Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1859-07-25
THE GAZETTE.
DAY IN a RICE PLANTATION.
MONDAY MORNING. JULY -. 1859.

To many 81 cur readers, dmb,icS-, the
mode 81 planting and cultivating thi, great
article ut food Is IL much unknown a. lift
We're only grown III the East ludieS. All,
however, are acquainted with its excellent
qualities AS Il nourishing diet.
The plantation which visited was that OF
Col. /. ID. Meares, of Brunswick. The
broad. fiat piece Of ground oi many acres. en-
tends along the river and out upon adjacent
creeks: the land is divided into tasks 10y
bitches running through IN every direction,
though mostly crossing each other ut right
angles No plows are used, the whole work
being done with short hoe and long mar
row one. When set o! hands are put into
one of these tasks, they must smooth it of,
make the little trench rows snw the seed and
cover it, all III the same day. The tasks are
really gwen to one, rs, for instance, 1t Is the
work Of one To smooth so much ground; oi
another to trench after him; of another I"
SOW the seed. and another to cover it. The
numbers Of these tasks make field; this
field is not fenced in but surrounded by IL
large ditch and eMbankment. These are
designated as No. 1. ,, 3. &c. ndcrntain 10,
Is. or 20 acres. There is no fencing. the
great body Of land, containing number
Having given YOU faint idea OF how the
land lies, we will see how it is cultivated
In the fall after rice is cut, as soon Us per
tectly dry, the stubble is burned of. Some
times the weather will no, allow this. then II
ren,ains and is chopped under in the winter.
In December the whole land intended for
cultivation is gone over with the hoe, break
ing clods, So. In March the planting sea
,,Nl
the rush. As soon rs II field is planted IT is
covered with water, and 81 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 managed so that
when one field is under water, another may
be dry. Several hands are constantly EN-
played in clearing out bitches, stopping the
leaks in embankments. &c.
Every kind OF bird is lover OF rice, and
an enemy to the interests Of the rce-planterS,
but the one most dreaded is the rice-bird.-
1t is small bird of darkish-brown color,
with sharp, stout bill, with which it grasps
the stalk OF rice aud Squeezes the milk from
il as effectually Us if done with pair "f
nippers. The only means Of getting rid OF
them is by p'wder and 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 rce-feld, they swoop down with
noise like thunder. and the beautiful rice
stalks fall down before them, as does the
rice before the reaper's hook. Left to them
selves. but few hours would suffice to clear
the field But half dozen muSkets scare
them off for time. But few who d" not
live in that section have III idea of the I'M
mense damage which they do to the rice
planters, and suppose there is II" means OF
correct calculation, rs they never iail t" APP
pear, though more numerous some years
than others. Mr. Meares informed me that
last yearhe consumed thirty five kegs of pow
der in shooting them, and that one year he
had used as much as fifty kegs. The shut
was in proportion.
OF late wears an extensive trade has grown
I'D in the rice straw. The scarcity OF hay
and the interiority ofthe article brought from
the North, induced Mr.. MeareS some years
ago to try cured rice straw, tnput up with
clover and salt and water. 1t succeeded
we'll, and for that which he sent to market
he found ready sale. Other planters adop-
ted it, and the rice straw il now very gener-
ally used as a food for horses, &c. Though
by ne means equal to the hay which You have
and is everywhere in the West. yet it is far
superior to the Northern apology for hay,
which has so long been an article oi food III
the Cape Fear region.
The plantation of Col. Meares is one OF the
oldest npon the riyer-there are fields III II
which have been planted regularly for over
forty years, and still produce luxuriantly.-
The machine for cleaning the rice IL OF the
best pattern. The rice is sold by the planter
in the husk, then passes through the rice
mill, and is exposed for sale as we eat 1t upon
the table.-Salisbuy Waterman.
WHAT CAN BE DONE WITH PAPER.
A writer in Blackwood's Magazine says
II j. wonderful 10 see the thousand useful