St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1893-02-04
The Rice Industry.

\. Y. Shipping and Commercial List, Jan. Is.
We note with regret n disposition on
tie part of many of our contemporaries
il Louisiana, particularly the New Or
Leans Picayune, to croak.o7er the sltua-
ton in rice; bewailiDg the past, lament
ing the present, and lndulging IN most
hopeless and pessimistic uttcrances re-
gardibg the future. One might almost
suppose that these papers were hand and
glove in sympathy with some spccuia-
live interest seeking 10 c0rtroi the mar
ket. Human nature differs greatly, and
the view taken i'll any given situation Is
!. matter OF temperament or previous
personal experience. Were the views Of
the Picayune generally accepted, plant
ers wonld 60 out of the culture and turn
to other Things, whereas there is no
other product equally safe which Otfei s
anything like such satisfactory results
as rice.
We see every reason for encoura &C.
ment and enlargement OF the culture.
There is not enough rice raised to sup
ply the wants of the United States; but
1t is perfectly absurd to expect it 10 be
sold within single quarter or one third
at the year. Every one connected with
tie product has got to do his duty III
.aspect thereto. Planters, factors, mill
SlSt ali ACSu III lTul Ii lItc lCSSbI VI Afilo-
Grafton; and il they act aloug these lines
the crop will not only he placed, but
within the next month or two at marked
appreciation in value. 1t might be well
for those who are somewhat discouraged
10 look into and figure over the average
results derived from any other grain.
We announce without hesitanGy that at
even present prices rice by far oUJranEs
all other grains, netting from 30 to 100
per cent more i'll dollars and cents. The
outlook we claim Is promising; there Is
every reasonable assurance OF current
rates being maintained, aud possibly
higher figures reached as the season pro-
crosses. 1t is we'll known that Of late
years the crop has been forwarded with
more deliberatiOn, and it is now rare
that any great supply is placed upon the
market before September or October.
fsass.lsisit will be seen that there are
GeXt crop WIFI tptIepaaaanths before the
quantity, and that the present crop IT !
tAe past ratio can be easily placed with
IN the suggested peFioa-~These are also
other TEXTURES which might be consider
ed in this connection, namely, the high
prices of canned goods, dIied fruits, !
heans. and especially potatoes, all of
which ought to contribute to an iucreas-
ing movement and an enhancing of
values.
1t is well to bear in mind two great
facts, i. e. % the demand of the United |
) atcs for edible use for past two years
j. sDectively has been 240000,000 and |
s533 100000 lbs. F.; (2) the outcome of the |
last crop by the most sanguino has not |
been estimated us over 225000,000 lbs.
There ought to be shortage, but Ger
talnly no surplus, when every direct and !
collateral influence surrounding the |
market tends to enlarge rather than d.
the consumption. The amounts |
Noted as sold were not the results of any |
Or stimulating conditions, and |
realized prices far above those now pre-
Valling. 1t is not optimistic, but rea-
sGnable, to confidently expect that the |
demand from now until summer will be |
al accelerating ratio, especially in view
OF the high cost OF competing products
and the fact that domestic rice is three
quarters to one and one-quartcr cents
per pound below the price at which i'm
pnrtatioos can be proftably made of res
pective grades of equal quality in for
eigI.