The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1896-03-22
A BUDGET FROM BEAUMONT.



The Season for Rice Planting Drawing
Near.
Beaumont. Texas. March 21.--The plant
ing season for rice is drawing near. but
there IL absence of the enthusiasm among
Jefferson county rice farmers that ex-
! listed year ago. Then the farmers had
Just passed through n prosperous year.
unfavorablc weather and lack of prepa-
rations to water the plant when necessary
caused a short crop. yet the yield was
fairly good and what was gathered was
marketed at a satisfactory proft. Encour-
aged by the prices received extensive
improvements were made on many of the
farms. planting the crop OF 1895 was
cheerfully begun, acreage of the previous
year was more than doubled and favora-
pie ana careful cultivation brought n
honntlful harvest. But thu food product.
Mhlch bad been so valuable in lS2i-95 In
lNd-tb became worthless so far as the
FARMER was concerned and the big crop
ana increased acreage did not net tho
farmer nearly so much az the short crop
aud smaller acreage.
Why the price for rough rice should
nave dropped 50 low has never been sat
istactorily explained. Some claim over
production, but statistics and the price
OF clean rice prove that argument false.
pihers contend that the Jefferson county
product was an inferior grade. This may
- - - ",t'.'' :, vas III NHo iobEIi,
but after. it is cleaned and put upon the
mark II brings the regulation price
per pound. IT is very doubtful If either
OF these causes, brought about the low
fa ,rre ior rouEn rec: IA iact, those
| investigate. give the opinion that the de-
SrTsSi9 2, WIS caused ny combination of
mill owuers and when II "i is atna Nirge
consideration that heretofore ana now
eHSW, 0rieans IS the only market for
understand how eosv euch u,cmdGtt GO
| could b. brought about.
nut. no mater what the causes, the
pressing ipfliIence on rica f,,,, Ia" a Ht-
| county Those with whom ,rtin 81 US
respondant has tail(. Il nxnross thoJns,i,,ds
as discourag Il ana none Of NO., y,ti
attempt TO cultivate Tho acreore ~ issi'
wear. but there is "a dct0rn1iratio,1 10 raiec
a lin r grade of rice and members bave
already purchased seed with This fnten-
ton.
IL is expected that 1886 will be a pros-
| nervous year for tn Jefferson county
rice farmor They VIII soon be lnd6-
pendent OF any one market ard at tho
~ XIX OF none Within another twelve
months li9 Kansas City. pttsburg and
/ ruii railr9ad VIII be m operation from
Kansas CITY to Port Arthur and there
gre 4opes mat Galveston and Houston
may pc brought to realization that the
liVU iuuuSitN or southeast Texas Is OF
.,.ltt' Importance TO Justify oncour-
'7''"''' 1,pr-,rr ,,,.,,-,-
NJ / tuLit ltE
Following is from an article on "F'ruIt
Culture IN jefferson Countv" u,ri,top h,,
,fr a. " o. written by
'i'' w. - ward Jefferson county nor
tioulturist
Fruit Will soon bn n leaair,, n,.od,,o, on,
| -. "''"s p"o"uct ana
source oi wealth. TO Southeast Texas.
am aware that many believe that fruit
can not be succossfullv prour 4, o,,r oo,st
,o,,,,,, mi - =" 40 W. NO"9
fouHrE' me PROOF OF the pudding is
the eating" is a truism, but / have had
| the Degslrnfst stand In MT, orob,ras and
80 ''' % w. ''i'
"uin4I tAat the trees were healthy ana
| hne. | have placed in his hands the most
luscious peaches from these same trees ana
| he was forced to admit that the fruit was