The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1906-09-22


sion and hard times under Democratic
loW-tariff schedules is a nut that Mr..
Bryan's powerful jaws can't crack.
It any apologies on the tariff question
are due, il is the Democracy that owes
them, and not the Republican party.
Weather and Crop Notes.
The following paragraphs are bor-
roWed from this week. Ascension let
ter to the Louisiana Planter:
With the exception OF few locali-
ties which have been more favored
than the general run of the parish,
Ascension is suffering severely for
lack OF rain in her cane fields, and the
season is now SO far advanced that
there is little room to hope for any
material Improvement of the crop in
SO far as concerns size and weight of
stalk. The best we can look for in a
weather sense is the kind that will put
the largest possible percentage of
sucrose into the juice OF the poor
stands of small cane that are painfully
IN evidence in a large majority of the
plantations in this section Of the state.
Col. G. D. Gondran OF Belle Helene
and Linwood visited New Orleans on
Thursday, and was caught on the fly
by your correspondent, to whom he
gave a very discouraging account of
the sugar outlook in his neighbour
hood. Col. Gondran declares that
there has been no rain there for two
months and a half, hence it is not
surprising th at the cane crop is stunted
and droopy.
Hon. w. w. Ventress of Iberville
reports quite as bad a state Of weather
aft airs along the east bank Of the
river in that parish. eleven weeks
OF drought is the proposition we re up
against, y he said, sand how much OF
a sugar crop do you think can be
made in the face of that?' stAscen-
sionh begs leave to pass the interrog-
atory on to some more competent
source for reply.
The opinion has been expressed by
experienced observers who have seen
the crops on the Miles plantations at
Burnside, that the big Houmas Cen
trail factory won't be ia operation
more than three weeks this grinding
season, and while that may be putting
rather too bad face on the stu alton,
it is apparent that no factory in AS
censlon-and none in any OF the adj
iacent parishes, for that matter-will
do any record aking this year with
regard to tonnage of cane handled,
output Of sugar or duration of grind
ing, unless it be to break the record
at the short end of the proposition.
L. NJ. Soniat, owner OF the fine
Cedar Grove plantation near White
castle, has returned from four
months tour of Europe, accompanied
by his wife, and concurs with the gen.
eral belief that the crops of his sec
ton will be shorter than for a number
of years past. Mr.. Soniat says he
doesn't like to make predictions in
such matters, as he expressed the
opinion last season that his crop
would show considerable percentage
below the usual yield, whereas the re-
suits obtained were Of q very satisfac-
tory character and constituted fair
average crop. However, it is plain to
be seen that he entertains no expecta-
ton OF repetition of this experience,
and that there is much more chance of |
Understanding the shortage than
making any mistake in the other diree- |
ton. # is safe to say that no place in
lower Iberville will do anywhere near
dS we'll bll1s year DIS l9SG.
Jacob Lebermuth and family have
from summer soiourn on |
the Maine seacoast, and will move
into their beautiful new plantation |
residence at Salisbury, St. ames par
lsh, before the wheels of the Salisbury
factory begin to turn for the manipu- |
lation of the 1906 cane crop. The
mansion will be one of the most at |
5ractive and comfortable Ia the par
lsh, and no one who has ever had a
taste Of the quality of Lebermuth hos
pility will need the assurance that the /
social charms Of the lovely home will |
be no less alluring than its external |
loneliness and elegant internal equip
ment. Mr.. Lebermuth says the cane |
crop Of Salisbury and neighboring |
places is unusually small, thin and |
unpromising, and heavy slump in
The sugar yield as compared with last
year is Inevitable.
A letter from A. A. king, of Dutch
Town, gives the following inform alton /
hat locality: FAT joint meeting Of !
5ha condition of the cotton crop was
1lsSaSsCA dno al1Sl d elOEouRA duhly"
sis of it's present condition, the unions
agreed on report of 80. Last year
Reonly made half or so crop, making
his seasons only 80 better and not
10 as was reported in the columns OF
;he New Orleans Times Democrat. The
stalks look well--green and very tall
but on account of excessive rains DUR
ng the fruiting season, they have lost
most Of what the farmers call the mid
lie crop, which is always the most
productive. The farmers are keeping
Up with picking as their cotton opens,
ont on account of a short middle crop,
which generally opens at this season,
several have been compelled TO sus-
1end work and wait for the hollis to
,uen,