The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-07-07

Chinese make one of their favorite bev-
erages. the Grub, from rice. Their pro-
cess ID to steep rice in water with some
sweet substance, flavor this with aro-
matic herbs, and allow the mixture to
ferment; this Is afterwards distilled
and produces a strong alcoholic liquor,
which the Celestials use instead OF our
brandies and WHISTLES, and which is a
powerful Intoxicating beverage.
In India, besides the curry dish, we'll
known here, the seamen prepare the
rice dU0ls, which they then use instead
Of our biscuits" The HestV or hulled
rice is stepped in tepid water for TWEEN
ty. four hours. after which It Is spread
on straw mats in the shade for one or
two or more hours, until 1t dries. When
dry IL Is thrown in well-heated basin
and agitated until the grain swells,
when it Is taken out and beaten or fiat
tened and then laid aside as dv0ls. This
avols Is O preparation with which broths,
SOUPS and various rice dishes can be
made at any period afterwards, and the
rice will be as good as fresh, owing to
this process.
The Japanese, by process somewhat
similar to that employed by the Obi
nese, make their national beverage, the
FdckJ, from rice, besides using 1t as a
main dish at oil meals.
In Turkey the celebrated Pjtdu dish,
relish Of the true believers, is made OF
rice cooked In special manner, with q
friCdssee OF mutton or Of fowls.
Besides this, the Chinese make paste
with rice which hardens to the CON
sistency Of first class stuC, and with
which they make very neat soulptural
works. While with the straw they
manufacture an immense and valuable
supply OF paper from the rough wrap
pers, fine transparent Tor thick design
ing) to the neatest writing sorts.
According to our usual Indifference
the mass Of straw which we could con-
vert into a practical article Of COM
MERGE Ia still useless, and while we use
the material imported from China and
know their modes of fabrication, we
still adhere to our ruinous system Of
subservance to outside supply for goods
| that we can make at home.
| The first enterpTising move in the di-
rection of increasing our rice crop
is due to the Louisiana Reclama-
ton Company, whose future sue
cess we hope to record, while we
should like to hear of similar enter
prise in the various other fields OF rich
es that are still unexplored Ia Louis
lana. The lands donated to this COM
pany by the State were valueless and
unproduotive, but when they shall have
been placed In condition to be cultivated
they will not be worth less than $40 per
acre. How many more thousand acres
have we that could be thus transformed
at comparatively no cost? Four mil
lion acres.
RECLAMATION OF LANDS.
One OF the most picturesque and fer
tile countries In Europe was formerly
hIff q tho
inhabitants, the Hollanders, res
cued from the ocean. Ii we seek
further examples OF the accomplish
ments of human industry coping
with nature and wrestling against its
merciless invasions or cataclasms, eve-
ry page Of the worlds history unfolds
striking illustration for us.
Louisiana with its wealth and i'm
measurable resources is threatened eve
nv year with the dreadful calamity OF
overflows from the Mississippi and its
branch rivers, while perhaps 1900, 900
acres are open to the inroads OF the
gulf.
The yearly overaows of the Nile neces-
STATED its control within fixed bounda-
ries, and this control was exercised by
means of embankments.
The Ph@nicians, the Carthaginians,
the Moors In Arabia. the Greeks and
the Romans erected extensive works on
their sea and river coasts to protect
their cities and fields from overflow and
storms.
The original settlers of the Neither
lands, whose works OF reclamation are
the greatest achieved, we're the descend
ants Of those hardy Northern warrior
tribes who created the greatest nation
alities that are now marked on the map
Of Europe.
Their first efforts in Holland were
made in the second century of the
Christian era. The foundation OF their
work was laid by nature, and its super
structure is the work Of man.
Along the coast of Holland, exp osed
to the northwestern storms, bank was
washed up by the action of the waves,
as it is on the southern coast Of our
Marsh Island, between the Bay of Yer
million and the Gulf Of Mexico, and
thus natural barrier was formed
against the incursion of the tide. A
belt of timber which grew along the
coast, and against which the sand was
heaped, assisted the early toilers in their
labors by affording them both shelter
and material.
This timber has since disappeared to
a great extent on account OF the repairs
LShNSACN hVSCoShly Ny bhC ebCuAOL Va
waves in stormy weather.
Beyond strengthening and connecting
between them these natural embank-
ments, little work was done in the begin
ming on the main sea embankment,
while, in the interior, the river banks
were left totally unprotected.
But year after year the work has pro-
crossed, repairs upon repairs were re-
peated, timber was planted on the en-
bankments to solidify them, and after
many centuries the Kingdom Of Holland
was created from the bosom of the sea.
When this was done the HARLEM
Lake, covering $4,000 acres, and many
others were successfully reclaimed,
while the embankments Of the rivers
were placed In condition to maintain all
foods within their channels, as traced
by nature; and when the costs of all
these stupendous achievements were
summed up, the profits and manifold
advantages that had been derived were
found to compensate more than one
hundredfold the expenses.
Ia IL not time that some of our States