The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1879-09-02
Rice Fields on the Savannah.

On nearing Cnc' savannah river we
came to Thunderbolt-a most singular
name for a quiet summerlng place
The rice fields were now entered,
which form 50 important portion Of
the wealth and trade Of Savannah.
They extend on each side up and down
the river for many miles, until the linn
Its of the brackish or salt water are
reached. The best rice lands are those
which feel the influence Of the tides
without, however, being touched by
salt water, which kills the rice. 1t
may not be generally known that tue
incoming OF the tide checks the flow of
rivers, and to degree pushes back the
fresh water until ebb tide sets out
again. A rice field should also be be-
low the line Of freshets. There are
many varieties of rice, and scme kinds
can be raised OH dry soil but most of
the Southern rice requires marsh lands
easily overhowed. The preparation Of
a rice field requires large outlay; en-
bankments must be raised, bitches,
sometimes large enough to float boats to
carry OF the crop, must be dug, and
tlood-gates and bridges must be con-
structcd. The land is ploughed during
the winter; 1t is allowed to dry in
March, and In April the seed Is sown,
sometimes soaked In clay water to keep
1t from blowing away, and sometimes
1t Is merely covered with a thin layer
Of earth. Great care is requisite in Il
selection of seed. Water'is then turn
ed on it for several days, until it
sprouts. After five or six weeks it Is
hoed twice, and then what Is called the
"long water" Is let on, and allowed to
remain a fortnight. With the appear
ance Of the first joint In the stock the
rice Is hoed again, and is then over
flowed for two months by the "joint
water" By that time the grain has
matured, and 1t Is harvested with a
sickle and carefully dried by being
spread on stubble. When cured it is
stacked. Formerly most of the South
ern rice was threshed in mortras by the
slaves on the plantations. But now,
with the exception Of what is re-
served by The negroes, it is all sent to
the large mills in the cities and thresl-
cd. The largest Of these is to be found
at Charleston. In these mills the grain
is rubbed between stones until freed
from the husk; 1t Is then shaken in re-
volving sleeves or wire screens with
perforations gradually increasing in
Size. First the flour is sifted then the
different grades of the kernel up to the
last and best, ranked as prime, which
Giud.ySep Il ds.Msps +. IL. IN brushing screen and
The average yield Of rice to the acre is
thirty bushels on the best land, sixty
bushels are not uncommon, while nine
ty bushels have occasionally been OBJ
tained. The crop from the Southern
States reaches an average Of 100000
tons per annum, The rice lands are
very unhealthy, and no white MAI.
should spend the night III their vicihi-
ty after the crop begins to come up.
They are infested with the most pois-
onous malaria. The negroes build
their rude shantles on the dikes and
hummocks in the midst of the rice
swamps, and dance and play OH their
one-stringed tiddles with infantile Sc
curity. No doubt they endure mala-
rial exposure and a blazing torrent OF
sunlight far better than the whites, but
even they sometimes sucoumb. A
planter told me that in one deadly
summer he lost most Of his negroes on
rice plantation.