The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1910-08-06
DoNALDsONyIILE La SATURDAY, AUGUST s. 1910
Crop and Weather Notes.

The weather of the past week. although
intensely warm, has been entirely suited
to the present needs ofzthe cane and rice
crops and was therefore accepted without
murmur, Comparatively speaking), de-
spite the suffering and inconvenience in
ficted by the extremely high tempera-
lures. The mercury climbed up to the 95-
degree mark almost every day and the
sun beamed with pitiless intensity. not a
cloud appearing to intercept the blistering
rays except on Monday when a hard
downpour was experienced, and Thursday
afternoon. when scattered showers fell
throughout the parish. Meteorological
conditions of this sort are particularly we'll
adapted to the requirements of the cane
crop just at this season of the year, and
the stalks are rapidly attaining a fine de-
gree of development. Although in some
sections the fields a4e over-run with grass
and the cane has reached a height which
precludes the possibility of this undesir-
able condition being remedied. still as a
general rule the crop has been laid-by in
nice shape and presents an altogether sat-
isfactory and promising appearance.
According to statistics compiled by Lo-
cal Weather Observer w. D. Park, the
month of July furnished. considerably
more than its quota of moisture to the
years water supply, the total rainfall for
the period having aggregated SIC inches.
The greatest amount preciLitated in
twenty-four hours was so of an inch, all
of which came down, to the accompani-
ment of an aWe-inspiring electrical and
thunder storm, within a brief period of
not more than forty-five minutes in the
afternoon of Sunday the .24th. There
were II rainy days during the month. IL
clear. II partly cloudy, and 2 on which
the sun did not show up at all. The max
imum temperature was 81 degrees, regis
tered on the 9th, 18th, 23rd, 29th, 30th
and 3tst and the minimum was IS de-
grees, recorded on the 10th.
Charles G. Maher, of Donaldsonville
chief sugar-boiler of the Nipe Bay Com
pany's big factory at Preston, Cuba
writes under date of July % as follows
1--WE have 4f5, 900 bags weighed to date
Expect to make q, coo or 10000 more, il
the weather permits. Banes finished yes
/ terday with AS 600 BAGS. =
Rice cutting has been started in sonl'
localities and VII be neral thfoughou
30 asassasslassss5 4 /
the latter part of next week The crop is
reported to be in nice condition and a
good yield is anticipated.
Messrs. 0real Gonzales. and H. A. Webb,
progressive farmers and substantial citi-
zen8 of east Ascension, visited the parish
metropolis last Wednesday to attend the
meeting of the police jury, in which body
they are the capable representatives of
the seventh and eighth wards. respect
lively. They report that practically all of
the Iate-planted corn in their neighbor-
hoods will prove worthless, having been
effectualy ruined by the heavy rains of
June and July, and that what little cotton
there is in that section of the parish has
been destroyed by the boil weevils, which
are present in large numbers. A number
of farmers, upon finding that the dreaded
insect had made its appearance in their
cotton, plowed up the crop and planted
corn in its stead. hoping to at least pre-
duce small amount of this cereal. Along
came the rains, however, and drowned
out the young corn, and the consequence
is that the crop outlook in the fertile and
productive New River section is this sea-
son very gloomy and diseourasinG, Quite
a good deal of cane is cultivated in Mr..
Gonzales neighborhood, and he says this
crop is in a fourishing condition and
promises fair returns