Wood River times. [volume] (Hailey, Idaho) 1882-1915, 1893-11-22
THE RICE CIR P.
REVOLUTIONARY THIS SOUTH
ERN INDUSTRY.
Highly Important Suggestions by the
Department OF Agriculture Reha bill
ifatinG Abandoned Plantations.

Department Of Agriculture Reha bill
itating Abandoned Plantations.
People who arc looking for places to
invest considerable sums of money may
be interested in some suggestions offered
by the Agricultural Department in regard
70 the cultivation of rice in the United
States and the possibilities of great re-
sults. According to this statement there
are in the South hundreds of thousands
of acres of finest rice lands abandoned
and lying idle which offer great financial
advantages to those willing to invest in
them for the cultivation of rice in large
quantities. The losses of the rice plant
rrs during the war were very great.
During their absence the dykes which
kept back the water from the rice lands
and plantations which had cost i'm
It was impracticable for these men
impoverished as they were on their
return to rc-enter upon the in
austry of rice growing. because large
sums OF money were required to rebuild
dykes and recut canals and bring the
land again into condition for the cultiva-
ton of this crop. 1t was not possible to,
put nearly an acre or two under cultiva-'
lion because great systems of dykes and
canals had to be constructed before any
portion Of the land could be made avail
able. The lands which were morts aged
are still mortgaged, and these mortgages
are held by banks of the great Southern
cities. no one caring to foreclose to get
property for which there is no sale.
Lands which were formally worth two
hundred or three hundred dollars per
acre, according to this report, are now
worth no more than twenty or thirty,
and where dykes have been washed away
and the canals and bitches been filed up
they con often be had for one dollar per
acre. Another difficulty which people
Of small means have encountered is in
getting labor to build dykes and keep
them in repair, or to repair and dig
canals. The colored workmcn of the
South prefer work in the phosphate
fields
i All these difficulties, the Department
Of Agriculture suggests, could be over
come by men or companies with large
capital. Instead of being dependent
upon the oolorcd laborer, which prefers
work in other lines of industry, an Or
ganiZatiOn with means to purchase
dredges and flats could dredge canals
and build dykes by steam machinery at
n very small cost. Machinery could also
be used in the preparation of the land
and its cultivation and in the harvesting
Of the crop. The rice lands are perfectly
level and divided into rectangular fields
with low dykes or embankments around
each, and there is no reason why steam
machinery should not be used on these
fields in the cultivation and harvesting of
the crop.
In this connection some general facts
about rice, which are also given in the
same report are intereresting. Rice. 40.
cording to this statement, stands first in
Importance among cereals and grains,
both in regard to the number of persons
who consume it, the amount produced
and the area devoted to its cultivation
the world over. Rice forms the principal
and in some cases almost the only food,
according to this statement, of from one
third to one half OF the whole human
race. The rice-consuming nations, in
Guiding the Chinese, Japanese, the
make up total of 800, 900, 600 people.
| III ONcT -IOuE per Ccut. VI ZIG LOtul
population of the world.
Since we are in the centennial mood, it
is worth while mentioning that this is Just
about the 20Oth anniversary of the intro.
duction of rice growing as an industry
in the United States. 1t was in 1884
that an English ship bound from NADIA.
gascar was driven to seek shelter in the
harbOr of Charleston, and its Captain
gave to Gov. Thomas Smith a small bag
of rice seed from the ships stores. This
was planted, and was, it is said, the
origin of the once important industry OF
rice growing in South Carolina. 1t is
also said that the Earl of Shaftesbury
sent 100 pounds of seed to Charleston
about the same time.
That there is demand for rice, and
that those who might undertake it's cul-
ture in quantities, as suggested by the
Department of Agriculture, would find q
market for it, is shown by the fact that
the importations into the United States
now run at the rate of 800, 600 pounds
per day, or over IS, 900 900 pounds pei
month. This is moro than double the
amount imported at the corresponding
time last year, when the importationl
only amounted to 100000 pounds pei
month. Rice is produced now in the
States of North and South Carolina,
Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi.
Louisiana and Texas, but altogether
these States do not produce more than
one-half the amount consumed in this
country, and not one-fourth the amount
that probably would be consumed if itt
production were more general. The
Carolina rice, it is said, is esteemed
among foreign consumers as the best in
the world.
As food the value of rice is too well
known to require comment. 1t is inter.
esting, however, to remark that accord.
ing to this report rice contains slightly
larger amount Of nutritive matter thar
wheat or rye or corn or potatoes OF beef
One pound of rice, according to the re
report in question, is equivalent to one
pound of wheat -four, or over foul
pounds of potatoes, or nearly two
pounds of beef. In the matter Of hea,