The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1880-12-07


We find the following excellent article
on rice culture in the agricultural depart
ment of the New Orleans Times, and
commend it to our readers in Middle
Florida who are suffering from the effects
of the constant production of single
money crop:
RICE ON HIGH LAND.
This is generally drilled by hand in
rows three feet apart, using from three
pecks to one bushel of seed per acre
After the young plant has made its ap-
pearance and grown to the height of two
or three inches, and the young roots have
sufficient holdsin the soil, it Is barred off
with small No. 0 plow, throwing the
furrow to the middle. It is then weeded
mostly by hand, rather tedious and back
breaking method, and the earth thrown
carefully back to the young roots, finish
ing Off with the hoe. One wedding is
generally sufficient, the rice growing very
fast, after the operation is performed, out
stripping the weeds and grass. A light
running cultivator passed through the
rows twice during the season generally
make the crop. Where land is very full
of weeds and grass, so much 80 that there
is danger of pulling up the young rice
while wedding by hand, it is the practic
of some persons to wait until the plant is
well rooted; bar off as directed and shave
off rice-weeds and grass with very sharp
hoe; the rice will then outstrip it's enemies
and all hand wedding may be dispensed
with. a
Rice may also be sown broadcast on
new uplands which contain no grass or
weeds. We know of very successful
pine-woods farmer who would clear away
the underground, thin out the trees in the
forest off of few acres of ground every
season, SOW the grain broadcast and let
the rice take care of itself This man
was almost invariably successful in pro-
ducing good crop. There is no sufficient
reason why every farmer in the Southern
States south of Cairo should not raise at
least sufficient amount of this valuable
and nutritious grain to supply his family
and feed his poultry. There is no diff
Guilty whatevef in cleaning the grain of
the hull. This can be accomplished by
the use Of acommon wooden mortar, hol-
lowed out of section of . tree, the cavity
made oval in shape and the postal hewn
to correspond.
The pestle or pounder can be fastened
to small sspling bent over aud worked
spEing~fashion . device calculated to
save considerable elbow grease. The pro-
duct of this primitive rice mill will not be
quite so nice as the store rice at or 10
cents per pound, but it is infinitely cheaper
and quite az nutritious 40 the polished
article, And now . few words about
a9el sae,ffs RICR SEED. ada 33
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 q diff
ferent kind of soil is best. Be very care
fnln that your plant seed 10 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 20 the variety.
Rice deteriorates very fast on uplands,
becomes soft and Aousy, and degenerates
into.what the millers call bull rice, hardly
worth the expense of transportation for
cleaning purposes We purchased speci-
men OF thl8 degenerate r1ce 10W Gays
since 1t the low price Of one dollar per
baTTeh intending 70 use Il ~ chicken feed,
and very good feed it Is, either for poultry
or mules. The same quantity Of good
grain, which it costs no more 70 raise and
clean, would have sold 81 $3.50 to 1915
pen barrel. biia ,hssad1 ao ssao3 f9a 9tu
qaes RICE GRowINe m GEoRGIA.a5oe IL
The following sona the same subject 10
from the pen of aspraeticsl grower in o
lats.issnei Of, the Macon Zslegraph. - lsl
This cereal isrspidly supercedihg the
cotton crop In the southern and sonthesst-
Srps portions fof the State, and ,has beent
demonstfated. toI be far more profitable
than the Geecy staple, On high land IL
fetiuifes rs mi6fe attedtfofi than corn, and,
dsssr;s parjtss, win yield twice - much
per acre, and-sgal In the rough or un-
1oqndsd ptats tof 80 pes esns more ia
o6s of ths eaaiest and most tssl1unsra-
i've HAefhods sUf Cultisatiou b ID f6lloWs i
! AAsS bvoadsasainR with nsseds secms