The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1877-08-30
OUR RICE PROSPECTS.
INTERVIEWS WITH LEADING MER.
CHANTS, MILLERs AND RROK ERs
OF THE TRADE.
The Outlook for the Crop of 1877.


The Outlook for the Crop of 1877.
It is with feeling of pleasure and of grstitud
at the courtesies extended to us by the mer
chants, milling men, and factors engsged in tn
rice business, that we present to the business
community OF New Orleans, and to all those in
tsrested in the welfare and industries Of ou
State. the following report on the condition an,
general characteristics Of the rice crop OF 1877:
Under the guidance Of energetic and enterpris
ing merchants and planters, rice culture ii
Louisiana has been, year by year, brought u]
from comparatively insignificant industry unit
within the past few years it has become one o
the most important OF our agricultural interests
and this State has been made the leading ric.
producing State OF the South.
The present status OF the crop and the advan
tages Of its cultivation will be further treate6
upon in our edition Of September 1st; bat in this
We will endeavor to present TO the public in o
manner as condensed as possible, the views oi
those who are most deeply interested in the man.
agement OF the mi ling and marketing of the
product, as well as those OF many who are more
directly interested in the production OF the fields.
By liberal advances this year TO small planters
and farmers, they have besn enabled to thor
oaghly cultivate their fields and carefully harvest
their crops, 80 that this agricultural res ource OF
our State has been comparatively well developed.
We would call attention to the fact that many
merchants complain OF the policy Of our small
planters who ship to inexperienced consignees,
greatly against their interest. Why they should
Ia ior1Ik In
many responsible firms in this city, composed of
intelligent gentlemen widely and f.vorably known
In the commercial world, who are much more apt
and more able to guard the interests Of our hon.
est farmers and laborers and to sati isfactoriiy
manage the commercial department Of their
business, which is Of equal Importance with its
and faithful management in the azri.
cultural department.
We would also deferentially make another i'm
portant suggestion in this connection. The mill
ing OF all the rice raise d in Louisiana should be
done in New Orleans, for obvious reasons
l. Farmers would be saved the payment of
double freight rates on rough and clean rice, by
shipping the rough rice directly to this city.
q They would have their rics on the market az
soon as milled.
g. The New Orleaas mills are Of better con-
struction and possess more modern improve
nents than the country mile, hence are enabled
10 put superior polish and finish on the grain.
4. Skilled labor for the manipulation OF the
grain is cheaper here than in the country.
g. There is no danger Of delay, and consequent
loss OF good market, by break downs in the
,ity mills. as machine shops and founderies are
here to repair them instantly.
8. The average prices of rice milled BY the
,ity mills is better than that treated by the coun-
ry mills.
ALI these considerations we respectfully submit
% the planting community.
sIEwERD & THOMPSON.
This firm classes among our leading miIlers.
dr. Siewerd, senior partner of the firm, was the
Gentleman we met. He estimated that last years
rop amounted tosbout one hundred and seventy
housand barrels Of cleaned rice. This year he
believed 1t would fall short OF that by fifteen or
wenty thousand barrels.
What is the cause Of this falling of, we asked
The cause is plain; many who went into the
ice planting business last year did not plant this
eason, owing to the losses which they Sustained
y soe shrlnkage in prices which, MIR. seiwerd
Il,
nd not pay. One planter that be knew of had
dropped seven thousand dollars in his enter.
rise, and OF course he would not attempt to
liant rice again under the same circumstances.
What was the cause Of the fall in the mar
etf' we asked again. "Was the production
,reater than tho demand 2"
mo, not at all, }" said Mr.. 9ewerd; "the low
'r1ces were due to want OF system in the busi-
1898, which needs regulating. There are too
many people not in business, shoemakers, tail
rQ nh MI har ayuf
nd who hasten to sell it at any price ia order to
et rid OF it. The acreage planted this year was
necessarily smaller, and he did not think that the
ield would be sufficiently better to make up for
he quantity lost in the failure to plant as much
8 last year. The stock in the market now is
cry low, while last year it amounted to $4,000
arrels at the same period"
KIP RUscH
re the proprietors of the large Perseverance,
ILLS on Elysian Fields street. 1t was our
leasure to interview Mr.. Kip himse IL on the rice
uestion.
Mr.. Kip produced his record, showing that
here had been produced for market last year |
YER one hundred and seventy-tw thousand
arrels OF cieaned rice, which was the largest
'op ever made in Louisiana. The crop this year |
o thought, would equal that Of last year.
"On what do you base your belief, Mr.. Kip" |
Q asked.
Inc reply was: The acreage sown in rice this |
,ar is only about one-ffth less than last wear. |
hile the yield is greater by one-third. This is |
tributsble to the fact that the season has been |
ore favorable with an abundance Of water for
rigating purposes. The crop reports are good
ON all parts of the State where it ls planted"
Il hear great deal said about losses last year
/ Gales, the prIces having gone down. How 10
at - we asked of Mr.. Kip.
MIR. Kip answered that his estimate was that
70 average price of rice last year vas about 81
nts, and il any had been sold as low as az
nts it was because the article was damaged. a
'od many consignees held on and the result
Nc favorable. This was due to the breaking out
the W r. which caused all breadstuffs to rise
was not jusufable, but speculation made it so.
After thanking Mr. Kips we paid visit to the [
use Of
LANCE & LEaENDRE, II
70 factors on Decatur street, and interviewed !,
:. F. Lange, the senior partner OF the concern
his opinion, he said, the crop would be the t
me- as last year, and the rice would be of bet
quality besides. There had not been 80 much
Q planted this year as last year, but the yield 4
8 far better. In Lsfourche he calculated that
m fifty to siYty thous sand harrela vnuId ha pro 8