The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1880-12-21

States &0nthfOk Cairp should nctr raise 81
least 3 sufficient amount OF this valuable
and nutritious grain to supply his family
and feed HE poultry. There IL no DIM
lcuttK whatever in cleaning the grain OF
the null This can be accomplished by
thelnse Of common wooden mortar, Aol-
lowed out Of section6f . tree, the cavity
made oval in shape ana the postal hewn
to correspond.
The pestle or FOUNDER can be fastened
TO . small sapling bent over and worked
spring fashion; q device calculated to
ave considerable elbow grease. The pro
duct of this primitive rice mill will not be
quite so nice as the store rice at 8 or 10
cents per pound, but it is infinitely cheaper
and quite as nutritious as the polished
article. And now few words about
RICE SEED.
Do not purchase seed that has been
grown on the neighborhood farms for
over two years; one year is better, and
fresh seed from another locality and diff
ferent kind of soil is best. Be very care
full that your plant seed is of the best
quality and free from weed and grass
seeds of any description. No farmer
wishes to import any new species of weeds
Most have enough on their farms without
adding to the variety.
Rice deteriorates very fast on uplands,
becomes soft and fioury, and dekenerates
intoswhat the millers call bull rice, hardly
worth the expense of transportation for
cleaning purposes. We purchased speci-
men of this degenerate rice q few days
since at the low price of one dollar per
barrel, intending to use it as chicken feed,
and very good feed it is, either for poultry
or mules. The same quantity of good
grain, which it costs no more to raise and
clean, would have sold at $3.50 to &3. 10
per barrel.
Dl RICE GROWING IN GEORGIA.
The following ON the same subject is
from the pen of practical grower in q
late issue of the Macon Telegraph:
This cereal is rapidly superceding the
cotton crop IN the southern and southeast
ern portions of the State, and has been
demonstrated to be far more profitable
than the tieecy staple. On high land it
requires no more attention than corn, and,
ceteris parib,ts, will yield twice as much
per acre, and sell in the rough or I'M
pounded state for so per cent. more in
market.
One of the easiest and most reniunera-
tive methods of cultivation is as follows:
After broadcasting with cotton seed, com
mercial fertilizers or farm yard manure,
in OCTOBER or November, if practicable,
thoroughly break up, and, if convenient,
L., . h ~ q h. so,1
r1st-ErSof oats. Care should be taken,
however, that the &C lands y made in plow-
ing should not be more than three feet
apart. The oats will grow off and by
shading the earth, effectually keep down
the weeds and grass in early spring. Not
waiting to harvest the crop, but COM
mencing about the 18th Of April, with an
ordinary scooter pillow, open the land"
or water furrow, and then with the mar
rowest half shovel to be obtained, run
once on each side of the open furrow, fill
ing it up, making thereof slight ridge,
not over foot in width. Now the ground
is ready for planting; and the seed, at
the rate of one bushel per acre, should be
dropped in hills eighteen inches asunder,
abont thirty grains to the hill, and lightly
covered with the foot or an ordinary
board. 1t will terminate in seven or
eight days, and, protected by the stand
ing grain from the birds and grass, con-
tinue to thrive until the oats are taken off
in the latter part of May or first of June
The after cultivation consists in breaking
out the "middles with scooter or mar
row turning pillow, and cleaning the hills
of rice when needful, by the passage of a
hoe between them Two additional plow-
ings and one hoeing will usually suffice to
make the crop.
BY pursuing the above course, not in
frequently thirty bushels of oats and the
same quantity of rough rice may be gath
cred per acre inside of one year. When
not sowed in oats, break up and turn in
all weeds and grass in the fall, (if the
land is lying fallow, or in February or
March if planted the previous year,) and
after careful narrowing, lay off in rows
Il feet apart, and SOW as directed above,
after the spring has fairly opened. AT
forwards, cultivate with plow and hoe as
usual. When the heads turn down and
only few grains remain green merit to the
stalk is the proper time for harvesting.
Never attempt to use the cradle and
scythe, as they knock the rice down and
occasion great loss. The implement en-
ployed in cutting is the ordinary hand
sickle. The rice should be laid after it is
moved for one or two days according as
the weather may be) on the stubble to
dry. When the straw is cured it is ready
to be bound in sheaves, and either housed
or securely stacked. The ordinary clean
ing process, in the absence Of machinery,
consists of threshing the sheaves, spread
out upon plank floor or yard covered
with impacted clay, with ordinary fail
sticks. When by this means the grain
has been separated from the straw, it is
winnowed from rough scaffold, ten or
fifteen feet in height, all the light frag-
ments of straw and false rice, called
"tailing," being borne away by the least
wind. 1t is now ready to be measured,
sacked and shipped to market, there to be
pounded and barrelled up for expectation.
1t has been demonstrated in practice, time