EXPERIMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF SUGAR. 



The manufacturing season at Magnolia commenced November 7. 188C, 

 and ended December 20. This completes the third season's work of t In* 

 Department at this station. 



I shall give, in as few words as possible, a comparison of the grow- 

 ing seasons of the past three years. 



In 1884 the weather was favorable until the 1st of June, then followed 

 a period of very wet weather, lasting until August, which was a vei v 

 dry month. The conditions in September and October were favorable 

 to the ripening of the cane. During the rolling season there were fre- 

 quent and heavy rains. 



Season 0/1885. The early part of this season was exceptionally wet. 

 From April to July the rainfall was limited to but three or four showers; 

 in August and September the rains were frequent and heavy; in Octo- 

 ber and the rest of the season the weather was exceptionally dry and 

 cool, the mean temperature being considerably below that of 1884. The 

 cane was prostrated in September by a heavy wind storm. 



Season 0/18SG. In consequence of cold, wet weather in February, 

 March, and April the cane obtained a very late -start. May was dry 

 and cool ; June and July were so wet that it was impossible to properly 

 cultivate the cane; August was dry and exceedingly hot. In Septem- 

 ber, October, and the rolling season the weather was very dry. The 

 drought probably saved the cane from damage in the heavy wind storm 

 of October, when the lower coast of the Mississippi near I'ointe ;\ la 

 I lache was seriously damaged. There was a killing freeze Xovember 1 7. 

 This is the earliest freeze, with one exception, noted in the plantation 

 records, extending over a long period of years. December was cold. 



It may be seen from the above statements that these three seasons 

 differed very materially from one another. That of 1884 might be eon 

 sidered very favorable. The tonnage was fair and the cane rich. Jn 

 1885 the conditions were also favorable, with the exception of the wet 

 weather in September and the heavy wind storm. The tonnage was 

 large, but the quality of the cane was poor. 



In January, 188G, there was a severe free/e, perhaps the most se\ 

 on record in Louisiana. At the time of this free/e it was feared that 



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