St. Landry democrat., 1889-09-07
The Rice Crop.
CONFLICTING REPORTS AS TO PROSPECTS
DIFFERENCES OF OPINION BETWEEN

CONFLICTING REPORTS AS TO PROSPECTS
DIFFERENCES OF OPINION BETWEEN
+LANTERs AND DEALERS.
Anumber of contradictory reports con-
corning the Louisiana rice crop have been
in circulation. Some time ago Messrs.
Talmage's Sons announced their belief in
an ample crop. This statement brought
out considerable severe criticism upon the
firm in question, both by Southern planters
and Southern newspapers. The Savannah
Neaos recently said: "The rice men here
are, as usual, very much out of humor
with the Ta1mages for trying, as they
claim, to bear the rice market by state
ments that the rice crop of Louisiana is
the largest ever known. This has been
pretty thoroughly met by the report of the
rice committee to the New Orleans board
of trade, which issues report saying that
the acreage is decreased one, by reason
of many rice planters abandoning the
planting of rice for cane crops, and that
the extreme low river forced the abandon:
ment of places which were unprovided
with pumping facilities. The New Or
leans rice committee estimate crop of
SOC, 900 sacks, decrease from last year of
156, 1923, and q decrease from the largest
crop ever produced-that of 1SS5-S6-of
about 100000 sacks. In view of these
differences of opinion an explanation was
asked of Messrs. Dan Talmage's Sons, and
the following reply received:
"We are careful in colating information
and gather from trustworthy sources. We
see no reason why we should change our
estimates; in fact, they are confirmed by
late reports. These gentlemen in Louisi-
ana seem afraid to have the truth told,
and because the gloomy reports circulated
by them were not accepted and acted upon
by dealers, thereby insuring them profit
on their holdings of stock, they lay the
blame on Talmage and say he is trying to
bear the market. To show how they talk,
in early June they were all crying wolf
that the crop was failure, it was entirely
ruined then they said it would probably
turn out 800 600 sacks of rough rice; then
they concluded it would likely reach $780,
600 sack then they decided to raise their
estimates, some to 100000 and others to
100000 sacks. At the opening of the sea-
son, when a high river or copious rains
are needed, the crop did suffer from lack
of water and some individual crops were
abandoned but it rained later on and the
crop fairly jumped with new life, and it
is reported that a shrewd operator in New
Orleans bought the rights of several plan
tiers in the crops they had abandoned, and
now these same planters are tearing their
hair, because he is likely to make lots of
money out of his venture.
"Besides this, there has been consider
able late planting, which has progressed
favorably, Regarding the report that
there was decrease in the acreage planted,
this may be true in some sections but
this has been more than offset by the in.
crease in other parishes, Calcasieu being
especially noted, seeding being done'as late
as the middle of July.
"TAe Louisiana Planter, whose interest
is naturally with the planter, says: "Crop
prospects grows brighter as the days roll
BY We scarcely understand why these
people dislike the truth. ALI this talk
about our making these statements in order
to ssbear the Market and that we are
working foreign to the injury of home
interests, is all rot.
AS l said before, we gather our informa-
ton from reliable sources, and if no un-
toward conditions arise during the harvest
ing season the yield, in our opinion, will
no doubt be as large if not larger than any
previous year in tie history of the rice
culture in this country, and especially
Louisiana. These 'croakers' seem to for
get that the larger the crop the less
chanc3 for foreign importations and The
greatest general prosperity of the State. -
Neso York Commercial Bulletin.