-cane is grown ; 

 then, when the cane is matured, they must reserve 

 about a fourth of their entire crop for next year's 

 2 



