The Commercial Products of the Vegetable Kingdom Part 19

The cultivation of this plant is princ.i.p.ally confined to the West Indies, Venezuela, Brazil, Mauritius, British India, China, j.a.pan, the Sunda, Phillippine, and Sandwich Islands, and to the southern districts of the United States. The varieties most cultivated in the latter are the striped blue and yellow ribbon, or Java, the red ribbon, violet, from Java, the Creole, crystalline or Malabar, the Otaheite, the purple, the yellow, the purple-banded, and the grey canes. The quant.i.ty of sugar produced on an acre varies from five hundred to three thousand pounds, averaging, perhaps, from eight hundred to one thousand pounds.

Six to eight pounds of the saccharine juice of the plant, yield one pound of raw sugar; from 16 to 20 cart-loads of canes, ought to make a hogshead of sugar, if thoroughly ripe. The weight necessary to manufacture 10,000 hhds of sugar, is usually estimated at 250,000 tons, or 25 tons per hhd. of 15 or 16 cwt.

The quant.i.ty of sugar now produced in our colonies is in excess of the demands of the consumers, that is, of their demands cramped as they are by the duties still levied on sugar consumed in Great Britain, imposed for the purposes of revenue; the high duty on all other but indigenous sugar, consumed all over the continent, imposed to promote the manufacture of beet-root sugar, and the legal duty levied on all other than indigenous sugar used in the United States, for the purpose of protecting the sugar production of that country; and so long as that excess exists---until a further reduction of duties shall increase consumption and cause sugar to be used for many purposes which the present high rates prohibit its being applied to--any improvement which may be effected in the quality--any increase which may take place in the quant.i.ty of colonial sugar--will only result infinitely more to the benefits of the consumers than the producers.

In 1700 the quant.i.ty consumed in Great Britain and Ireland was only about 200,000 cwt. In 1852, including mola.s.ses, &c., it was not less than 8,000,000 cwt., a forty-fold increase in the century and a-half.

Taking the whole population last year, it was nearly 28 lbs. per head. In 1832 the consumption in Great Britain alone was put down by Mr. M'Culloch at 23 lbs.; and as my estimate includes Ireland, where the consumption is notoriously small, we may infer that it has increased in Great Britain since 1832 at least 5 lb. per head. As the allowance to servants is from lb. to 1 lb. per week, it may be a.s.sumed that 50 lb. a year, at least, is not too much for grown persons. In sugar-producing countries the quant.i.ty consumed is enormous; the labourers live on it in the manufacturing season; and a Duke of Beaufort, who died about 1720, consumed one pound daily for forty years, and enjoyed excellent health till he was seventy years of age. The consumption of sugar has increased considerably since it has become cheap; and we may expect, therefore, that the consumption will extend more rapidly than ever. The whole quant.i.ty consumed in Europe last year, including beet-root sugar, was not less than 16,000,000 cwt. If peace be preserved and prosperity continue, the market for sugar will extend amazingly, and force the cultivation by free men in all tropical countries.

British East India and Total of B.P.

Years. Plantation Mauritius E.I. and Consumption tons. tons Mauritius tons.

1838-39 176,033 54,017 230,050 195,483 39-40 141,219 60,358 201,577 191,279 40-41 110,739 52,232 162,971 179,741 41-42 107,560 97,792 205,352 202,971 42-43 123,685 80,429 204,114 199,491 43-44 125,178 78,943 204,121 202,259 44-45 122,639 81,959 204,598 206,999 45-46 142,384 102,690 245,074 244,030 47-48 164,646 125,829 290,475 289,537 48-49 139,868 107,844 247,712 308,131 49-50 142,203 121,850 264,053 296,119 50-51 129,471 119,317 248,788 305,616 51-52 148,000 110,000 258,000 312,778

--The above figures refer to raw sugar only.

At these periods, calculating from 1838-39, the duty on British sugar ranged from 24s. down to 10s. per cwt., and foreign slave-grown sugar from 63s. down to 14s. The greatest impetus was given to foreign sugar when the duties were reduced, in 1846.

The extension of sugar cultivation in various countries where the climate is suitable, has recently attracted considerable attention among planters and merchants. The Australian Society of Sydney offered its Isis Gold Medal recently to the person who should have planted, before May, 1851, the greatest number of sugar canes in the colony. I have not heard whether any claim was put in for the premium, but I fear that the gold fever has diverted attention from any new agricultural pursuit, and that honorary gold medals are therefore unappreciated. Moreton Bay and the northern parts of the colony of New South Wales, are admirably suited to the growth of all descriptions of tropical products.

The Natal Agricultural Society is also making great exertions to promote sugar culture in that settlement. Mr. E. Morewood, one of the oldest colonists, has about 100 acres under cultivation with the cane, and I have seen some very excellent specimens of the produce, notwithstanding the want of suitable machinery to grind the cane and boil the juice. Many planters from the East Indies and Mauritius are settling there. His Royal Highness Prince Albert awarded, through the Society of Arts, a year or two ago, a gold medal, worth 100 guineas, to Mr. J.A. Leon, for his beautiful work descriptive of new and improved machinery and processes employed in the cultivation and preparation of sugar in the British colonies, designed to economise labor and increase production.

The centrifugal machines, recently brought into use, for separating the mola.s.ses from the sugar, more quickly than the old-fas.h.i.+oned method of coolers, have tended to cheapen the production and simplify the processes of sugar making. The planters object, however, to the high prices which they are charged for these machines, so simple in their construction; and that they are not allowed, by the patent laws, to obtain them in the cheaper markets of France and Belgium.

Great loss has. .h.i.therto taken place annually, in the sugar colonies, through the drainage of the mola.s.ses, resulting from the imperfect processes in use; but this can now be obviated, by the use of the centrifugal machine. It is a modification of the "hydro-extractor,"

and is the invention of Mr. Finzel, of Bristol.

The machine being filled with sugar, appropriately placed, is rapidly revolved, and a powerful ceutrifugal force generated; the moisture is speedily removed to the circ.u.mference of the revolving vessel, and pa.s.ses off through apertures adapted for the purpose.

Various other improvements in the making of sugar have been carried into effect within the last few years, by Dr. Scoffern, Messrs. Oxland and M. Melsens, but the description of these would occupy too much of my s.p.a.ce, and those who are desirous of growing sugar on an extensive scale, I must refer to Dr. Evans' "Sugar Planter's Manual," Mr. Wray's "Practical Sugar Planter," Agricola's "Letters on Sugar Farming," and other works which treat largely and exclusively of the subject.

An announcement has recently been made, that a Mr. Ramos, of Porto Rico, has discovered some new dessicating agent, to be used in sugar making, which is to cost next to nothing, but improves most materially the quality of the sugar made, and also increases considerably the quant.i.ty obtained by the ordinary process.

The average annual quant.i.ty of cane sugar produced and sent into the markets of the civilised world, at the present time, may be taken at 1,500,000 tons, exclusive of the amount grown and manufactured for local consumption in India, China, Cochin-China, and the Malay Archipelago, of which no certain statistics exist, but which has been estimated at about another million tons.

So far back as 1844, the Calcutta "Star," in an article on sugar, estimated the domestic consumption in India, at 500,000 tons. This is considerably below the mark, even if India is taken in its limited signification, as including only British subjects. On this estimate the 94,000,000 of British subjects, men, women and children, would not individually consume more than one pound avoirdupois by the month. A fat, hungry Brahmin, at any of the festivals given by the great, will digest for his own share four pounds, without at all embarra.s.sing his stomach.

a.s.suming the million and a half of tons that find their way into civilized markets, to represent an average value at the place of production of 15 per ton, we have here the representation of 22,500,000 sterling. But this value may fairly be increased by one-fourth.

The whole exportable production of the sugar-growing countries was found to be, in 1844, about 780,000 tons, of which Cuba furnished 200,000 tons. In 1845, notwithstanding Cuba only produced 80,000 tons, the increase from other sources was so considerable (namely:--the British Colonial supply 40,000, United States 40,000, Porto Rico 15,000, Brazil 10,000 tons) that the total produce fell very little short of the previous year--having reached 764,000 tons.

The present SUPPLY of sugar to the markets of Europe, is nearly as follows:--

Cwts.

England 8,000,000 France 2,550,000 German League 1,350,000 Prussia 220,000 Austria, (ten Provinces) 560,000 Belgium 294,000 Other States not defined.

The present DEMAND, according to the estimated consumption per head (28 lbs.), found to exist in England, where taxation is favorable, and the price moderate, would be about 3; million tons, viz.:--

Cwts.

England 8,000,000 France 8,875,000 Germany 5,750,000 Prussia 4,100,000 Austria 8,642,857 Belgium 1,250,000 Russia 15,250,000 Rest of Europe 12,500,000

The whole annual PRODUCTION of the world is estimated by another party at 1,471,000,000 lbs., of which the United States produce 150,000,000 lbs., including 40,000,000 lbs. of maple sugar. Of the whole amount of sugar produced, Europe consumes about 648,700 tons, divided nearly as follows:--

lbs.

Great Britain 803,360,096 France 160,080,000 Belgium 19,840,000 Netherlands 42,000,000 Russia 70,000,000 Denmark and Sweden 22,000,000 German Zollverein 101,300,000 Other parts of Germany 160,000,000 Austria 50,000,000 ------------- 1,428,580,096

The following figures show the quant.i.ties of raw sugar in general, in tons, imported into the British markets for the last five years, compared with consumption:--

Entire British Years. Importations. Consumption. Surplus.

1847 415,289 290,281 125,008 1848 354,834 309,424 45,410 1849 362,087 299,041 63,046 1850 332,470 310,391 22,089 1851 419,083 329,561 89,472 1852 360,033 358,642 1,391 Deduced from Parliamentary Paper, No. 461, Session 1853.

The consumption of sugar then in the whole world may be roughly estimated at two and a half million tons, of which the United Kingdom may now be put down for 350,000; the rest of Europe 420,000, and the United States 300,000.

The United States produce about 140,000 tons of cane and maple sugar, which are exclusively used for home consumption, the remainder of their requirements being made up by foreign importation. The American consumption, which in 1851 amounted to 133,000 tons of sugar cane reached last year a total of 321,000 tons, almost as much as England consumed--358,000--and more than the consumption of 100,000,000 of persons on the continent.

The whole production of tropical sugar, is about one million and a-half tons, while the consumption is probably two million tons; but the manufacture of sugar from beet root, maple and other sources, supplies the deficiency.

The total quant.i.ties of sugar, and mola.s.ses as sugar, consumed in the United Kingdom in the last six years, were, according to a Parliamentary paper, No. 292, of the last session, as follows:--

Cwt. sugar. Cwt. mola.s.ses.

1847 4,723,232 1,256,421 1848 5,003,318 865,752 1849 5,283,729 1,021,065 1850 5,570,461 752,027 1851 5,043,872 1,522,405 1852 7,203,631 799,942

The returns further specify that the annual average consumption of _British colonial sugar_, in the five years ending 1851, was 5,124,922 cwt.; and in the five years ending 1846, was 4,579,054 cwt.; the average consumption of British colonial sugar, has, therefore, exceeded in the five years since the duties were reduced, in 1846, the average consumption for the five previous years by 545,868 cwt. per annum; or in the aggregate in the five years, the excess has been 3,239,338 cwt. The quant.i.ty consumed in the year ending December, 1852, was 4,033,879 cwt.[16] There can be no doubt whatever, that the consumption of sugar in Great Britain is capable of very large increase; moderate cost, and the removal of restrictions to its general use, being the main elements required to bring it about. The question of revenue must of course be a material consideration with Government; but recent experience certainly leads to the conclusion that it would not suffer under a further reduction of duty.

The revenue derived from sugar before the reduction of the duty, was five millions per annum; in the past two years it reached nearly four millions.

The reduction in duties which took place in 1845, may be said to have answered the expectations formed of it, as regards the increase of consumption, which there is no doubt would have even gone beyond the estimate, if the failure in the crop of sugar in Cuba--that most important island, which usually yields one-fifth of the cane crop of the whole world--had not driven up prices in the general market of the continent, and, in consequence, diverted the supply of free labor sugar from this country. As it was, however, the consumption of the United Kingdom, which in 1844 was 206,472 tons, in 1845 was not less than 243,000--Sir Robert Peel's estimate was 250,000 tons--the average reduction in price to the consumer during the latter year having been 20 per cent. The large increase in subsequent years I have already shown.

The consumption of sugar we find, then, has been steadily and rapidly increasing in this country, and if we add together to the refined and raw sugar and mola.s.ses used, it will be seen that the consumption of 1852 amounted to 400,178 tons; which is at the rate of 29 lbs. per head of the population per annum. Whilst the quant.i.ty retained for home consumption in the United Kingdom, in 1844; was but 4,130,000 cwt., the amount had risen in 1852 to upwards of 8,000,000 cwt.

Sugar unrefined, entered for home consumption.

Colonial Raw. Foreign Raw. Total.

Cwt. Cwt. Cwt.

1848 5,936,355 1,225,866 6,162,221 1849 5,424,248 498,038 5,922,386 1850 5,201,206 911,115 6,112,321 1851 5,872,288 1,383,286 6,255,574 1852 6,241,581 687,269 6,928,850

To the foregoing should be added the following quant.i.ties of refined sugar and mola.s.ses, entered for home consumption.

Refined Sugar and Candy. Mola.s.ses. Total Cwt. Cwt. Cwt.

1848 46,292 637,050 683,342 1849 75,392 812,330 887,722 1850 116,744 917,588 1,034,362 1851 338,734 773,035 1,111,769 1852 274,781 799,942 1,074,723

The quant.i.ty of sugar refined by our bonded refiners, and exported, is shown by the following figures. The increase in 1851, was one-fourth in excess of the previous year.

Cwt.

1848 248,702 1849 222,900 1850 209,148 1851 258,563 1852 214,299

The following were the imports of sugar into Great Britain, in 1848 and 1851, respectively--and the quarters from whence supplies were derived:--

1848--Tons. 1851--Tons.

West Indies 121,600 153,300 Mauritius 43,600 50,000 East Indies 65,200 78,286 Java and Manila 11,000 20,850 Havana, Porto Rico, and Brazil 76,900 76,526 ------- ------- 318,300 378,962