The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-10-19
A SAVING TO RICE PLANTERS.
TEST OF A VARIETY FROM JAPAN
WHICH NATURES QUICKLY,


vested in Three and One-HaIf
Months, Which Puts 1t Out of the
Way of the August StOrms-Gives a
Fine Grain and About the Same
Yield Per Acre as the American
Rice-Its Quick Maturity May
Make Cultivation Possibility
Even Up to the Foothills of the
MOuntains-SOme Interesting Ex-
periments Made With 1t by Mr..
Jos. A. Huger.
Mr.. Joseph A. Huger, general manager
of the Planters rice mill and an extensive
rice planter. is making some experiments
with new varieties of rice, which will I'M
doubtedly prove of much interest to the
planters generally, and which, if success
full, will be of great advantage to them in
making the crops.
Though Mr. Huger began the expert
ments sometime ago he has just reached
point this season where he is able to tell
something about the results. He secured
several varieties of Japan and China rice,
of which there are some thirty or forty,
and planted them as a matter of expert
ment. With one variety of the Japan
rice he accomplished exceptionally good
results.
This season Mr.. Huger planted a number
of acres of this rice, and found the results
most satisfactory, though he does not yet
think he has given it complete test. He
thinks, however, the planters generally
should know of the results obtained so
far, as he thinks there is chance OF the
rice growing industry in this section being
revolutionized If this variety is properly
handled.
The most important advantage of the
new variety of rice is the rapditywith
which it natures. This rice if planted in
March will mature about the first or mid
die of July, an average of three months
and a half, while the ordinary American
rice requires nearly six months to mature.
The difference is, however, that the first
maturity of the Japan rice does not give
the full yield, though it is by far the greater
portion of the crop. 1t may be cut, how
ever to within a few inches of the ground,
and then if the water is again turned on
the fields a second crop is secured within
about three months, from the new shoots
that spring up.
The great advantage in this early ma
turity is that the greater portion of the
crop is cut the latter part of June, or hrsr
of July and is actually ready for market
before there is any danger whatever
from the August or September cyclones.
This is undoubtedly a great advantage to
the rice planter in this section, who every
two or three years suffers great losses
from these severe gales. The only risk
he takes is on the second growth of the
crop. which is small in comparison to the
first yield.
So far as Mr.. Huger has experimental,
he has not found that there is any appre-
ciable difference in the yield as between
the American and Japan rice. the two
crops which come from the latter are
about equal to one good crop of the Amer
lean variety, which requires six months
to mature. The growth however is
much heavier. While the new variety does
not tiller like the American, that is there
are not so many stalks or stems to the
grain by one-half or more, each head IL
much more heavily laden with rice grains
than are those of the American variety.
Not only are there more grains to the
stalk, but the grains are somewhat larS-
err and of a different shape. They are
more rounded or oval than the American
grain, which is long and cylindrical. The
variety is a very pretty one, and compares
most favorably with the finest grades of
American rice.
Mr.. Huger is very much pleased with the
have gone, but he is not yet satisfied that
he has done all he can with it.
Il raised considerable of the Japan rice
this season. he said, "but l shall use it
for seed instead of marketing it, and in
tend to see if l cannot get still better re-
suits from it another season. l am in
clined to think that ! have not yet given
it fair test, but with the results obtain
ed it can be used to great advantage be-
cause of the fact that these August and
September storms are the worst things we
have to contend with. The early maturity
of this rice puts the greater part of the
crop beyond the reach Of these storms,
and it will be beneficial to use it for that
reason If for no other ! am inclined to
think however that much better results
will yet be secured from it.
Another great advantage is that there
is a probability of carrying the cultivation
OF rice much farther into the interior, and
along the river banks, where navigation
can be secured even perhaps
right to the foothills of the
mountains. where the warm seasons are
shorter, and where it has been impossible
to grow rice to any advantage because of
the long time ii takes to mature. But
with "a rice maturing in three and a half
months, and giving a good yield in that
time. there is no reason why it should not
be carried much farther into the interior
Of this section
Those of the planters who have heard of
Mr.. Hugers experiments have become
very much interested in them, and no
doubt there will be more of them this year
to try and see what they can do with the
Japan rice.