The Opelousas courier., 1873-10-25
Rice Culture i'm Louisiana.

The New Orleans PicGy"fae has OF late been
calling public attention to the subject OF the
culture of rice in Louisiana. Before the late
"war of the sections we believe that there
was not much attention given in this State to
the culture of this important and popular ar
ticle of food. About nineteen twentieths, we
have been informed by writer's on the subject,
of the rice produced in the United States be-
fore the war was the production of ''that por-
tion of the Southern Atlantic and Gulf coasts
comprised within the area of Carolina and
Georgia" The land owners and planters of
Louisiana at that period devoted their time,
labor and attention almost exclusively to the
culture of cane and cotton. 1t is source of
some satisfaction to those who feel an interest
in the development of all the wonderful re-
sources of our great State, to find that our
planters are now directing their attention to
the culture of other crops besides cotton and
cane. There are large areas Of land in Lou
isiana on which rice can be produced in large
quantities, and of excellent quality. The PIC
ayuase, that staunch and fearless advocate of
all the best interests of our State, has shown
conclusively that there is money to be made
by the cultivation of rice in this State. 1t
seems to be more certain crop, too, than
cotton, and its culture is attended, we believe,
with much less expense and labor than that
of either cotton or cane.
AS far back as 1859, the adaptation of the
soil and climate of Louisiana to the culture OF
rice, attracted the attention of writers for
Northern journals, visiting the Southern
States. We find in Harpc,!s Magazine of No
vember of that year the following remarks,
written by ONE Of its contributors in the
South, whilst writing ON the subject of rice
culture in the Carolinas and Georgia:
aAt some future day, Carolina may be call
ed upon to share the .honors and profits whict
she thus enjoys with her sister States lying OF
the Gulf of Mexico-with Alabama and sMiss1s
sippi. and particularly with Louisiana, IN al
which States there are immense tracts-mll
lions of acres-of low lands, no less suited tG
the growth of rice than are the swamPs o.
Carolina and Georgia. Rice will paJ
better, no doubt, in Louisiana, when sugal
will pay less; particularly as the climate OF
the soil Is well proved to be more free from
the fatal malarias which, in Garohna, forbiG
any labor but that of the negro race.
1t would seem that the time spoken of here
when rice will pay better in this State, has
arrived. There Is an air OF true prophecy II
the above extract. Without the war, even, i
is probable that the anticipations of the wri
ter would have been realized at some distan
day. The changes, however, that have fol
lowed so closely and rapidly upon the heels o
that great event have hastened the happening
of what he foresaw and predicted. 1t is no
only, however, along the banks Of the Missis
sippi river that rice can be successfully cul
tivated. There are large tracts of low land
in the interior of the State, in Southwestern
Louisiana, that could be rendered productiv
of that cereal-tracts of land that are demon
mated swamp land, = and now serve only fo
grazing purposes. May we not hope that er
long this subject will attract it's legitimat
share Of the attention of our people, and tina
the culture of rice in Louisiana viii ente
upon fairrace of competition with that {
cane and cotton