Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1858-07-30

From the u. 5. Economist and Dry Goods Reporter.
Rice--Its Production, Preparation and Consumption
The use Of rice the chief article of human food is
almost universal in the countries of the East The nu
merous populations depend upon it the main stay
and it is produced Ill propOrtonate abundance 1t is
supplied at rate measured in money value incredibly
cheap-more so localities better favored by Ma
ture than in Others and becomes article of alternate
import and export according to the variation of the
sons. Not unrequently the most frightul fmines fol-
low continued drough, which is fatal to the rice crop
The experience of Ireland in relation to the failure of
the potato crop in l847 is frequently that of the Asiat
countries in relation to rice but the extent of country
where it is cultivated, and the variety of climate gives
whole suciency of food. The evidence of all the
authorities in relation to the habits of the Asiatcs is
upon the great dependency of the people up
on rice. The late Alexander Everett Esq. Minister of
the United States to the Court Of China in essay
upon the population of China, with reference to the
Mahusian theory states that all the people, from the
Emperor down to the laborer and including CATTLE use
rice for daily food and all writers upon China and the
Chinese corrobOrae the statement 1t is stated that
the Chinese labOrer, earning on average S. per
month"; obtain three full meals per day. and the peo
pie of India obtain much rice with perhaps some
change i'll the money estimates of both the labor and
food. So long has rice been identified with food in
China that it has furnished phrases of the language
Thus, to take any meal whatever is chih FAM" e. to
eat rice, and common salutation equivalent to how
do you do p? is chh kuo fan ?? have you eaten rice ??
In Japan rice is raised in very large quantities. and
! forms the chief item of food.
In Java they cultivate two dcscriptons-one is a
large grain of productive kind giving one crop in
year. The other is small hardy plant which rpens in
5 months, giving two crops in the year. In some fa-
vored situation six crops have been taken in % years.
In Cochin, China fine lands of rice are cultivated
some annual, and others give two to five crops in the
year, according to locality The rice is here very cheap
selling ordinarily at SOC per l33 lbs.
In Siam, the annual inundaton makes the production
oDHt tho tho lly
25c per ll2 lbs and of large export trade is
Carried on to the neghboring countries.
In Birmah, the soil is said to be immensely prolific
giving sxyfod in rice, which is if possible more
clusycy the food OF the people than elsewhere and is
universally seasoned with capsicum.
In Sumatra, the greatest is taken in the cutya
ton and yield Of 100 to l40 fold is said to be Oh
tanned.
The Island of Ceylon population l.Giol2t had il
rice in 1854 4204S4 acres, of which the product
234 O36 900 bs yet the last intelligence from that is
land is that ordinary years they do not raise enough
for their use, but import largely from the Maabal
coast The Malahar country has nearly as large pop
ulation, but the rice product is Its
6262 square miles of that 788 square miles is in rice
which at the yield as in Cey Ion gives crop O
81 100000 lbs.
The Island of Hong Kong produces quantity Of
rice and it is to be remarked that market for rice has
sprung up in California mainly supplied from the East
China supplies about 100000 lbs per annum and Ma
nlla Batavia and Calcutta nearly much moro, the i'm
ports being nearly 20,OO0,0OO lbs. per annum.
In view of the great dependence SO generally had
among those nations upon rice, as food the quantity
consumed has not been estimated less than per
head per day. in round numbers 70 lbs yer head pei
annun. The latest returns Of the numbers in thosr
countries give G8l 3439l6 souls and the rice crops
estimated at 62, l76O62 900 lbs weight about SO pei
cent greater than the Indian crop of the United
States The following are the numbers of persons il
the East whose food is chiefly rice either grown OF
their own soils or procured from each other.