The patron of husbandry. (Columbus, Miss.) 1875-1883, 1882-03-18
Upland Rice Culture.
BY COL. R. ]. REDDING.
Georgia Department of Agriculture

Georgia Department of Agriculture.
Until within few years past the
idea was very prevalent that rice
could not be profitably grown ex-
cept on marshy or low lands. We
remember, when a boy, some of the
the older negroes on our fathers
plantation, especially some who
came from the slow country" used
to have their little crops of rice. 1t
was their invariable practice to ap-
propriate very low, wet spots about
the spring heads-places considered
too wet for any other crop-for this
purpose. History informs us that
rice has been grown in nearly all
the countries of the world and on
the dry uplands as well as in the
swamps. 1t grows in Siberia as
well as in China. 1t has been found
growing wild on the shores of the
Northern lakes in this country.
| While it is undoubtedly true that
rice grows and produces better on
moist, low lands, it by no means
follows that its culture must be re
stricted TO tide water regions. In
every section of the country. east
of the Mississippi, there are many
situations that are adapted to pro-
ducing large crops of this cereal.
Even the high, dry uplands will
produce good crops with favorable
seasons. The piney- woods region
OF the Atlantic and Gulf States is
well adapted to its growth, and it
is becoming a staple crop in many
countries, under the stimulus of the
high prices that have prevailed as
a consequence of the great democrat
ization of labor in the old rice re
gions Of the South. On the old rice
estates the prevailing system seem
ed to require, necessarily, a large
force of laborers under one direc-
ton, and the shock of emancipation
was more disastrous to lowIand rice
culture than to any other special
industry in the South.
Another fact-not generally ap-
preciated-is, that upland rice is
really of better quality than that
grown in more SJuthern localities
The cultivation of rice is very
simple. The variety best adapted
to dry culture is known as Caro-
lima white rice. A sandy loan is
the best soil. The land may be
prepared as if for cotton, and the
seed may be sown and covered in
the same way and at about the
same time that cotton is planted
One peck of seed is ample for an
acre. Even loss will do if the seed
be dropped-about ten or twelve
in place-every eighteen inches
Ii sown continuously like cotton,
the cultivation may be almost pre-
ciseIy similar to that of cotton, bar
ring off the plants, if grassy, with a
turn plow, chopping out with a
wide hoe and thinning to eight or
ten plants in hill. The main OBJ
ject is to keep the grass down SC
that the rice may have undisturbed
possession.
The time of ripening of dry cuI.
ture rice depends on the character
of the seasons, perhaps more than
that Of any other grain. The crop
is ready to harvest when the grains
at the top have turned yellow and
are pretty hard and the bottom
grains are still in the dough state
The work is usually done with a
sickle, though stout grain cradle
with rather short, sharp blade
can be used if the straw is not very
thick and stout, and with much
greater expedition. The cut grain
should be thoroughly dried in the
sun before hauling up, and may
then be threshed on any good spike
| wheat thresher. The cleansing oil
the grain has been considered a
great desideratum, and the want oil
a small, cheap mill for plantation
use, has been a great drawback on
rice culture on uplands. But il
rice be grown for a money crop
the rough rice is considered a
good marketable form, and usually
commands from one dollar and a
quarter to one dollar and half per
bushel.