Thibodaux minerva. [volume] (Thibodaux, La.) 18??-1858, 1854-06-17

and seeming good milling qualities of the kernel
t |, however, discoyed amongst it very larg
proportion of the red skin.
No. Stalk 81 feet long awnless husk
very pale yellow; grains irregular some in
clined to be chalky, some soft, some brittle, an,
only small portion tough; in size per cent
smaller than the Carolina gold seed; grown
(withoutcar in the parish of Plaquemines abou
30 miles below New Orleans, sowed broadcas
and irrigated from the Mississippi; produc
about so bushels, or less than 1900 lbs of clear
rice to the acre, with ten acres to the hand
This when examined in the sheaf resembles very
much the common white husk upland variety Of
South Carolina, but is poor specimen. will
here observe that bushel of rough rice should
weigh about 45 lbs., and make when cleaned
about 29 lbs /: a full struck buslel of clean rice
weighs about 63 lbs +; barrel technically con-
tains 81 bushels of rough or 200 lbs. Of clean.
No. 6.-Stalk feet long and very slender !;
awnless; husk pale yellow; grain pearly, hard
and small will mill well, grown near Point La
Hache; product Sc bushels to the acre. IRE
No. Stalk full 7 feet long and very heavy,
with broad leaves; awnless; grain pearly, rather
soft, the inner skin surrounding the kernel very
easily removed by friction; in size fully equal
to the Carolina gold seed product 10 bushels
to the acre; grown below Point La Hache.
These three last specimens belong to the same
variety, their difference resulting from the kind
Of land they were grown upon, and the care be-
slowed in culture. The same remark will apply
to many other specimens I have from different
points along the Mississippi. This kind could
be improved by proper culture, but not made
equal, in my opinion. to the gold seed.
No. SIS the true gold seed from the Great
Pedee River in s. c., selected for planting.
No. 9.-Is the large Ward grain, such as was
sold in Charleston some time ago for SIS q
bushel; from the Waccamaw River, s. c., also
selected for planting. ai a15 49T
These, presume, are sufficient for your pur-
poses. They will give you pretty correct idea
of the character of the rice Louisiana is now
producing.
The level batture is, certainly, the land best
adapted for the growth of rice in this State
such as is just in the rear Of the cane fields
along the Mississippi and the various bayous;
in fact much of the front land is better for rice
than sugar. It should be low enough to be
flooded from the front, and high enough to be
drained in therear, though it is not very material
low, when draining machine is used. In the
middle and lower parishes there are large bodies
of land that can be flooded and drained at
pleasure from March till July-the time the
river is up. After that the summer rains
usually set in, which give water enough to sup
ply the early crop. The nearer the Gulf, it ap-
pears from some imperfect statistics, the heavier
are the rains; July and August being the most
rainy months, and ANarch and September the
dryest. a@f&@153 " 3@ala@ z
8 The river, as asascertained by an average taken
from statistics Of more than thirty years, is at
its highest about the 1st of May, lowest about
the 1st of October, and medium about the 1st
of February and August. .t7 asf 20 il't 5f.i
When laying out a rice plantation Of two or
three hundred or more acres, I would advise the
erection Of good draining machine. arranged
80 as either to drain to the depth Of three feet
below the mean level Of the land, and to fow as
much as two feet above it. A wheel Of seven
teen or eighteen feet diameter, or one Of Lebby
Machines, such as have here, would, / think,
be sufficient for large plantation, IF kept work.
ing upon an average of three days in the week
for not over three months in the year. .zS.5'
T. A plantation thus supplied would never fail
with any thing ike ordinary care. to give .
good crop. Rice, with uniform culture, it must
be remembered, is the most uniform in its yield
of oil the cereals Strong winds or heavy rains
just At the period Of ructifcation will lessen the
product but rs the fields are planted five or six
days apart and through space Of ten or twelve
weeks, only very small portion Of the crop is
in blossom ut one time, and likely to be injured
by such cause. Small insects will occasionally
attack the young plants, but these are all de-
stroyed by full flowing for one night. Heavy
rains at harvest time are also bad, though the
cut rice may remain several days on the stubble
exposed to the weather without serious injury,
provided the grain itself skept above the ground
But as far as my inquiries have extended in
Louisiana there is very little loss resulting from
continued rains in harvest time, the fields being
planted in rotation, and SO much Of the crop
maturing in the fall, clear days and hot sun
can generally be taken sdvsntageof. The black
birds may do some injury BY picking up the
seed when not covered ur flowed. The ortolan
(rice bunting, )so numerous and at times so de-
structive in the Atlantic States, are not. found
here in any numbers. I'LL t%S s.@a5.s4@.sa fs
Z The planter should by Ill means commence
with the very best and purest seed be can obtain,
then select the very best Of the product and
screen i wsll "a, obtain the largest grains. for
the next crop, and 20 continue In South
Csrolina, planting in drills is said 70 increase