St. Landry clarion. (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921, 1910-01-22

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ports Of the planters in that vicinity
the Delana crops for the mill used Il
run from 5000 to 5000 tons, with +:
resultant sugar yield that averaged
two to two and a half h~ogsheads Of
sugar to the acre. At this oper
train plant syrup was also largely
manufactured, with a generally in.
ferior equipment, and only a small g.
roll mill, the rolls measurement taken
when passing the abandoned sugar
house, showing the dimensions 36x24
inches. Though having averaged
close to 80 tons of cane to the acre,
it seems that several poor sugar and
syrup value years turned w. C. Cor
don away from cane to cotton, he
having brought a score Of years
sugar planting to a close with the
1901 or 1902 crop, and then turned
to cotton, but bis lack Of cotton rails
ing experience, together with the boil
weevil, ruined him in short time, for
a year ago his creditors fo~reclosed
on him, and the property will shortly
be sold to satisfy their claims.
Another example Of the produc-
tivity Of these lands, and showing
how there is something in the soil
that surely does give the crop a full
est share of sucrose, was cited by G.
6. johnson, who is referred to above,
his testimony borne out by other
toWnspeople who saw what cane he
grew and how much syrup he got out
of it. Having q place with some $50
acres in cultivation, this Melville mer-
chant, who has planting proclivities in
his blood, due to his father having
been a cane planter all his days. the
lamented B. +. johnson, of Rapides,
who in earlier life managed sugar
places in Terrebonne and AVoyelles
parishes, but in later years owned a
cane plantation near Lecompte.
Farmer johnson believes in diversified
agriculture, as does merchant John
son find it the best policy to keep in
his store a wide range Of goods, and
in 1909 he started to raise cane and
produce syrup for sale at the store.
Only two acres Of the sugar staple
were raised for the mill, but such was
the surprising excellence Of the yield
that when manufactured on the little
vertical horsepower mill the resultant
juice was boiled down to q little past
LOU gallons OF syrup, this retailing
at SOC. and all being disposed IF right
in town. The mill was run by two
horses. and measured only IL inches
high; one af the rolls was la inches
in diameter, the other two 10 inches.
Figuring that Is gallons of syrup
to be a liberal recovery for
such a small mill to get to the ton of
cane passed through its rolls, it would
appear the crop must have returned
approximately so tons to the acre.
were it TO be allowed that SO much as
Is gallons Of syrup was the yield,
which is unlikely with so light a pres
sure as must necessarily have been
to the cane with this size
mill, the field yield, anyway, could not
have been less than Az tons to the
acre.
Though not cuitivating all the $50
acres embraced in his field, G. @.
Johnson said it was his idea to uIti-
put IS acres in cane, though
he will not have that much
this year. With him 1910 is to be
taken up with a true Investigation
crops; considerable corr is to be
IL acres will 60 in Irish pota
toes, and much land will go in various
small crops that will GO into hogs.
he has fifteen brood soWs, and counts
IN getting quite q bunch of litters
them; to feed the brutes it is
5be plan to devote 10 acres to sugar
oeets, a trial with this feed having
oeen made last year and showed that
10 long as the hogs could get the
sweet roots, beets had their prefer
snce over corn. Other provision will
oe made for the porkers BY the SOW
ng Of sofa beans in a part of the
ield for the free entry Of the herd
when beans Is ripo,0 the beans sery-
ng the dual duty as a leguminous fer
5ilization of the ground and d good
Z
iced for hogs.
Other farmers and planters in the
A~fchafalaua ralleu arc haninninn 90