The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1906-10-06
Weather and Cran Notes.


about, to say the least. Sunday was
clear and rather cool, but on Monday
the mercury climbed up several de-
grees and the rain god held sway from
"early morn to dewy eve" Tuesday
was cloudy and lowering, with brisk
breezes prevailing. The sun came out
as intervals Wednesday and indica-
tions pointed to d more pleasant, il
not more seasonable spell, but alas
for the frailty of human hopes, Thurs
day proved one of the wettest and
most dismal days Of the week. Yester-
day was little better, and today is
similar to its predecessors, 1t may be
that the man above will realize the
error OF his ways and send along some
thing nicer tomorrow, but even the
weather bureau is puzzled to tell in
such ehangeable times what twenty
four hours may bring forth.
The subjoined paragraphs, quoted
from this weeks Ascension letter to
the Louisiana Planter, present a fair
summary of the local situation in re-
gard to crop conditions:
"A summary of Local Observer
Park meteorological record for Sep
TENDER embraces the following sta-
tistics: Maximum temperature, 81 de-
grees, recorded on the 18th and 18th;
minimum, IS degrees, registered on
the Both. Rainfall, 2.69 inches; great
est precipitation in "a hours, O.83 on
the 21st. There were rainy days, 10
clear, s partly cloudy and 3 cloudy
days.
ut is cheering to be able to report
that the consensus of opinion among
planters and managers in this section
is that the effects of the storm of last
week upon the cane were rather bene
fetal than harmful. While nearly all
the crop was more or less blown out
OF the perpendicular, to an average
angle of about forty-fve degrees,
scarcely any was blown fiat and COM
paratively little was twisted TO any
considerable extent. The stirring of
the soil about the roots of the plant
and the partial shocking of leaves
from the stalks will accelerate the
further growth, development and ma
turing of the cane. While the terri
tory around Dona1dsonville has had
plenty of rain for the time being, lower
Ascension and nearly all OF ST. James
is in need of more moisture to give
additional impetus to cane growth.
ssLeonce Gautreau, formerly mana
ger of the Maginnis Company's ST.
Elizabeth plantation, just below Don
aldsonville on Bayou Lafourche, but
presently occupying an important
managerial position on the same COM
pany's Woodlawn place in Terrebonne
parish, was in Donaldsonville this
week engaging hands for the approach
ing grinding season, which will COM
mence at Woodlawn about the 22nd
instant. Mr.. Gautreau states that the
Woodlawn neighborhood has had just
about the right quantity of rain, and
at the time when it was most needed,
hence the crop is much better there
than in our own section of the sugar
district. He concurs in the opinion
that last weeks wind storm will bene-
fit cane instead Of hurting it, and that
the disadvantage of having the crop
partially Frustrated and harder to
handle for that reason will be more
than compens ated for by the ac-
CELEBRATED growth and development
generally resulting from good wind
storm at this time of the year in sea-
sons when cane is small. AS one man
ager 1aconica1ly puts it: 1t is bad for
big cane to be blown down, but rather
good for small cane
IT. S. Burbank, manager of E. W.
Burbank's Avon plantation in upper
Assumption, and Theo. S. Landry,
former Ascensionite who for several
years past has been managing a part
of the "A. FL. Gay Company's big ST.
Louis plantation in Iberville parish,
were among the numerous visitors to
Donaldsonville Sunday, but neither
gentleman seemed disposed to discuss
crop conditions in his neck of the
woods, which is always regarded as
an ominous Indication. If there's any
chance to say something good about
his crop, the average manager isn't
slow to take advantage of the OPP
portunity.
"Considerable interest is felt among
the planting fraternity regarding the
prospective change of ownership of the
well-known Lauderdale plantation in
St. James parish, for many years the
property Of the late Iamented Ber-
gondy LaPice. The place is fine
one and ought to meet with ready
sale at good price.
ssThere was very little rice still in
the fields hereaway when the storm
struck US, hence that cereal sustained
no damage worth mentioning. This
has been a good year for rice planters
along the river and bayou, for they
made fine crops and got good prices
for them.
tCotton has suffered greater injury
from the storm than any other crop
of this section, but specific reports are
yet too few and conflicting to render
al aceur ate estimate of the damage
possible. -