Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1893-11-18
THE RICE CRCP.
REvOLUTIOSIZING THIS SOUTH
EEN INDUSTRY.

Highly Important Suggestions by the
Department Of Agriculture Reha bill
itating Abandoned Plantations.
People who are looking for places to
invest considerable sums Of money may
be interested in some suggestions offered
by tie Agricultural Department IN regard
TO the cultivation of rice in the United
States and the possibilities of great re-
suits. According to this statement there
ar, 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
ers during the war were very great
During their absence the ykes which
kent back the water from the rice lands
we're washed away, canals were filled up
and plaptatons which had cost inn
mensc sums thus rendered valueless.
1t was imp-acticable for these men
| impoverished as they wore on their
return to re-cntcr upon the IN
dustry of rice growing because large
sums of money were required to rebuild
dykes and recut canals and bring tho
| land srain into condition for the cultiva-
ton of this crop. 1t was not possible to
| put nearly an acre or two under cultlva-
| ton because great systems of dykes and
| canals had to he constructed before any
| portion of the land could bc made avail
| able. The lands which were mortS aged
| are still mortgagcd, and these mortgages
are held by banks of the great Southern
cities. no one caring to Iorecose to get
| property for which there is no sale.
| Lands which were formally worth two
hundred or three hundred dollars per
acre. according to tais report, are now
worth no more than twenty or thirty,
and where dykes have been washed away
and the canals and bitches been filled up
they can 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
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 coored laborer, which prefers
work in other lines OF industry, an or
ranization with means to purchase
dredces and flats could dredge canal
and build dykes by steam machinery a
very small cost. Machinery could als'
be used in the preparation of the lant
and its cultivation and IN the harvesting
Of the crop. The rice lands are perfect.
level and divided into rectangular field
with low dykes or embellishments aroun'
each, aud there is no reason why stear
machinery should not be used on thes
fields in the cultivation and harvesting 0
the crop.
in this connection some general fact
about rice, which are also given in til
same report arc interesting Rice. at
cording to this statement, stands first l
Importance among cereals and grains
4 both In regard to the number of person
e who consume it, the amount produce
=. and the area devoted to its cultivatio
T, the world over. Rice forms the priDcipi
s and in some cases almost the only foo(
e according to this statement, of from ont
0 third to one half Of the whole huma
d race. The rice-consumipg nations, II
d GLIDING the Chinese, japanese, Il
e people of India and portions of Afric
+ make up a total Of 500, 600, 600 peopI
IS or over fifty-four per cent. of the tot
d population of the world.
|. Since we are in the centennial mood,
d is worth while mentioning that this is ju
D, about the 200th anniversary OF the intr
re duction of rice growing as an industr
p in the United States. 1t was in 10
" that an English ship bound from Mad
rs pascar was driven TO seek shelter IN &
TO harbor of Charleston. and its Capita
at gave to Gov. Thomas Smith a small b
e. of rice seed from the ships stores. II
ID was planted, and was, it is said, t
IS. origin Of the once important industry
cd rice growing in South Carolina. 1t
no also said that the Earl Of Shaitesbu
n. sent 100 pounds of seed to CharIest
ell about the same time.
er That there is demand for rice, a.
that those who might undertake its G.
ture in quantities. as suggested by t
u Department Of Agriculture, would fin
market for it. is shown by the fact I'll
90 the importations into the United sta
he row run at the rate OF 900 OG0 pour
IT, per day. or over 15,000,000 pounds
nd month. This is more than double
mt amount imported at the correspond
yc time last year, when the importati'
ed only amounted to 100000 pounds
de month. Rice is produced now in
BET states Of North and South Carroll
gh Georgia. Florida, Alabama Mississip
by Louisiana and Texas, but altoget
re- these States DO not produce more Il
ast one half the amount consumed in
mn. country. and not onefourth the amo
for that probably would be consumed if
the production were more general
OK. Carolina rice, it is said, is esteem
be among foreign consumers as the bes
lye the world
nc As a food the value Of rice IS too !
nd | known 10 require comment II is IN
10 osting. however 10 remark hat ace,
md ing 10 this report rice contains a sligl
i &C. larger amount Of nutritiye matter
..ti wheat or rye or corn OF potatoes OF b
One pound Of rice. according 10 the
report 90 question, IS equivalent TO
pound of wheat flour, or over