Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1878-10-24
Rice Fields on the Savannah.

On nearing the Savannah river we
came to Thunderbolt-a most singular
name for a quiet summering place. The
rice fields were now entered, which form
so important position of the wealth and
trade of Savannah. They extend on
each side Up and down the river for
many miles, until the limits of brackish
or salt water are reached. The best rice
lands are those which feel the influence
of the tides without, however, being
touched by saltwater, which kills the
rice. 1t may not be generally known
that the incoming of the tide checks the
flow Of rivers, and to 3 degree pushes
back the fresh water until ,ebb tide sets
out again. A rice field should also be
below the line of freshets. There are
many varieties of rice, and some kinds
can be raised on a dry soil, when it is
capable of irrigation, but most Of the
southern rice requires marsh lands easily
overfowed. The preparation of rice
field requires a large outlay; embank-
ments must be raised, bitches, sometimes
large enough to float boats to carry offthe
crop, must be dug, and aoodgates
must be constructed. The land is
ploughed during the winter; it is allowed
to dry in March, and in April the seed
is sown, sometimes soaked in clay water
to keep it from blowing away, and some
times it is merely covered with thin
layer Of earth. Great care. is eqnisite
in the selection Of the: seed. Water is
then turned on it for several days, until
it sprouts. After five or six weeks it it
hoed twice, and then what is called the
"long water" is let on, and allowed to
remain fortnight. With the appear:
ance of the first joint in the stalk. the
rice is hoed again, and is then over
flowed for two months by the "join,
water" By that time the grain has
matured, and it is harvested with a
sickle, and carefully dried by being
spread on stubble. When cured, it is
stacked a.: ii 49,. I'D
Formerly most of the southern rice
was threshed inssmortars by the slaves on
the plantations, and the poorest was re-
tanned for their use. But now, with the
exception of what is reserved by the
negroes, it is all sent to the large mills ir
the cities to be threshed. The largest Of
these is to be found at Charleston. In
these mills the grain is rubbed between
stones until freed from the husk; it il
then shaken in revolving sleeves or wire
screens with perforations gradually. in
creasing in size. First the -four is sifted
then the different grades of the kernel VI
to the last and best, ranked as prime
which is swept in, a brushing scree1
and cleaned of all the -four cling
ing to it. The average yield O.
rice to the acre is thirty bushels; on the
best land sixty bushels are not uncom
mon, while ninety bushels have occasion
ally been obtained. The crop from tn.
southern states reaches an average OF
100, 900 tons per annum. The rice land:
are. very unhealthy, and no white mar
should spend the night in their vicinity
after the crop begins to come up. The,
are infected with the most poisonous
malaria. The negroes build their rr(e
shanties on the dikes and hummocks il
the midst of the rice swamps, and dance
and play on their one.stringed fiddle'
with infantile security. No doubt they
endure mAlariAl, OK ppsure AID blazing
torrent of sunlight far better than thu
whites. but even they not rarely sue
cumb. A, planter told me that in on
deadly summer he lost most of his ne
groes on q rice plantation.-S. G. W
Benjo1s;n, ~ ads gasine: '~H'~'s-"