Louisiana capitolian. (Baton Rouge, La.) 1879-1881, 1880-12-11
PLANTING IN EAST BATON ROUGE
HOW IT NAY IN pRorIrADLY coSDucrE
Correspondence N. 0. Democrat.
EAST BATON ROUGE, La,
November %. 1ASn.

November ~, 1851.
Having noticed your uutiring and
praiseworthy efforts to advance the In.
terests Of sugar planters IN this district,
] feel myself ut liberty to write few
words about my own experience, in the
hope that by SO doing other planters may
be benefited by my suggestions.
My plantation il three miles south OF
Manchac, with q natural drain toward
the river, md an thus enabled to give
the land thorough and systematic
drainage, which hold to be the best
and surest mode Of making a paying
crop. My sugar mill Is steam train and
open kettles, and grinds about hun
dred tons of cane daily. have an
average Of fifteen hands on the carrier
and always have two watches when
practicable.
The chief reason Of my now writing Is
to say that do not allow my bagasse
carts to destroy the bagasse after leav-
ing the rollers; and further, l have n
do"g'e ret Of rollers-that Is to say, after
the cane juice has been expressed from
the cane the bagasse is then let through
another set Of powerful rollers, while o
stream Of water Is allowed to moisten IL
before passing through the bagasse shute
From actual investigation ! have Oh
tanned the following results: From the
first grinding ] got 70 per cent Of Juice,
and when passing through the second
rollers obtain an average Of Is per cent
Of saccharine matter. The bagasse is
then hauled away to barn or store
house, where have good press that l
bought from Messrs. Allen Il Symes for
$3.50. The bagasse Is then baled, and
my merchant in New Orleans sells it at
an average price Of $l2 bale, and it is
in much demand for packing fragile
goods and for mattresses, and the tibreis
also found to make q beautiful printing
paper, equal to the imported linen arti-
Gle, or Of coarser quality when desired.
As my place has frontage of seven
arpents on the river, lay off some 400
acres in rice, and | find on the whole
that this is the safest and best paying
crop. But for any person to attempt to
grow rice without being well acquaint-
cd with its mode of culture would be
an act Of insanity, leading to positive
loss. ] get twenty-five barrels to the
acre, but have pump on the river
side capable of throwing water from the
river at even thirty-feet fall, and so
keep my crop when growing thoroughly
inundated. Then my system Of dams,
bitches and canals is as perfect Us can
devise. The rice once planted broad
cast requires very little attention so long
az the drainage and innndation are at
tended to, and in August cnt my rice
and send it to market.
I notice with regret that many plan
ters are ut Il loss what to do with their
beautiful straw, as some burn it and
others throw it away on waste lands.
After my rice is brought to the thresher
q paid Allen Il Symes $3.50 for the ma
chine), it is packed at once in sacks, and
the straw is Immediately taken to the
press-house, where it is made up in
bales of half ton each. This brings
mo in Sl2 to Sl4 ton in New Orleans,
and the product goes far towards liqui-
dating all my expenses. would not
like to say how much profit make from
my 1000 acres, but / may safely say
if planters will pursue the course that
am following, they will accumulate u
speedy fortune on % moderate outlay.
AUGUSTUS WILLIAMS.