National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1874-04-11
RICE PLANTING.

A correspondent Of the New Haven Journal ard
Courier, writing from Charleston, South Caro-
lima, gives the following description Of the man
ner Of cultIvsting and cleaning rice In, that re-
gion: Rice, which is 0 great article Of food with
the SouthernSrs, being used a. Q vegetable and
on the table ct nearly every meal, forms an i'm
portsnt branch Of business. II Is principally
grown near the banks Of rivers, requiring marshy
land and is brought to the mills situated close to
tho docks In vessels, 90 that there Il very little
Waste in transportation. First It 10 conveyed to
the top OF the MILL where the outer husk II ground
of between two burr stones; 1t then passes into
iron mortars holding about Q bushel each, stand
ing twenty or thirty In Q row, according to the
size Of the mil, and Is subjected to q thorough
pounding BY large iron pestles worked By steam,
taking of the brown skin, which adheres very
firmly to the rice. 1t then passes into cylinder
sleeves, revolving with great sulftness, which
throw OF the dust and smooth down the rough
edges; then passing into another cylinder lined
with lambs WOOL It receives its polish, and from
thence through sleeves Of different Sizes separating
the whole from the broken rice, into barrels, and
1t is ready for market Great quantities Of rice
husks are shipped North for packing, and they
are also used for filling in docks, &C.. and making
irm foundation and never rotting.
COTTON.
The same writer makes the following remarks
on this staple: Cotton, which comprises the great
business of the South is about being planted now,
the ground beng prepared during the winter
months, sowing generally commencing at the lat
ter part Of March and continuing through April.
1t makes its appearance above ground in hve or
six days, blooming by June, having yellow bios
som, and is ready for picking By August, which
continues until frost (about November) stops
further growth Of the plant. During the harvest
all hands, young and old, are called into the
fields, md pick into baskets or bags suspended
from their shoulders. After the crop 10 gathered
10 Is spread out and dried, 1fterward separated
from the seed, which, before the invention OF the
cotton gin, was very tedious process. BY which
one hand could clean only o pound or 80 o day.
After cleaning It is pressed by mule power into
bales Of about three feet through BY iys high, and
shipped to some broker at the cotton wharTes,
where It can be seen at any time Of
tho year, stretching along several blocks
OF Wharves. Herr It is AL sampled, every bale
being cut open in several places, large quantities
Of It drawn out and thrown down on the docks,
before . fair sample is reached. This mode Of
ssmpiing causes good deal Of waste 1t having to
go through the sane process upon It's arrival at
other ports As soon a. cargo % sold It goes to
the cotton press the largest aud most powerful Of
which Is worked by hydraulic and steam power.
A bale being placed m this and mbjeeted to
pressure Of thirty-nve tons, Is compressed from
four DRIVE feet In height down 70 nine inches At
this size while IN the press they strapped with
iron banda, but upon being thrown out, they en-
pand 10 foot and o half or two feet in thickness
During the busy season this machine can CON.
press one hundred bales per hour. charging
ssventy-iye cents and dollar bale, and IL tho
most powerful one In the country. In this shape
the cotton is ready for shipment. II IS astonish-
ing to see the Immense number Of bales that arc
slowed away In the large ships some Of them carry
ing away between thres and four thousand bales at
one time. The work OF slowing away Is done By
negrOas, tho bales being forced tightly together
by means Of jack-scrsHs.- II is as good as FIRST
class minstrel performance 10 watch them work
down In the hold, for they never think Of working
without singing, and they always keep timo to
their music. Just below the cotton docks we
come to the Battery-Which has always been tho