The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1807-07-31

governor general sho was at Msw oreans' IN &c ~
TO which the gcvernor WRITE to him follows By
your official letter OF the 9th of May laa, in-
formed of the mode adopted By you TO dcpoGt the
military aores defined for Fort S;odd.rt, in the
Schooner Amin conformity with N. note accom-
Panying-which you will accordingly czuf. remain
70 depolited, until the buGnes ha be arranged with
the American government, which is hat oceurs to
me in anfwer your faid official letter" The GEM
mandant at Mobile, Immediately communicated CO.
Ply OF this letter to the American lieut.. eommandsut,
adving him tina, he copied the fame for his nformz-
lion, in cafe he ibould think proper lay the anwer
before his government. ~.
It is a fact, but little known in the middle
and eafern ftates, that a very large portion Of
the uplands Of the fou,nern and weffern couu.
try is happily adapted to the culture Of RICE.
AS this plant is the mot productive that
grows in furnif,ing food to man, 1t is highly
important that its cultivation fiouid be extend
ed, and particularly that fpecles of it that fuc-
ceeds in a dry foil. 1t is quite dtintt from that
which Is RATED in the low grounds Of Geor.
gia and South Carolina and the crcumftan-
ces attending its introduction into the United
States are eminenily entitled to notice and
preiervatlon, as they cannot fail to hold out
Inducements to the trial of other exotics, whole
naturalization might contribute TO our COM
Portable fubfillence. Thefc circumstances are
the following, which may be fully depended
upon, as they arc derived from the very gen.
tlemcn who fhare the merit of introducing this
valuable plant into the u. S. .-.
fhort time after the revolutionary war, Mr..
Jefterion was informed by MIR. Nathaniel Cut /,
ting now in the city of Warrington, that he
was about going to the coat of Africa, who
rendered his ferviccs in the execution of any
commfioR estrulted to him. Mr.. Jefferfon
obferved that he had underftood there grew
there ipeeies of the Rice plant, that fourth
ed very we'll on high and dry ground, int;mat-
ca inc great ADVANTAGES that might flow from
lis naturalization in the United States, and re-
quefted Mr. Cutting, if poffible, to obtain
lone of the feed. MIR. Cutting, fully fenGble
OF the Importance of the objett, did not over
LOOK his requcf, but tent to Mr. Jefferion, then
at Phlladelphia, few buthels of the feed. Mr..
Jefierion immediately fent part Of the feed to
the Agricultural! Society at Chareton, and diff
trlouied the refdue among number of intelli-
gent farmers in the different f 6ions of the fou-
them country. The fuccefs which enfued 10
only furPaf1ed by that which crowned the raj
ling the cotton plant. 1t was found to fucceed
admirably on the high grounds of the Carolina,
Georgia, Virginia, Kentucky aud Tennefee,
where the foil was ftrong and rich, which pro-
perty Is represented indifpeniible. 1t has &C
cord'ngly fpread extenfivey through theft ftates,
and may, 1t is prefumed, be RATED az high as
tux fo'" oeSTtS or hortn lattudt. The pro-
duct Is frequently forty bushels an acre, and
has been known it is faid, TO reach eighty In
lhort, where the land is favorable, it would
ieem TO yield larger profit to the planter, than
any other article that can be RATED by him,
and of all the products of this country to be
only interior in the profit it yields to the iugar
cane.
We hope this fatement will have two good
elects; one, to himuiate the planters of Ma
ryland to try how far their nett grounds are
htteo tor the cultivation of this valuable plant;
the other, by ihewins how much an individual
may benefit his country By avsiline hinrelf of
! opportunities IN his power oencourage our ci-
tzens generally, when peculiar circumstances
offer the means, to attempt the naturalization
OF other foreign plants.
we cannot cloie this article without the no.
tice OF one important etfe6t that may Row from
the Introduction of this fpecies of rice plant into
this country. None but blacks are able, it s
| is laid, to cultivate low land rice and this cir
cumtance has been urged as reafon for Ave
IIy. l'his will be altogether removed in cafe
iuheient quantity of rice can be rsifed more
probably from dry than oveAowed ground,
and the Latter be more advantage devoted
to meadow, which, under proper manage
ment, mutt afford higher profit than any o.
Their purpofe TO which it can DC devoted.