The Lake Charles echo. [volume] (Lake Charles, Parish of Calcasieu, La.) 1876-1898, 1884-11-29
RICE CULTTT

Il being nov well established, that
chr lands are peculiarly adapted 10
the cultivation and prodHction Of
this magnificent cereal, iIsere are still
serious drawbacks to the develop
ment of this, to be ia The end, great.
est resource to our parish, which We
would like to see removed at an early
day. What success has been achieved
so far, ID this parish, ID the prosiac-
tion Of rice, has been the result Of IN.
dividnal Efforts, backed By extremely
limited means and the nse Of most
primitive agricultural implements and
teams Still the evidence as produced
Of its great adaptability TO this see
tiou Of country and the enormous
profits to be derived from its growth,
have beer ample and OF satisfactory
character, in imuensity of yield, Ger
tainty of the crop and cheapness Of
production enough, we think, to call
for more general attention and practi-
cal interest.
If ever this great industry is to be
fully developed in our parish, il has
become very apparent that some mate
rial assistance is necessary; and is It
to be said this aid cannot be had ?
We hope not. Rice raising in Cal
casien is more profitable than the
sugar cane in the river parishes, by
far; but sugar receives aid by the
millions Of dollars, and the rice farm
ers here are left to fight it ont as best
they can. Why is this the case9 We
sec no tangible reason why this in
difference to this industry can be jus
lifted.
We know perfectly well that it is
the family disposition of our people
to do as our forefathers did-raise
stock and hanl logs-bnt this now
should be changed, because the profit
in stock raising and log hauling has
lost many of their elements of profit
producing, and something else must
be engaged in, in addition thereto, in
order that our growing prosperity
shall continue. To obtain to this re-
suit we have rice raising to add on to
our industries, but it needs help, and
material help, extended to the farmer
in order to make it really available.
Our farmers are industrious, hard
working and worthy of encourage
ment. They have furnished the proof
with their own hands and their limited
means of their claims for help in what
they have done in the way of demon
stratiDg that it is q profitable and safe
crop, and snrer TO the investor than
any other crop raised in the United
States. Shall they be left to strug-
gle on, and let this great industry
languish and pine away? Shall the
millions of acres of fine rice lands in
our parish be left to go to waste, npon
which net earning of $40 per acre
can be realized by being planted in
rieei Shall our present rate of i'm
provement and accumulation of wealth
be arrested for the want of little aid
to our rice farmersi We hope not.
Bnt such win be the case If something
in the way of aid to them is not OBJ
tanned.
We have in our midst many men
who would like to be called and deem
ed enteprising, whom we think might
throw themselves into the breecli and
actually obtain sneh reputation and
reap the profits to Gov from this
source.
All the small sugar planters in the
sugar growing section of our State
are aided in their work by merchants,
and they know how uncertain sugar
crop is. Then why should not our
merchants do the same by our rice
farmers, when they know, as a fact,
that the risks as between rice and |
sugar production are incomparably in
favor of rice and against sugar.
We believe that small adyancements
TO our rice farmers, in the way Of pro
duce and implements, such as is fur
nisbed by the merchants in the towns
and villages in the sugar districts, are
highly necessary, aad the risk to our
merchants are purely nominal. The
amount required for this purpose is,
small as compared with advancements
made in the lumber business.
These advances would not be for a
long time, because rice planted in
March or early April can be in market
by the middle Of September, and is
CASH article. Who will give this sing
gestion their attention. Now il he
time, as aid is wanted for next year.
THE St Martin Revsiile, Of the 22nd
inst. makes the following very truth