The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1877-08-25

MR.. DAVID uaouHART

MR. DAVID UHQUHART
was one OF the gentlemen interviewed. MIR. Ur-
quhart is q planter and has long been identified
with the sugar business OF this city. Hearing
that he had been down the coast and deeming
his information interesting and Of the most trust-
worthy character we had short conversation
with him on this topic. Mr.. Urquhart said, how
ever. that he had retired from the business and
on bis trip to Plaquemine had visited only one
plantation and had little talk about the crop. He
understood however, that the crop was three or
four weeks backward The plant WAS good but
the stubble had been injured in that section.
The report from various plantations Indicated
that the crops we're irregular.
MIR. j. A. LEBEsoUE
n well known broker also said that the crop was
backward, but that the reports from various
parts OF the State gave to believe that the
crop would be larger than that Of last year. The
yield would. however, depend on the rain adm
frost. Too much rain now aud early frost might
cut down the crop by fifteen to fifty thousand
hogsbead, according to circunl stances.
IL CAREY 4 co.
Mr.. Morris Garvey one Of the members OF this
firm, said that the prospect for large crop was
very fair. His impression was that the stubble
had not been az badly injured as was believed.
At all events there had been double the amount
of plant laid In than was necessary TO make up
for the loss Of stubble. He thought that moth
ing but an early frost could injure the crop ma
terially and he di not believe that there was any
danger of harm from too much rain.
P. MAspERe.
This gentleman, an old established factor, an
swered our questions hesitatingly for he seemed
TO fear that il was too early to give an opinion
Che subject. However. he could say that as mat
ters stood to-day the crop was irregular through
out the state. The reports he had received from
his correspondents at least indicated that. The
stubble cane had suffered considerably and he
doubted that the plant cane laid in would COM
pensate for the loss IN that respect. III had also
advices OF the perfect success OF stubbe on
some plantations where the plant was failure.
The crop was very backward OF joints, the
cane In some sections being only q foot high.
when II should be four or five feet. The subble
in sandy soil had been touched by the cold and
been injured. That in black soil was good In
general, Mr.. Maspero's interview impressed us
that he did not consider the prospects for fiue
crop az being favorable: below New Orleans he
seem cd to thiuk that IL was generally bad.
CHARLES LAFITTE.
of the house of Laitte & Duilho. This firm has
been extensively engaged in the sugar business
from the close OK the war up to late years, but
they have gradually withdrawn from IL, aud Mr..
Laftte, with whom the writer had talk. could
only give certain data concerning the state Of the
crop in the parish of st. Charles, where the firm
owns large plantation. He etated to US
that In some parts OF the parish.
particularly at "speranza Plantation" which
place lie owned by his firm, the prospects are very
promising, in fact, much more 80 than in any
preceding year. 1t lie true that the stubble, as q
general thing, ia deficient, but the greater
acreage of plant cane put in the ground, which
has succeeded very WELL will more than COM
pensate for that deficiency. Mr.. LATTE would
not vouch that the same favorable state of affairs
existed throughout the parish. but he thought that
upon the whole the crop was fair, and il early
frosts and untoward storms did not intervene
between this and the gathering Of the crop, it
would give very good average. From all ad-
vices that he had, and his conversations with
parties interested In the crop, he thought that,
all things going on naturally and circumstances
being tolerably favorable, the crop would not be
backwards of last years.
THE ABsENTEEs.
Az at this season of the year there are many OF
our most prominent sugar merchants abroad, it
lie next TO impossible to do full justice to this I'M
portant trade of our city. We have given above
our conversations with those whom we found at
home.