The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1877-09-01
THE RICE CROP OF 1877.

Within the past deeadeibe rice crop OF Lou'si
ana has increased more than the productioh VI
any other staple in the South. IL mas grown
from crop of something over 2o.ooo oaffeiS VI
clean rice in 1906 to over i75 900 barrels made In
1870 Until comparatively recent date rice
ypaa only grown In three or four parishes
fplaouemipes parish producing more than one
half the amount maCel, and was cultivated al
,,,ost axrlusivelv by white labor on small farms
aud Matches The crop was then crudeiy culti-
,ated and the grain afterward threshed from
Tho strsw bv the hoofs of cattle. as u was in the
aid world two thousand years ago. The hulling
of tho grain during the earlier years of its Gull
tfvation In our State was done by beating 1t out
Inv hand In wooden mortars, or on larger scale
by horse power pestles.
The causes which led to the rapid extension
of this culture have been 30 often discussed by
che press. and 30 we'll understood by our people,
that It would be out of place 10 treat of them In
this
The crop Of 1876 amounted TO 49, 600 barrels OF
clean rice grown in twenty-one parishes. Of
this Plauuemines produced over $4,000. La
fourche 2g,Oop and st. james %. 900 barrels II is
safe to say that ut least one-half this crop was
produced on small farms by white labor. and
the other portion on large plantations which
were principally worked by negro labor.
The rice crop of 1870 was Unexpectedly large
for the acreage put in cultivation. The spring
rise In the Mississippi river and its elIluent
bayous came al the proper time for the neces-
sary irrigation. and the high water lasted in the
summer long enough to supply the fields until
they we're properly headed, while Il was blessed
with the finest harvesting season ever known In
the State.
80 nrf low
1t became for time an important uuos ion with
many engaged in the culture as TO whether 1t
would be profitable for them to continue It,
However. a large majority of the lands that had
been devoted to the crop could not BIO utilized at
once In any other cultivation. An enormous
amount of capital had been invested In the
equipments of the business, and IL would
have been folly to have let this capital remain
idle and the extensive fields go to waste. The
noted improvements consisted Of fourteen ca
pacious and costly rice mills In the State tof
which eight were situated In this cityl, more
than two hunired improved steam threshers.
with engines and boilers attached. and q large
amount tf flooding and draining machinery
Former crops had borne the chief cost of all
this and, now that IL was paid for principally,
the crop of 1877 had no prospect OF bearing an
extra expense In these things. Besides q large
amount of labor and more than 81 900 acres of
land would be thrown out Of employment by
lessening the culture to an important extent.
Hence ii was almost absolutely impossible to
discontinue the cultivation Of rice on a large
sale az Ii will be In Louisiana for several years
TO come.
Il Is estimated that about fifteen per cent of
the rice area that was planted In 1876 went out
of the culture in 1871 OF this the larger part
was that contained in rice fields that had been
opened on the back lands of sugar plantations,
and portion consisted of high lands. which,
being better adapted to the cultivation of cane.
were Ell her Immediately devoted to this crop or
planted in corn. as preparation for cane
planting.
With this decrease of acreage, which in the
largest rice producing parish. Plaauemines,
alone amounts 10 nearly 5000 acres, we may
naturally expect decrease in the crop: though
probably not such deficiency proportionately
az the falling off in acreage. as the rice now be-
ing harvested il yielding much better than the
crop did the same time last year.
The circumstances attendant on the crop of
1877 were altogether favorable. The spring rise.
though unusually late In coming, was early
enough to do it's expected duty, The water re-
manned high nearly till the first Of August. late
enough to afford the fields all the water they
needed in the filling of the grain. The fields
now being harvested have not 80 far been visited
by q Storm which is at this season always par
ticularly dreaded by rice planters. In about q
month the harvest will be over. and tho crop
completely secured from the dangers Of wind
and weather. With continuation of fair
harvest season the crop will continue to yield
more rice to the acre and better quality than it
did last year. But under the most favorable
circumstances IL seems that an estimate of
100000 barrels would be rather high for the
present crop.
Even If the crop were 10 per cent less than
that Of last year it ought to bring larger gross
income as the quality Of the grain is far better
and the market for cereals generally higher.
There are vast areas of lands in the lower
partof this State which are suitable for rice
and for no other crop. With these lands ready
at all times to be utilized it is unlikely that lice
culture in Louisiana will be suffered to de-
crease With the gradual increase Of popufa.
ton they will be brought into GU tivation. and
We may expect that rice culture. though checked
in its growth at present. will again be extended
until Louisiana will be rs far ahead of the other
Southern States in rice production as she is at
present in sugar production.
~
MONARCH Conn MrLh.-This is Just the mill to
meet the wants of our planting community. II
does good work and its small cost enables
every planter TO have one. Mr.. Edward Thomp-
son, In this city, is the agent. Read his adyer-
tisement.
MEssRs. SMITH Bros. & Cove rect the at
tention of our readers. both in city and country.
to the advertisement of these great wholesale
grneers and importers, whose immense stores
at IS. 81 and 80 Poydras street are literally
erammed with the products of every country
and cline.
SCANDrEs, FIREWORKS, ETc.-0ne Of the largest
if not the largest candy manufactures in the
South. is that of Messrs Miller & Dielman. Nos
&c. 50 and 81 South Peter street. They ever
have on hand a splendid stock of the products
OF their factory, together with the Justly eele.