The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-03-29
THE CULTURE OF RICE
Louisiana Now the Leading State
i'm the Growth of This Crop.
Great Difficulties in the Way of Raising
It-A Constant Fight with Birds
New Modes of Culture.

prestige as q r1ce-producing region. III was
not great many years ago that that
State produced more than twice as much
rice as any other State in the Union, but
the last half dozen years or so have been
phenomenal in the South in creating great
changes in it's natural Industrial life. New
resources have been developed, and many
of the old ones have been superseded by
the new Cotton, sugar, rice and molasses
will always be the great products Of large
sections of the South, but iron, fruits and
tobacco will contend closely for the SUI
premacy. Rice culture has undergone many
changes, but its phenomenal growth in the
past seven years promises TO make this
cereal more important than ever before in
the country's industries. In the prairie
parishes of New Orleans especially has
rice-growing received a great impetus, and
thousands OF farmers and laborers find
their chief employment in the fields, and
New Orleans, as the chief rice-milling city
OF America, gives work to hundreds of
others. Seventy-five years ago there was
not rice mill in that city, but now it
contains more than sixteen, giving en-
ployment over 1850 men. The mills gen.
orally work all the year, making a steady
employment for those engaged in them.
Changes have been made not only in the
section of the country to another. but also
in the methods of growing rice and in
milling it, Formerly each farmer attempt
ed to mill his rice before placing IL
on the market, and the creole p, lies then
trotted around the mill to the music of the
natives peculiar to the South, turning long.
clumsy wooden levers. The scenes in those
early days the rice farms were some
what ideal Competition was not very
urgent, and every rice-grower had his
slaves and plenty of funds. The yield per
acre was far less than to-day, but prices
were higher. and large profits were ex-
pected from sure markets. To-day, how
ever, the planters and farmers send their
rough rice to the millers, who buy Il and
ship it all over the world. In the old days
it was a common custom to send the rice
TO the millers, and Ii was returned to the
farmers cleaned after toll was paid. Some
times the millers would take their pay
Northern states would exact a certain por-
ton of the -four from the farmers for
grinding their grain. But under modern
peared, and the n Mill e stand ready to
buy the rice in its rough state. 1t is only
another instance of specializing farm work.
In Louisiana highland rice does not pay,
and only the aquatic plant Is found profit
able. Water is the great essential to good
vided in abundance during the sprouting,
growing and ripening period, 1t is useless
for the farmer to cultivate the land for this
of the coast districts Of this State that rice
culture has proved so renunerative. Many
so ana So aha they ean
veniently irrigated at any time.
NEW MODES OF CULT,
The methods employed in the e. Of
rice differ somewhat from those in vogue
years ago. More culture and tillage are
given to the SOIL The level piece Of land is
plowed and narrowed more in preparation
for the seed, so that the soil is thoroughly
pulverized. Little watering bitches or levees
divide the land into convenient plats, and
on the larger farms the dry seeds are
planted by drills. Broadcast hand sowing is
pursued still by the small farmers, and this
method gives nearly as good results. al
even and does the work quickly After
planting, the soil is thoroughly saturated
to make the seeds terminate rapidly. and
as soon as the tender plants show above
the surface the water is withdrawn The
field is kept dry until the plants are two
or three inches high. Rice culture depends
ton. There are many dangers threatening
the existence OF the plants. such being
destroyed by caterpillars when there is no
water and by crawfish when the land is
flooded too deeply. The crop is not even
secure when il gets well established.
When reaching the ripening period, the
West India hurricanes are a constant men
ace to the plants. One heavy wind, &C
damage in whipping off the heads of
reaped rice than we'll be imagined.
Thousands of dollars may be lost in one
day. In August of 1888 it was estimated
that the hurricane destroyed in the neigh
borhood Of 100000 barrels of rice. The crop
of that year amounted to less than 500 600
barrels in Louisiana, and the estimates be-
fore the hurricane were conservatively
placed at 100000 barrels. More damage is
inflicted on the rice fields by storms than by
drought, for in this State water can gener-
ally be supplied pretty freely even during
very dry seasons.
But another gres enemy to the rice fields
is the inveterate and determined robber
known as the rice bird, accompanied in
many places by the English sparrow, sum-
mer ducks and other fowls Of air and wa
ter Swarms OF these birds assemble on the
fields when the rice is in the milk stage"
and then ii is that the most desperate war
between man and bird Is waged. Ii is a
war to death, and neither party yields until
the rice has passed out Of the tempting
stage. The scene on the rice fields at such
time is a most interesting one. Boys
men: and even women, armed with guns.
muskets, pistols, fog horns and bells, sur
round the fields from morning until night
and keep up such a racket as is enough TO
frighten almost any winged thing way e1-
cept bold rice bird. 1t is kept up every
day throughout the week. and i'm every
parish and county where rice is grown
Millions Of the birds are slain every season
by the gunners, and drop down unnoticed
by the rice birds, is enormous in some sea-
sons, and. despite all efforts 20 scare them
away, the creatures of the air dispose of a.
good part of the rice. The Agricultural De-
partment at Washington has often investi-
gated the matter. Scare crows prove OF no
avail, although hundreds of elaborate ones
have been erected on the fields. The birds
are very tmid when hawks are around gem
orally, and IL was suggested to suspend a
number of stuffed hawks i'm the fields to
keep the birds away. But these inanimate
objects were soon approached boldly by the
rice biruS, some of which even had the te-
merity 10 light upon their backs. The rice
growers have concluded that nothing but a
band Of men and boys with shotguns will
keep, the birds away. There are seasons
when the birds seem to be summering else
where, and are very scarce; but generally
they can be depended upon to arrive at the
great feeding place in time for the feast.
WEEDS GROW FAST
When the rice reaches a height of six
inches to a foot it must be weeded care
fully by hand and thoroughly and literally
watered. The rich SOIL well moistened,
makes the weeds and aquatic plants grow
vigorously, that the wedding must be
| done many times. Here the value of sow
| ing in drills by machinery is apparent.
| The weeders can then walk across the
! fields without destroying many plants but
| where the seeds have been sown broadcast
! Ii is often impossible 10 take step with
| out destroying several young growths. Gen
! orally the SraSslng, as IL is called, or
the wedding, costs the farmer about Sc per
acre. Then the plants begin to head out,
,R,h ~, fIas f,ll