The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1884-12-24
766
Rice in Pine Lands.

planted four kinds of rice, the Hon
duras, the Carolina gold seed, the Caro-
lima white seed, and the Bull, or Jacobs
rice. l find the ''big red" among the
Carolina rice only, and it clearly belongs
to that family, there being no difference
whatever in its growth, shape of grain,
general appearance and distinctive fea-
lures from those of the Carolina white
When the heads are full or turning, the
''big red'' can be distinguished by its
dark brown, or red appearance, but
after the heads are matured and perfectly
dry 1T is impossible to detect it in the hull.
/ am OF the opinion, and / am not alone
in it Though do not assert it as fact)
that this "big red'' is entirely a 'child
of circumstance" it's color in which
alone does it in any manner differ from the
white rice, being the result of degenera-
tive causes originally, and by care and
cultivationI think could be brought back
to its original purity. The. "big red'
does not affect or deteriorate the value
of ones crop on the market, nearly so
much as do the little red,p reg dc lon.
To appreciate the reason for this, one
must understand what constitutes the
good qualities and regulates the grades of
marketable rice when cleaned, and must
also understand something of hulling
and cleaning rice in the rice mills. First
as to the
GOOD QUALITIES AND GRADES.
To be classed as choice or prime,
which are the highest grades, the grains
must be: First, large, full, long, and
equal; second, white and pearly third,
hard or finty. The degrees in which
rice excels in these qualities combined
regulates its grade or classification :.
therefore, in planting crop sell, one /
should plant and cultivate with view
to these points, and be strictly guided
thereby in his selection of seed; his crop
should be planted, cultivated and har-
vested as evenly and equally as possible
in order to secure a universal quality,
and that OF the best This will be the
better appreciated when the process of
milling or cleaning rice is somewhat I'm
derstood, and of which will speak here
after. Suffice it now to say, that the
"big red," being of even size with the
white is as readily polished and comes
from the brush equally white and of
same grade, the ''little red" passes from
the sieves or separators with the smaller |
or inferior grains, and it appears, owing
either to the flatness of the grain or to
the more tenacious or callous nature OF |
its red cuticle, it requires great amount |
of polishing to rid it of its Objectionable |
color, thereby necessarily subjecting the |
white grains with which it is mixed to |
much more polishing and consequent |
loss in weight than is necessary Hence
the little red, - OF wild rice, 7" is so OBJ |
iectionable, and at once materially de-
grades the quality of ones crop in the !
market. In my Carolina rice l have |
found some of this big red, and am sat
istied it was in the seedI planted, as two
of DaiRb hOrc TVb q cod cn0H
from the same source, have it mixed with |
theirs also. Not one grain of red of any |
kind do find in my Honduras OF in my |
Bull rice. My Honduras seed | pur-
chased three years ago, was guaranteed
to me to be pure, which / found to be, |
and have most carefully kept it SO. In
order to satisfy myself, and that might |
make no misstatement to my readers, | |
last week gave a quart of each kind as
samples to. my friend and neighbor here,
Mr.. ]. A. Harral, produce broker, No.
50 Poydras street, New Orleans, request |
ing him to lay them OH the tables of the |
Rice Exchange without information, and |
to secure the opinion of the best judges |
of rice, first, as to their names or kinds;
second, their grades; third, their rela-
tive qualities and values; and fourth,
whether upland or lowland. Mr.. Har-
RAILS report, which | have before me,
under date of Oct. S, confirms their kinds
or names, and gives their relative quail
ties and values as follows:
Best quality Honduras, per bbl., $4.60
Best quality Jacobs or Bull rice, 400
Best quality Carolina rice 4.25
Each kind was thought to be lowland
or flooded rice, which demonstrates that
good upland rice will class and rank
equally with lowland rice. My No |, or
Honduras, was highly recommended as
seed rice, and [ was advised to hold till
after January, and sell it for seed only
| will now return to the order of my
subject, and next is the
HARVESTING.
Ii planted early, say from latter part
OF February to March Is, and cultivated
properly, with a fair season, in this lati-
tude, rice should be ready to harvest by
July 10 to Aug. ] at latest, giving from
four and half to five months from
planting to maturity, even with the most
favorable season and circumstances. The
life and functions of the rice plant do
not terminate with the maturity of its
fruit. and III this it is essentially differ |
en- ttrom the other cereals, and hence |
the difference in the modes of harvesting
Wheat, oats, rye, etc., may be cut, bum
died and stacked or housed at once, and |
i'll the same day; with them, when the
grain or head is sufficiently dry for har-
vesting, the stalk or straw is dead and
dry also, as are the roots of the plant
With rice it is different, the stalks are
| green and the roots still vigorous, when
the heads are ready for harvesting, and
even sufficiently dry to break off or the
grains to shatter; hence the necessity of
laying rice on the stubble after cutting,
for from twelve to twentv-four hours, in