The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1906-11-03
ASCENSION CROP NOTES.
Continued from First Page.

state board OF control, who will send
to the Belle Helene central the surplus
cane from the Oakley and Monticello
plantations, il East Baton Rouge par
ish. that cannot be handled at the
small Monticello mill. Just how much
this will give to the Belle Helene mill
is not exactly known, but it would not
be surprising if it brought the total
cane tonnage for this central house to
about figure approximating the ton
mage handled the past grinding, Is, 900,
when the 1000, O0O-mark was topped in
sugar production.
In anticipation of a larger grinding
than appeared in sight some months
past, preparations were made to i'm
prove and increase the capacity OF the
Belle Helene factory, and these were
carried out, Notwithstanding the short
age Ia the crop. The chief engineer
and his worthy assistant, respectively
Val. Wehrnan and Ell. S. Armstrong,
were kept busy all summer and this
early fall putting the house In proper
shape with it's new installations and
now have everything ready for the
smoothest grinding ever conducted
there. The chief improvementwas the in
crease in steam and mill capacity, the
former effected by the erection Of bat
terry of three Casey & Hedges tubular
boilers, 72''x18', which were set over
three Dutch ovens, the furnaces fitted
to burn either oil or bagasse or both. A
change to the six-foot mill was made
by having the top roller on the front
mill displaced by the patent all-steel
Newell crusher-roller. This is an in
novation to the Louisiana sugar in
dustry. though used in foreign sugar
countries with much success, it is said,
and the results at the Belle Helene
central will be watched with interest by
the local sugar fraternity. The manu-.
facturers claim that by the virtue Of
their one-roll crusher the front mill
alone may be made to extract about
two-thirds OF the juice, and by the
cutting, splitting and crushing action
exerted prepare the cane in very
thorough manner for. the second mill,
this calculated to relieve the strain on
the second mill and effect increased
extractions; also give the mill greater
capacity, the manufacturers claiming
an increase Of Is per cent. Another
installation worthy of mention is the
cane derrick, put up by the plantation
carpenter and sugar boiler, Camille
Rome, and located at the end Of the
carrier to be used to feed cane either
from the carts or cars direct, or to
store therefrom on the ground If de-
sired. The derrick is of the angle
sort, with 60-foot boom, the angle
changeable at will by means of
wrench located on the mast. The der
rick is oper ated by a Lambert hoist
that in turn is run by shaft from the
carrier drag that is a part of the link
belt overhead or suspended carrier
feeding arrangement, such as those in
operation at about half-dozen Of the
states larger sugar mills.
In front OF the Crevasse plantation,
. short distance below Bowden, en-
largement OF the levee was under way
at the time this section was visited.
3. i. Bingay, the proprietor Of the
Crevasse place, and owner of the store
there, tells that the contractors, Hearin
L Ryan, OF Baton Rouge, are opera
ting their great travelling dredge day
and night on their strip Of levee work
beginning up at the Southwood plan
tation line, this only small bit Of
the reinforcement levee work that the
government has under way. The levee
is being made mountain high BY rails
ing tito a grade four or five feet higher
than at present, doubling the crown
surface and making the base forty to
fifty feet broader. Rapid progress is
being made by the contractors, who
are lifting and putting in place from
l400 to 1000 cubic yards of earth to
every section Of 100 feet. The Gre
vase place is only a small part of
what was formerly a fair sized sugar
and the owner cultivates ten
acres Of cotton. which should return |
him five to six bales, and about twenty
acres were grown te corn. The long
droush, which lasted from Good FRI |
day until the first part of the present
month, affected the crops, yet the corn
grown was very good.
The Gem plantation Of G.. A. Keller.
the next in line, has about I25 acres ,
OF cane, plant and stubble, and 100 |
acres in cotton. The Gem gin handles
cotton for surrounding farmers asWell,
and 1t is probable a total OF about $50 |
bales will be turned out this season. |
The cane from here is sold TO the Belle |
Helene central and the chances are
hat next year more cane will be raised |
BY Gems owner, for be will next sea- |
son lease the small adjoining Willow |
Grove plantation of W. j. O'Neil, /
which Is in cane at present.
Simon Landry's St. Mary planta-
lion, Just below Gem, has about thirty
acres devoted to cane and fifteen to
cotton. This cane is likewise sold to
Belle Helene.
The Cut OF plantation is leased and
cultivated by Fred. Taddiken, who is
most faVorab1y known to LARGE cir
Gle of sugar friends as having for
merry been occupied for many years
IN the management Of sugar estates in
different parts of the state. Desiring
q life OF more independence and greater
ease, he forsook the cane fields about
SIX or seven years ago and took to
cotton culture. His first ATTEMPT III.
his line was on the Ben Hnr planta.
ion, ia East Baton Rouge, coming TO