132 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
These hoes are very stout clumsy affairs, weighing about 
three times as much as the northern hoe, and with the 
handle, generally a home-made article, make a pretty 
good load lor a man to carryall day, whether he hoes 
much or little. Though improved plows, harrows, and 
cultivators are multiplying upon the sugar plantations, 
the reign of the old hoe is undisturbed. The philosophy 
of this dynasty is summarily expressed in the reply we 
received to one of our inquiries. “ Such hoes as you have 
at the North would not last a nigger a day.” This, too, in 
a soil where there are no stones, and upon plantations 
entirely clear of roots. We could but think that we should 
feel better satisfied, as to the soundness of this philoso¬ 
phy, after seeing it tried. 
The steel cultivators and horse hoes, so common at the 
North, are not generally known here. They are certain¬ 
ly well adapted to these alluvial lands, and could not fail 
to save at least one-fourth of the labor of tillage. This 
is a \ ery large tax to pay for the want of agricultural so¬ 
cieties, fairs and journals, of which the sugar region is 
very generally destitute. 
About ten days after the first hoeing, the plow is again 
used, turning the furrow, toward the cane. The whole 
surface of the ground between the rows is stirred this 
time, either with the plow or cultivator. On the best 
managed plantations, the tillage is repeated at intervals 
of ten days to two weeks until the cane covers the ground 
which is about the first of July. At each time, the soil is 
thrown up toward the cane, and when the cultivation is 
completed, the cane stands upon broad ridges, with deep 
furrows between, to carry off the water into the ditches 
which run back into the swamp. Cane requires a higher 
cultivation than either corn or cotton, and those planters 
who till most frequently and thoroughly make the best 
crops. When the cane shades the ground, cultivation 
stops, and the leisure season of the sugar planter begins. 
It fortunately happens that this is at the hottest part of 
the Summer, when labor is most oppressive. These three 
months correspond to the Winter upon the northern farm, 
in the opportunity they offer to take breath and lay plans 
for another year. The hands are occupied in making im¬ 
provements, where the planter has skill enough to devise 
them, and in cutting and carting wood for the sugar house, 
and in other preparations for 
THE GRINDING OF THE CANE. 
This is the harvest of the year, the most intensely labo¬ 
rious, and yet the most joyous time upon the plantation. 
It usually commences in October, and lasts until Christ¬ 
mas or later. Indeed we found that some had not finish¬ 
ed as late as the tenth of February last. Where the cane 
is well ripened, it keeps for some weeks without any in¬ 
jury. As soon as heavy frosts are threatened, the cane 
is cut, and laid in windrow s, the tops lapping over the butts 
so that the cold does not affect the part that is used for 
sugar. It is only the low er part of the stalk, about six 
feet in length, that matures sufficiently in this climate, 
to make sugar. This is stripped of its leaves, topped, 
and carried to the sugar house as it is wanted. The whole 
force of the plantation now centers about the sugar house, 
and on most of the estates, the fires once lighted are kept 
up until the grinding is finished. They work in relays, 
every man being occupied eighteen hours in the twenty- 
four ; and on nine-tenths of the plantations, without any 
observance of the Sabbath. Notwithstanding this severe 
labor, the season is generally welcomed as one of general 
social enjoyment, and more generous fare. There is a 
liberal supply of sweets, and sometimes of stimulants, 
and, not unfrequently of other rewards to draw out the 
largest amount of labor possible, until the work is com¬ 
pleted. 
On many of the plantations, the machinery for the man¬ 
ufacture of sugar is very complete, costing from fifty to 
a hundred thousand dollars. There are now in the coun¬ 
try about twenty-six hundred sugar plantations. On 
three-fourths of them, at least, steam is used. The larger 
part of the sugar is made on about three-hundred planta¬ 
tions, that are furnished with expensive apparatus. 
The cane is dropped under a large open shed or near it. 
About half a dozen hands are constantly employed in feed¬ 
ing the rollers. The canes are carried up on an endless 
apron, and pass twice between very large iron rollers, 
which press them nearly dry. The bagasse, as the pressed 
canes are called, is taken on another apron as it falls from 
the rollers, and is carried to the top of the chimney and 
emptied into the furnace. This is a recent improvement, 
and saves more than one half of the fuel. On one of the 
plantations that we visited, the burning of the bagasse 
saved nine cords of wood daily They only used three- 
fourths of a cord to a hogshead of sugar, in place of two 
and-a-half formerly. As wood is already getting to be a 
scarce article on all the large plantations, this improve¬ 
ment is too important a matter to bo long overlooked. 
With the best mills yet invented, it is said, that nearly 
one third of the moisture is still left in the cane after 
crushing, with a large share of the saccharine matter. 
Where this refuse is not burned, it usually lies around the 
sugar house as a nuisance. Sometimes it is carted to the 
levee, and used to strengthen it, in places where it is 
inclined to wash. 
SUGAR MAKING. 
The juice of the cane is carried by spouts from the mill 
to the boiler, into which it passes through a strainer. 
Here it is heated to about 140° F., when it is clarified by 
the introduction of lime. This causes a precipitate of 
impurities and colors the juice. In many of the establish¬ 
ments it is still further purified by filtration. The next 
process is to evaporate the water, and make a thick syr¬ 
up. This is done by the application of heat in a variety 
of methods. There are at least seven different forms of 
doing this in Louisiana. In the best establishments, it is 
boiled in vacuo, on the principle that liquids boil at a low¬ 
er temperature, as the pressure of the atmosphere is re¬ 
moved. This process not only economises fuel, but 
avoids the danger of burning, and makes a much better 
article of sugar and molasses. 
When the syrup is sufficiently thickened, which is a 
point in the process of great importance, it is drawn off 
into vats, where it granulates. A portion of the syrup, 
however, does not crystallize, and to separate this liquid 
from the crystals, it is put in hogsheads, in the bottoms 
of which are holes, in which are inserted canes, that 
reach above the contents. The canes contract as the 
granulation goes on, and the syrup runs off into vats be¬ 
low. This liquid is the molasses of commerce. It is 
commonly sold by the planters in the vat, at so much a 
gallon, the purchaser furnishing his own casks, and re¬ 
moving it. What remains in the hogshead is the com¬ 
mon New-Orleans sugar, in which the shrunk cane is still 
found, when it comes to market. 
Most of the sugar manufactured in this region, we were 
informed, is either consumed on the river, or goes down 
East. The process of refining sugar has been so greatly 
improved and cheapened, that the refined article is in 
much larger demand than formerly, especially in New- 
York, and in the region immediately dependent upon it 
for supplies. The refineries of New-York are generally 
supplied from the cheaper sugars of the West India 
islands. Where brown sugars are used, nothing stands 
before the Louisiana article. It is very light colored, 
lively, and not bad to take, either on the cakes, or i:i the 
coffee. 
The average yield of sugar is something under a hogs¬ 
head of one thousand pounds to the acre, and the molas¬ 
ses. When the soil is very rich, and the season is unu¬ 
sually favorable, two hogsheads and upwards, are some¬ 
times made. The crop is considered much more lucra¬ 
tive than cotton, when it does well. In favorable sea¬ 
sons, and under the best management, the profits are very 
large. But it has many draw-backs. The plant is an 
exotic, and very liable to be injured by untimely frosts, 
both early and late. Nearly all the sugarlandsare leveed, 
and subject to overflow, when these embankments give 
way. The planters live in constant apprehension of 
these calamities, which are liable to come at any mo¬ 
ment, and sweep away their crops and animals. The 
crop of the last season was unusually large, and had it 
not been for the Bell crevasse which swept over a ter¬ 
ritory forty miles square, in the heart of the sugar dis¬ 
tricts, it would have been the largest ever produced in 
the country. 
-— i—i a —► <*- - 
Breeding In-and-in. 
BY C. M. Cl,AY.II. 
[Explanation —The closing paragraph of “Cattle Breeder’s” 
article in March, leaves the impression that a second article 
would follow in continuation, anu it was so understood by Mr. 
Clay. Hence his delay in replying, until a recent note from us 
informed him that no such article had been received. He imme- 
dia'ely forvvarded the following, which comes to hand afier we 
have stereotyped the succeeding pages where it should have ap¬ 
peared in connection with another article on the same subject. 
(This is one of the last pages made up.) We are under ihe ne¬ 
cessity of using smaller type also. in order to prevent its run¬ 
ning beyond our uustereutyped limits.—E d.] 
“A Cattle Breeder's ” 2nd No. is before me. (See page 75 
March No.) Its length is formidable ; but the importance 
of the subject will warrant a close scrutiny of all he has 
said. He prefaces his argument by saying: “ I do not 
advocate the breeding ‘in-and-in’in all cases; and do 
not recommend others to do so at all, except under cir¬ 
cumstances of perfect health and condition of the animals 
so proposed to be bred.” This is for all practical pur¬ 
poses giving up the whole theory ; for as no man can tell 
when an animal is in perfect health and condition, he can 
never be sure but that he is committing a grave offense 
against Nature’s law, which will certainly not go mi- 
whipt of justice ! Here I might rest the argument, but 
that I desire to place this matter beyond cavil; which if 
not done, will be the fault of the disputant. 
1st. The Stud Boo*.—Following up “ A Cattle Breed¬ 
er’s” advice, I have posted up myself in relation to the 
Stud Book, never fearing that all the laws of animal life 
would fail to run parallel. I have before me, in addition, 
letters from some of the most intelligent practical breed¬ 
ers of the Race-Horso—from all of which I conclude : 
a. —The Race-Horse so far from being advanced by 
‘‘close” breeding is not a pure breed, but a composite 
of the Arabian. The Barb, the Persian, the Turkish, and 
the Arabian, mingle in his veins. Even if these are of 
quasi specific type—they can not claim excellence from 
close breeding but, the contrary. 
6 —The original stock imported in the reign of Edward 
the Third were reinforced repeatedly by new importations 
at various times, and especially from the time of James 
the 1st to Anne’s reign. 
c. — Since which time the improvement of the race 
horse has been the result of culture. 
d. — There were great numbers of horses for selection, 
and the four breeds were combined in infinite variety. 
So much for the general facts of the stud-book. Now for 
authority and special proof. 
e - James K. Duke, Esq., of Scott Co., Ivy., one of the 
most successful breeders and racers in America, says in 
reply to my questions : “ It has been a maxim with the 
English and American breeder to avoid in-and-in breeding 
of Ihe race-horse. In England the practice is to combine 
different strains, and of these strains there are many.” 
‘‘In America it has not always been practicable to brerd 
so judiciously, because the field for selection was com¬ 
paratively small. It has sometimes occurred, as in the 
case of the Arabian family, that there was but one highly 
distinguished strain on the turf : and that strain, the stal- 
l ons of that family were almost exclusively bred from. But 
the conjunction of the mares with the horses of that strain 
was deplored as an evil. Fresh importations of English 
blood came to our relief, and the Arabics faded from the 
scene: Boston and Warner only of the old American arid 
Arabic blood proved good enough to survive!” The italics 
are mine. 
/.—Lexington, bred by E. Warfield, Esq., of Ky„ made 
the best time on authentic record, either in England, or 
America. The time of Flying Ghilders is merely tradi¬ 
tional, and regarded by modern racers as a myth. Lex¬ 
ington was by Boston, an American ; his dam by Tarpe- 
don, an English horse. Boston and Tarpedon were of 
distinct strains ; the one the grandson of Sir Archie, the 
best American ; the other the son of Emilius, the best 
English stallion of his day. 
S-— Mr. Duke concludes by sustaining generally my 
theory, abating somewhat its stringency as you descend 
in the animal scale of intellectual and muscular action. 
h.— Landers D. Bruce, Esq., Secretary of the Ivy. Trot¬ 
ting Association, who is about getting up an American 
stud book (for w hich he is deemed highly competent) sus¬ 
tains my theory with regard to the race horse to the ful¬ 
lest extent ; giving many special examples of entire fail¬ 
ures of the best racers by “ close ” breeding ! Time will 
not allow me to introduce them. 
2. Analogy: Man. a.—The Jews were not only “ war¬ 
like ’’requiring “great bodily health and energy in action,’’ 
(which so far is giving up the argument as drawn from 
Jewish history, in rny favor) but highly observant of na¬ 
tural and psychological and physical laws. Their theory 
and destiny are on my side. I hold that it is unphilosoph- 
ical to go back to the mythical times of “ Adam and 
Eve ” in these discussions, and leave my opponent 
in full possession of all that field, as I propose to discuss 
a practical common sense subject, with practical common 
sense men. 
b— I deny the statements as regards the Greeks and Ro¬ 
mans generally, and call for the data. Great excesses were 
committed in various ways among the Gleeks and Ro¬ 
mans in their semi-Barbaric State, as well as in their cor¬ 
rupt decline : but the best specimens of both races were 
clear in thought and deed of the imputations of my oppo¬ 
nent. 
c. — In the case supposed of “ close ” marriage, I am 
not willing to admit the conclusion. And whilst all Ihe 
effects of a good law are not at once lost, nor all the 
effects of a bad law (or rather abused law), at 
once visible, it does not prove them therefore to be dis¬ 
regarded as a general rule. Besides it is simply a “ petitio 
principii” which is worth nothing. 
d. —“ Brains ” I agree are “ desirable,” but close breed¬ 
ing is not the way to get them, as I will show presently. 
The example of Georgia is not conclusive : but so far as 
authority goes, is certainly worthy of respectful consider¬ 
ation ; and so far as the observation of men can determine 
a law of nature, as testimony, is certainly cumulative in 
my favor. That cousins may come over the line and mar¬ 
ry with impunity ! certainly does not prove the Georgians 
the less “ Solomons ” in their action. The same objec¬ 
tion might be urged against legal adultery or even mar¬ 
riage itself! which is a clear case of “ reduclio ad ab- 
surdum” against my opponent. A great many men have 
married cousins, and many more propose to do so, which 
brings a strong force against legislation cn this subject, 
and when in the face of the natural vis inertia: of legis¬ 
lative reform and these powerful interests, such acts are 
passed in intelligent communities, and projected in olh- 
I ers, the sneers of even “ A Cattle Breeder,” (whose atn) 
