The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1906-11-03
ASCENSION CROP NOTES
Interesting Summary of Conditions and
Prospects on the Belle Helene. Gre
vase, Gem, St. Mary and
Cut-oR Plantations.
Cut-OF Plantations.
Sugar Planters journal, Oct. 81

Sugar Planters Journal Oct. 81.
The Belle Helene Planting and Mfg.
Co., of which Geo. B. Reuss is presi-
| dent, has three plantations on the east
bank OF the river, in Ascension parish,
the Bowden, Ashland and the Ashland
Annex. Ashland proper is tenanted by
j. G. kloss whose cane crop is short
this season and will not supply the
tonnage hoped for to the Belle Helene
central. The factory is situated on
the Bowden plantation, which place is
managed as Of old by J. e. Many, he
being assisted inthe field by his son, NJ.
G. Many. Manager Many says he never
had SO much chance TO cultivate a
crop as W as presented this year by the
prolonged drouth, going over it eight
times with the ploWs and cultivators.
| Notwithstanding all this attention, it
will likely not furnish more than SO
| per cent of.the 1000 TO 5000 tons that
would have ordinarily resulted from a
cane area such as was had this season.
The Bowden crop consists of 265 acres
plant cane and 285 acres first year
stnbble. The plant cane has d very
fair stand, but is a month to six weeks
backward IN size: the stubble is little
smaller than the plant cane and def
cient.in stand, the latter so deficient as
to leave only small portion for the
| mill after seed sufficient to effect the
expected 1907 planting of $50 acres is
taken out. A large area, 80 acres,
was devoted to corn and peas, and
counting in the corn taken out of the
thin stubble cane. a crop Of about 1000
barrels should be gathered, for the
solid corn land gave return of 18
barrels to the acre. The pea-vine
crop was very good, yielding large
quantity of hay. All the crop fed to
| this group OF plantations is crushed at
the Bowden stable lot in large sized
Bowsher corn mill. The Bowsher
used on BoWden is run by 15-horse-
power gasoline engine, and the COM
| bination prepares the corn in shuck in
record time for easy assimilation,
N aking the meal an ideal vehicle for
| feeding the mules the desired amount
of molasses in conjunction Herewith.
A valuable auxiliary to the BoHden
feed crops was grown this year on
seven acres devoted to alfalfa. The
| legume was in sandy land and gave
four good solid cuttings of alfalfa and
one mixed cutting. It was reported
| th at an effort would be made TO sow
about ten acres of alfalfa this month,
to be put in black land as an expert
ment to see il it would not do better
than in the sandy soil. Included in Bow
den's cane is So acres of the d.. seed
ling which in size seems to promise TO
cut a little smaller for the mill than
the home cane. The chances are for
| an increased area OF the Seeding next
year.
The Belle Helene central admins
/ tration, in charge Of w. E. Cage, who
was until last anuary at G. B. Reuss'
Germanta estate, has entered Belle
Helene more actively in the rank OF
Cane purchasing factories along the
Mississippi Valley Railroad and will
doubtless soon build up the cane grow
ing industry IN the interior Of the par
ish in the New River settlement. since
the Belle Helene railroad is TO be ez-
tended back that way next year. In
the meantime, the present short grind
Continued on Eighth Page.