Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1859-06-20
Day on a Rice Plantation-Tbe Culture of
Rice.

lrfom the salisbury Watchnan
To many of your readers, doubtless, the mode
OF planting and eultivating this great article
OF food Is as much unknown us if it were only
grown In the East Indies. All, however. are
acquainted with its excellent qualities as a
nourishing diet
The plantation which visited was that Of
Col. L. ID. Meares, of Brunswick The bread
nat piece OF ground of many acres extends
along the river and out upon adjacent creeks
The land is divided into - tasks" byditches
through In every direction though mostly
crossing each OtIer at right angles. No plows
are used, the whole work being done with
short hoe and lUno narrow one When a set
OF hands are put o one Of the asks they
must smooth L. of, make the little trench rows
SOW the seed and cover it, all i'm the same day
The tasks are really given to only one as for
Instance, il is the work Of one to smooth So
much ground, of another tn trench after him,
ut another TO SOW the seed, and another to
cover 1t. The numbers of these tasks make
held; this field is not fenced in, but surrounded
by large ditch and embankment. These are
designated as No. !, 2, 3, &C. and contain 10
10 or ~ acres. There is no fencing; the great
body OF lsnd-cOntaining number of fields
surrounded by large canal
Having given you faint idea Of how the
land lays, we will see how it il cultivated In
the fall, after the rice is cut, as soon as per
fectly dry, the stubble is burned off, Some
remains, and is chopped under in the winter
In December, the whole land intended for cul-
tlvation is gone over with the hoe, breaking
elods, &c. In March, the planting season be-
gins, and from that time onward is the rush
As soon as field is planted, it is covered with
water, and SO remains until the rice is pretty
well grown. The water is then let of and soon
after the field is gone over with the hoe TO chop
out grass and work the rice. This is done twice
before the crop ripens The irrigation is man
aged 20 that when one field is under water an
other may be dry. Several hands are constant
ly employed in clearing out bitches, stopping
leaks In embankments, &c.
Every kind of bird is lover Of rice, and an
enemy to the interests of rice planters, but the
one most dreaded is the rice-bird 1t is a small
bird OF darkish brown col6r, with a sharp stout
bill with which it grasps the stalk of rice, and
squeeZes the milk from it as edectually as If
done with pair of nippers. The only means
OF getting rid of them is by powder aud shot
and though thousands upon thousands are
killed, they still appear as thick as at first
During the season of killing, hogs and dogs
upon the plantation all get fat. The negroes
are provided with guns, and stand upon the
banks and shoot from morning until night
When flock of these birds come down near q
rice field, they swoOp with noise like thunder.
and the beautiful green rice stalks fall before
them as does the rice before the reaper's hoop
Left to themselves, but few hours would suf-
fce to clear the field, but half dozen muskets
scare them of for time. But few who do not
live in that section have any idea of the i'm
mense damage they do to the rice planters;
aud suppose there is no means of correct cal
culatiOn, as they never fail to appear, though
more numerous some years than others. Mr.
Meares informed me that last year he consumed
35 kegs of powder in shooting them. and that
one year he had used as much as 80 kegs, The
shot was in proportion.
OF late years an extensive trade had grown
up in the rice straw. The scarcity of haV, and
the inferiOrity of the article brought from the
North, induced Mr.. Meares some years ago to
try cured rice straw, to put up with clover
with salt and water. 1t succeeded we'll, and
for that which he sent to market ne found a
ready sale. Other planters adopted it. and
the rice straw is now very generally used as a
food for horses, &c. Though by no means
equal to the hay which you have and is every
where in the West, yet it is far superior to the
Northern apology for hay, which has for SO
long been an article of food in the Cape Fear
region.
The plantation of Col. Meares is one of the
oldest on the river, there are fields in it which
have been planted regularly for over 40 wears,
and still produce luxuriantly. The machinery
for clearing the rice is Of the best pattern. The
rice rs it is sold by the planter in the husk,
passes through the rice mill, and is exposed
for sale in tierces as we use it upon the table