The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1911-01-14
SUGAR sQu|Bs.

SUGAR sQuIBs.
Items OF Interest from Field and
Factory Seed Cane Not Injured
by Freeze.
Through a slip of the typewriter, The
Chief was made to state last Saturday
/ that the ground had been frozen to d
depth Of ten to twenty inches during
the severe freeze Of last week, when what
was intended, Of course, was zone to two.
inches. a cypher was inadvertently
placed after the figures q !" and s2.
trsaslnsposine perfectly correct and every
day statement into most unusual and
sensational declaration.
The apprehension that fall plant and
seed cane would be materially injured bys
last weeks freeze has not been realized,
we are glad to state. Some cane very
little, fortunately-that was not properly
drained or well covered was damaged to
q slight extent, but the great bulk Of the
SEED seems to have escaped injury en-
tlrely and is reported to be III fine shape.
lle unusual cold spell Of the 3rd, 4th
and 5th instants has been followed Nv :,
period OF balmy, spring like weather,
Illustrating in a most striking manner the
vagarles OF Louisiana s peculiar and inim-
liable climatic conditions. Al ffer toucb-
ing mark several degrees below the
1reezlng point three days in succession.
tne temperature moderated rapidly in the
afternoon of the 5th, and BY the following
day was lowering in the vicinity of the
temperate zone on the thermometer.
sunday was as bright and warm as a day
IN April, and the same conditions pre-
vailed during the remainder Of the week.
Flowing IS the order of the day on the
sugar plantations, and full advantage has
been taken of the favorable weather of Z
the past ten days to prosecute this work. Z
which will be followed BY the putting
down Of spring plant cane as soon as the i
fields have been placed in shape to receive
the seed. It is reported that there will
pc material increase in the cane acreage
in this locality.
Florian ]. Michel of nonal ldsonville, as
sistant sugar boiler. Smith Yentzen, of
Smoke Bend, head clarifer:: AdIard and
Cyrlile Gauthneaux, Of lower Ascension.
dotsbse~effeet men. and Sabin Deno,lx, Of !.
hrusly Sacramento, flter-press man, ar
rived here last Sunday morning from the
Albania plantation, near Jeanerette,
where they were employed during tie
grinding season Thomas Blouin. also Of
Donaldsonv vile, the efficient chief sugar
maker of the Albania house, and his !
young son. Thomas, Jr.. continued to New
Orleans to join Mrs. Blouin. who spent the
period OF her husbands absence ia that s
city as the guest of her daughter. Mrs.
james Schmidt. The Albania mill
crushed its last stalk of cane on Friday
Jan. 8, at o'clock p. M, and finished
boiling at 1890 o clock the following fore
noon. Approximately 81, ,10e tons of cane
were ground and the sugar output was in
me neighborhood of 5,00O,000 pounds.
fourteen days were lost during the season j
as the result OF inclement weather and
breakdowns, the principal event in the
Iafter category being the fracture of .
rrusher roller axle. which necessitated
shutdown Of nearly a week. During the
last two weeks Of the campaign the
factory was operated at slow speed, Dsss~
ing to the poor quality of the cane shen,
beng handled, as well as the further fact
that unfavorabIe weather conditions pre-
vented the delivery of cane 10 the mill Id d
sufficient quantities 70 Keep the plant 90
Ing at full capacity Much trouble was
experienced IN the sugar boiling depart
meat during the handling of the sour and
partially rotten cane which was fed ID the
mill for the concl Gliding fortnight of the
crushing season, and the sugar yield
which prior to that time had maintained
an average of between $50 and 1eg
pounds per ton. dropped as low ais i3l.
pounds, while 1t other places ii the same
locality the yield is reported to have de-
creased to 100. The masse cutie crystal.
lied fairly well, but was slow in develop
ing into sugar, and on frequent occasions
Il required sixteen hours to turn out Ii
strike, Y whereas under normal conditions
earlier in the season a strike would be
boiled IN six and half to seven hours