The Osceola times., 1881-04-09
The Cultivation of Rice in the south,

Within the last ten years new
wealth-giying industry in the shape of
rice culture has sprung up IN the south,
and with il has come that terrible death
giving disease. rice fever, which il Pc
culiar t. the rice field and its vicinity.
How much this disease has increased the
death rate Of Louisiana We cannot now
state. but il must be quite perceptible,
for the planters tell US that to sleep
night in rice field is certain death to
white man About the beginning Of the
last decade, when the cotton seed oil
manufactures became a pronounced sue
cess, rice culture in Louisiana was in its
infancy. Many Of the planters knew
nothing of its cultivation. but, believing
that it was worth trial, they planted
few acres in rice as an experiment. Ii
promised good returns for labor, and on
the results of the trial being found salts
factory the culture Of rice was begun in
earnest. From then till now, year BY
year. the old lands and plantations
which lie convenient TO the Watercourses
have been converted into rice fields
Now their acreage amounts to more than
5000 acres.
The Land Reclamation company will
soon start an immense rice plantation in
Terrebonne parish. In the space of a
few years, as shown by the reports, the
rice cop of the Dnited States has in.
creased leo per cent. Before the war,
and for several years AFTER the Caroli-
mas supplied this market with rice, but
now Carolina rice is not much dealt in
here. The grain is cut in August, and
formerly il was threshed by letting
horses tramp over it, as pioneers used TO
ihresh wheat; but in lS6s thresher was
erected on Tropical Bend Plantation and
since that time great Improvements have
been made in rice thrcshing. The rice
planters, ike the wheat farmers Of the
north, do not always thresh out their
grain Immediately alter il is cut. bat as
We pass by the fields in the autums scores
Of stacks may be seen standing in the
oPen fields. 1t i stacked to sweat, and
then il is more easily threshed out. AZ
ter the rice is threshed il is taken 10 the
mill 10 be hulled and polished for the
market. In New Orleans there are now
seven rice mills Gll hulit within the last
ten years.
These mills naturally owe their exist
ence 70 the great extent Of Tice Lands and
% the success OF the rice planters. Each
mill employs from twenty 10 forty hands,
and with these al busy, they still have
more rice brought IN then they cAn hull.
The men employed are considered pro-
hcicnt in their work, and a majority. il
not all Of them, receive extra wages The
rough nee, afier being hauled a. the
mill, Is put into lArse bin. from which
L i taken by elevators % the upper
roor. when, by means Il a sieve. 1t i.
separated from the sticks and rubbish,
which may bo in IT, sitting. however,
does not remove the beard which ad.
heres e. the grains ike the "tsil- on a
barley grain; 81 the rise j. passed through
o rereivinE ~h5oilum which i set 90
a. % rub of the halri bat il does no,
break the hall. consequently tie hood
ium p3ssc' IT. cauzl On ia the stones
which crack Of the hulls. Like that Of
a ~et of whca. grinding buhrs the forre
% these stones ! a terrible f1rre. hat /,
: nicely applied and does not break the
grain
Nheu hui.et thv ri,v NAV have iniieo
>,rt IN It, cr i caplessly Veeis.i during
the growth of the straw, it Hav te mixed
with damaged grains. ana ~ a series of
tanning mills j. bronght iut1us4. =, rlean
a. When hulled the .r.ins Ar, of A
lcAi color, and must De- Polished before
being PLACED sn the market. The method
~ polishing is rleverly described b. one
interested A. iollowS The r-,li.h.rs
can>i., 4 sheepsktn. tanned. Stretched
over sheep wool on revolving rvlind.r,.
the Spare between the .hs-pskip. Snd
Nlre sanze hcing Just sufii lent n ALLOW
The ricv grains o. ind their way bv i.-
grees % the bottom" The sr.ins are
hi-hiy polished hy the frictiaD g.-.ins,
the SKINS which YVbs OF The hra1 and
le-iVes only the clran white grains ready
Tor the market. The bran amounts 10
eight barreis % every hundrst b..rrels Of
clean rice. Il Is sometimes nsa,i 10 sIult.
er1te Sp:oeS. The waste In hulfinr Av-
eraseS about tive OF six p~r eent- ~, il
sometimes ne&ches twenty per cout. on
one mans crop The huller> re,-~ive
from half ~ a cent % thrs-lusrter, of
a cent psr pound Cor hulline. II would
n'i he interesting o. give estimate Il
crops ~ Weld ler acre in this c0arA,tion.
Snd We Ntil only Pmark that thr con.
>1'iieT> rarely ever thinks uhat labor il
'ANes g prcgare this mseh used article
81 Rod for their tables.