The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-01-12
RICE TAKING A TURN Up.
The Decreased Acreage and Small
Stock on Hand the Cause.

An Advance on All Grades in the Last
Two Weeks-The Amount on Hand
Comparatively Sma1l-The Last Two
Seasons Discouraging to Planters.
The Outlook for Higher Prices From
Now On.
There has been a revival in rice during
the last two weeks. Prices are steadily
advancing, and the trade is active. The
reports that large number of planters
do not expect to attempt to make crop
this year, together with the small stock
now on hand, have had the effect of slim
ulating prices.
There has been an advance Of u cent in
all grades during the last fifteen days at
New Orleans, and although the business
here was not particularly large I'M
til a few days ago, it was owing
to the factors holding their stocks at an
advanced price. Purchasers have
realized that there is a steady increase in
values and the demand has greatly in
creased and prices have advanced "a cent
during the past few days. The sales are
increasing every day, and are larger than
they have been at any time during the
past twelve months.
HIGHER PRICES LOOKED FOR.
The present prospects point strongly to
higher prices, and a scarcity of rice on
the markets, as the amount of stock on
hand is comparatively small, and there is
very little yet to come to the mills; be-
sides, the determination of planters to
withdraw from the field next season, if
carried out, will greatly decrease the sup
ply. 1t is evident that those who can af-
ford to plant rice this season will realize
good profit There are q number of
planters, however, whose expenses would
be too costly to attempt to raise a
crop, and they will be compelled to let
their plantations remain idle.
The past two seasons have not been en-
couraging to the rice planter, and a
great many of them are discouraged.
There was an abundant crop season be-
fore last, and the market was glutted to
such an extent that prices were forced
below the actual cost of production, and
the losses of the planters were great. This
season the storms played havoc with the
crop just as it was ripening and getting
ready to replace the market with the al
ready estimated losses in Louisiana,
which had been caused by excessive
rains during the early part of the plant
ing season. The results of these storms
are well known, and the bitter experience
OF the producer has been repeatedly told.
The South Carolina rice plantations were
largely devastated, and the losses in Geor-
gia were very great.
THE STOCK ON HAND.
At the end of very discouraging year
of overproducing, the stock of rough rice
at Savannah on Sept. l, 1898 was 80, 292
bushels; out of 552, 800 bushels, the total
receipts of the season. The receipts so
far this season have been only about
$50, 900 bushels, which added to the
stock on hand at the beginning of the sea-
son, makes total of 342, 292 bushels of
this amount there has been milled, 179,-
600 bushels, leaving stock on hand of
only 1929 bushels to be milled during
the remaining eight months of this sea-
son. This amount is quite small and as
the stock in plantations is limited, there
will be no great increase in the present
receipts.
The stock of clean rise is also small
having been diminished considera bly, dur
ing the week. According to the statistics
gathered from the mills last Friday, there
was stock Of 2,78l barrels on hand, and
the sales reported at the board of trade
since then amount to ], 100 barrels, which
would leave on hand a stock of only ], 661
barrels. This, of course, is not allowing
for the amount milled during the past
week,