The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1852-04-06
Culture Of Rice.

We find in the Patent Office report for $50
81, letter from r. w. F. Aston, of Soutb
Carolina, an interesting letter, on the culture of
rice. Mr. Alstons plantation is on the Peedee
river, near Georgetown. We extract the fol.
lowing from it,
Our lands are improving under the grateful
influence of the fallows and rotation practiced
by me, as that OF system, first in 1878 and
they produce now rice of better quality than
formerly. So much is this the fact, that there
is class of purchasers recognized in the
Charleston market who will be content with
nothing but the choicest samples, and for these
they are willing to pay an extra price.
ms system, extended as it is, and greatly
improved, IN the hands Of my observant skilfuI.
and JudIcous neighbors of Waccamaw and
Sandy Island, by manuring with rice straw.
chan, and even flour, has been one among the
chiet means OF producing the beautiful "long-
gram rice Cultivated now by the two most
successful and experienced planters in this dis
trict, and by not more than two others 40 far
as know in the highest state of maturity.
Rice stra'0 has long been valued as an excel
lent manure, when listed in and rotted for up.
land corn and potatoes. 1t has latterly been
used in the same way as dressing for rice in
the fallow swamp land, on Sandy Island. and
with favorable results
Rice chat too, which formerly was dis
charged from the mill into the race wav." in
order to get rid of it, since its analysis by Pro-
lessor Shepard, for dur Agricultural Society, is
now used to some extent in renovatinp old
lands. Ii is distributed over the surface. some
three inches deep, and ploughed in, stimuIa-
ting the production of the soil, and improving
the quality of the sell, and improving the DUAL.
ity of the grain
Rice -four, VIGOROUSLY Of value as food for
hogs, cattle, and poultry, and selling readily,
when corn is scarce, at from IL to 20 cents per
bushel, has, within a very few years past, con-
trlbuted its share towards improving in both
quality and Quantity particular crop in Wac
camaw.
The crop of last year O850-51) affordng as
II does, a good portion of very prime rice, where
the salt water did not affect it, will prove to be
some ten per cent. short, as estimated by us.
This diminution is believed to be owing, chiefly,
to the high winds which passed over the tide
lands about the middle of August last, when the
greater half of the growing rice plants were still
in bloom
Rice is essentially swamp seed" here.
We do not cultivate any on the upland
Every year, however, it is grown in small
patches in the interior, and tended mostly with
the plough.
The best kind of rice for this purpose s. be-
leve, the old fashioned white seed,n which was
the only variety cultivated in the State until late
in the last century, when was introduced among
tide-swamp planters the gold-seed rice" which
is now universally approved. The abearded
rice variety of white rice, with a yery long
avn, was imported some years ngo for this verv
purpose (upland planting; but, | believe, it IS
now nowhere seen but to be eradicated.
The "long-grain" seed alluded to above,
some account of which is given in the pro.
ceedings of the State Agricultural Society Of
South Carolina, is the choicest variety now
cultivated in this region. Like the ordinary
seed, it requires particular care and attention
throughout the process of culture, to have it
produced of the primest quality. But, when
thus produced, if it be carefully mled and
skillfully prepared, the long grain rice will CON-
mnnd in the winter market from 80 cents to
y per 100 lbs. more than the very best qualities
Of the ordinary small grain.
For example, during the month of December
just past the market in Charleston for the small