The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1871-10-26
THE RICE CROP OF SOUTH CARORINA
AND GEORGIA.

A late issue of the Georgetown Is. C.)
Times, has communication on the rice crop
of the State, apparently from practical plan
ter, which contains much Information OF
value. The cultivation of this valuable grain
has made but little progress since the war, the
great difficulties being want Of money aud
unsettled labor. The hope of Its resuscitation
is by the introduction of labor.saying ma
chimes which will enable the crops to be made
certain, and at figures that will pay. This, we
think, will be done ere long. The crop Of this
season has undoubtedly been seriously injur-
ed BY. bad weather, and the amount Of high
grade article will In consequence be largely
diminished. The writer Gays:
No accurate estimate of the growing crop
can be given by the 1st September, or begin
ming Of the fiscal year. But now, that the
harvest is drawing to close, the quality and
quantity can both be fairly computed. 1t is
patent that the quality of the grain is infu-
enced chiefly by the conditions of Its growth
aud harvest. Rice that becomes over ripe
never makes prime quality-so also with
that which gets wet upon the stub6le, either
tides or freshets. After cutting Of the
grain o certain process of drying. or
curing upon the stubble, is necessary before
1t can be banded In sheaves for the yard or
mill. During this stage Of seasoning, the quail.
ity may be seriously impaired by Wetting
Especially i protracted) and the quantity cut
under repeated landings. The disasters
which are known to have attended the gather
ing of the crops on the more Southern rivers,
and the almost unprecedented wet harvest OF
this section, can leave no room for doubt that
there will be but little choice or prime rice this
season. At least two-thirds of this crop has
been wet at some stage between cutting ana
stacking In the yard-and the delays In har-
vesting, in consequence of bad weather, have
caused a very considerable portion to become
over ripe. A prime quality under these cir
cumstances would prove EXCEPTIONAL to the
universal experience.
OF the former and present crop of George
town County the writer states that In the Pee
dee Times on the 10th September, 1860, the
aggregate rice crop Of this section for the year
1859 footed up In tlerces-95, l2T-to wit:
For Lower All Saints (then separate
parish but an integral portion OF the
Judicial dlstrict) .....................25 .25 9o4
For Prince George, Wlnyaw. w........... .69, l73
Total number tlerces 81, ,l27
This constituted nearly two-thirds OF the en-
tire crop Of the State, and was the product
from about forty-six thousand (46,0O0J acres
then cultivated; showing an average that year
of over forty (40) bushels per acre-which was
one of the largest crops.
From 1860 to 1868 there are no reliable
figures either as to acreage or product. But
from this date have procured each year, after
minute and laborious investigation, details
from each plantation cultivated, giving au ag-
gregate In figures which must be considered
very close approximation 10 truth.
find that In 1868 the acreage was II, LAB.
ind ind that that in 1870 1870 the acreage was ,ls3
In 1871 we have 1889.