The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1910-11-19
SUGAR sQUIBs.
Progress of the Grinding Campaign IN AS
cension and observation-disclosures Of In
tsrest from Field and Factory.

tsrest from Field and Factory.
As hasbeen the case since the adven
of the present grinding season, TIT
weather of the past week was unusually
favorable for the cutting and saving O
the cane crop, and entirely satisfactory
headway has been made in the important
work now engaging the attention OF the
sugar planters of the state. The rain
which seemed to be imminent during the
closing days of last week failed to mate
rialize, the rising temperatures that pre-
saged downpour having been succeeded
by cool spell which arrived unleralded
! on Saturday Rain threatened also on Sun
day, and again Wednesday forenoon, but
apart from a slight drizzle at intervals
throughout the morning hours Of the latter
day, the week has been quite dry and IN
| the main cool. These conditions are
ideally suited to everybody's conception
Of the brand of weather which ought to
prevail at this season of the year, and If
they will hold out until the end of the
| grinding campaign. or at least until the
major portion of the crop has been safely
harvested, the planters viii have nothing
on which to hang complaint with refer
ence to this years grinding except per
haps the continued low price of sugar.
While no records are being broken or
former championship marks equalled,
reports show that the tonnage of cane per
acre is fairly good and the yield of sugar
quite satisfactory Some complaints are
heard of an occasional dry batch of cane,
but these instances are sporadic and for
the most part the planters seem to be
well satisfied with the results obtained,
both in the field and at the factory
At the Lemann Company's Palo Alto
factory, where some trouble was expert
enced at the start of the grinding season,
everything has been running smoothly for
the past few weeks, and the mill is chew
ing up cane at the rate of about 800 tons
per day in the easiest kind of fashion.
The improved Deming Qualification system.
which was installed during the past sum
mer, got out of Whack and caused a
slight delay some days ago, but this minor
defect has been ren1edied and every de-
partment of the big house is now operat-
ing at d smooth and steady gait.
The factories in this parish which are
| grinding this season are the Mccall Bros.
Evan Hall, the Lemann Company's Palo
Alto, the Miles Company's Houmas Cen
trail and New Hope, the Belle Helene Com
pany's Belle Helene, and the. Reass Com
pany's Germania. All of these mills
were in operation last year. and in addi-
ton there was Mccall & Legendre's Nc
Manor, which is out of commission this
season, arrangements having been made
| to handle the McManor crop at the Evan
Hall factory. 1t is likely that the list of
active Ascension factories viii be aug
mented next year by the addition of Emile
LeBoeuf's Cofield house, which has been
dark for several years past. Since the
purchase of Cofeld plantation by Mr.. Le-
Boeuf from the Websters, the place has
been planted in rice, but we understand
that it is Mr.. LeBoeufs intention to put
down large acreage of cane this year
and to embark in the manufacture of SUI
gar next season. The mechanical equip
ment of the Cofeld factory is first-claSs in
every respect and is said to be in excel
lent condition despite the long period of
disuse to which it has been subjected,
hence comparatively little repairs will be
needed in order to place the house in
condition to take off a crop of the size
Cofeld plantation is capable Of producing
Much interest is manifested in the big
meeting of sugar planters to be held at
the Donaldsonville courthouse tomorrow
| forenoon, when it is expected that some
thing definite will materialize relative to
the charges made by the planters at their
meeting in this city on the 9Th inst, to
he effect that there exists illegal and in
Jaliyt:s combinations Affecting the agricul-
tural interests of Louisiana. and particu-
larry the marketing of sugar and molasses
All the sugar planters of the state have
been invited to be presant at tomorrow S
gathering, and large attendance is ex-
pected.
The cane was more severely nipped by
the recent freeze than was generally real
lied, and as result of the unwelcome
visitation considerable wlndrowing has
been done on all the plantations in this
vicinity. Most of the cane put down will
be reserved for seed. and it is not expected
| that much windroWing viii have to be
done for the mill. since unusually rapid
progress is being made in the work of har
I5vasting the cane under the influence OF
the present favorable weather conditions,
and the big task win probably have been
completed before the advent Of the colder
weather which is due to reach this section
a couple of months later.
DID YOU EVER KEEP