SUGAR. 



147 



Improved agriculture is wanting ; for the land, if properly tilled, 

 is capable of producing as mucli per acre as Denierara and at less 

 cost ; for the rivers drain the laud^ and thus save the vast expense of 

 both machinery for pumping, and the labour for keeping open 

 trenches for drainage absolutely necessary to keep the cultivated land 

 above water in Demerara. 



The sugar-cane succeeds very well in most of the countries of 

 Mexico and Central America, south of 2S°. The most productive 

 plantations are on the declivities of the table-land, and in the lower 

 plains to the elevation of 5400 feet above the sea ; but in places well 

 sheltered, the sugar-cane grows nearly as high as 7000 feet. These 

 plantations are most numerous in the valley of the Eio Santiago, and 

 on the plains towards the Pacific. Their produce is very consider- 

 able, but nearly the whole of the sugar is consumed in the country. 



Colomhia. — The sugar-cane has hitherto been cultivated in Cartha- 

 gena only in small quantities, for making rum and a spirit called 

 anisado ; but an enterprising firm planted in 1873 about 300 acres of 

 cane, &c., and imported large and jDOwerful steam machinery, at an 

 outlay altogether of 20,000/., and they anticipated from their first 

 year's crop 10,000 cwts. of sugar. The climate and rich soil are 

 peculiarly adapted to the growth of the sugar-cane. The chief 

 difficulty is laboui', and they have imported Indian coolies from 

 Jamaica. 



Venezuela. — This State has never been a sugar-exporting country, 

 and the export which has been carried on may be said to have been 

 almost exclusively confined to brown or muscovado sugar, and only to 

 have attained any importance for about five-and-twenty years, between 

 1830 and 1855. 



The following shows the total exports in periods of five years : 



Year. 



Quantity. 



Average Price 

 per lb. i 



1832-36 

 1837-41 

 1842-46 

 1847-51 

 1852-56 

 1857-61 

 1862-66 



lbs. 

 3,573,222 

 2,107,708 

 2,894,284 

 5,398,267 

 465,099 

 16,205 

 314,580 



cents. i 

 5 1 

 13f 

 llf 



28 



In 1870, owing to a falling off of nearly 30 per cent, in the pro- 

 duction of sugar in Cuba in 1869, a remunerative demand suddenly 

 sprang up for Venezuela sugar, and large shipments of both musco- 

 vado and clayed (papelon) were made to Philadelphia and New York 

 at 4^ cents, per pound. As the crops have produced much more than 

 could be used locally, the planters are glad of a profitable outlet for 

 shipment. In 1873 the export of sugar from Venezuela was close 

 upon 5,000,000 lbs. 



Peru. — The sugar-cane grows with the greatest luxuriance, and it 

 is sufficient to plant it once to have constant yields from the roots 



L 2 



