The Sumter banner. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1846-1855, 1847-03-24
AGRICULTURAL.
From the Camden Journal.
CULTIVATION OF RICE.

Mr.. Editor: r:-Sir--I amof opinion, that
your paper is cminentIy calculated tn pro-
mote the agricultural interest Of the south
ernsecliOn nf our Union.
Situated as we arc in these States, so Ill
tie removed from The tropical-ravnrch
with seasons so leng thencd. we nrc enabled
TO cultivate any Of The fruits. and mos, nr
The grains Of that region. II is therefore nr
moment To the planter, To awaken his encr-
gies-io encourage enterprise, aud tn make
experiments suiIc'I in our favored situation.
In accordance with these f'"lings have
real with much interest tic varinus i'm
provements in progress in the arts or .gri-
culture, so jndiciuusly selected in r,nr "a
per. There is one view however, which
at this crisis, I think important ,n Tie rnn-
sideration Of tie planter. which have nn,
seen expressed. Nor '!o ! know Of any
experiments now in progress. likely 10
produce any favorable result.
To make experiments and to communi-
cate the result, I conceive to be our duty.
To give them publicity is Il task Which
you have prnmised 10 perform.
Formerly, when lands were fresh and
yielded abnn'la y-whcn c"ltun hare q
high price aud the planter pncketcd II heavy
return from his crop. mnlters moved on
with very little difficulty. Twenty cents
pound for cotton supplied the necessity
of all experiments and m eXprdcnt was
.Erlslom thought oG-inhecd, the spnce nfae.
esiculture was entirely neglected. But, now
these iron times-lEirse worn uut and ster-
lie fields hav" preiiXch another feature To
the seen" in which the planter may pnr.
trnyed on the ono side, pnvcrlv aud rmbar-
rassncnt. with all "f lis c"ncnmlants col.
lalcrallv connected. On the other. The
only antidn;e, industry, cc"m"mv ami fru-
gality. Aud siuce il has hecomc one IF
the clearcsi aXinms which can be chuccd
from the recent history Of The eaton mar.
kct, that labor, skill aud industry even
when applied by III" best informed and
most ju,!icinus cul,iva,ots "fil, soil, will
very little more than clear incumbent cx-
pens"s. (nnd indeed some planters fa in
doing this much.) il ia lnud and urgent
call upon the community Of cation growers
to abolish Mt least to Il considerable extent.
it not entirely, The culture Of this valurIrss
commodity,' and adopt systematically, some
other more profitable in lis stead.
Here The question very naturally arises.
what can supply the plac. Of cu.,on7 what
will yield better revenue! Let us then,
iibuire into The nature nf the rice plani,
and compare, from facts which accident
has brnmght within our view, itS relative
value nn upland culture. II is II well known
fact, that the rice plant lhrvrs wrIInnd will
mature perfectly on any land that will pro.
duce cotton. The result will he, that The
product nf an acre Of rice, is more than
double that in carton. That ,nure can be
cultivated 10 lhe hnnh that il will mature
a. soon and the harveslis over hcfurr that
Of cotton IS fairIy begun: and What is para
mount TO any "sher advantage in the scale
Is, that there eannol reasonably exist any
apprehension uf starving oui .he commune
" even. if rice becomes a staple Gnmmod.
ty in this region, no matter in what extent it
may be cultivated. Nor is there any pro.
babiIiiy of Cutting the market. with an ar
ticle in such universal demand. aud where
the geographical limits in which it can be
cultivated to any advantage are 50 clearly
defined.
Objections may be offered to this change
Of culture from tie fact, that rice is an aqu ua.
tic plant. anl can only be rrnftabIy culli-
waited on lands that are irrigated at will
To this objection. would only remark
that il is not unusual fnr planters who are
most favorably slun,ed on tide lands even,
to adopt system Of dry culture with s"me
fields, resulting in an abundant harvest.
Indeed, il is long contested point with
successful growers Of rico, whether the