The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-11-26
RICE GROWERS GOOD YEAR.
THE CROP NOT A LARGE ONE BUT
PRICES HIGHER THAN USUAL.

Rice Planting Before the War-4O,-
600 Acres Cultivated in savannah
Territory Then md Less Than H.
GOO Acres NOw-SOme OF the OLD
Time PIantations--A Prospect OF
Abandoned Plantations Being Talk
en- Up on Account of the Tariff.
The rice planters are in better condition
now than they have been for several
years. Thsy are not as well off, how
ever, as they thought themselves to be
a month or six weeks ago.
The appearance of the grain when har-
vesting begun promised a large yield, but
the results were disappointing. They Sc
cured instead a fair crop of good quality,
and with higher prices than usual the re-
suits have been fairly satisfactory. Their
disappointment is said to be due to the fact
that there was a great deal of rain last
winter and several freshets This COM
PEELED the planters to plow and plant their
lands wet and also caused them to plant
a great deal of June rice Rice painted
under these circumstances is said to al
ways present a deceptive appearance.
The cold nights of September and the
very dry fall made the June rice turn out
not over Is to 80 bushels to the acre where
the planters were looking for IS to 40 BUSH
els. The present crop, while not large
one. is almost all of good grades. The
planters think that under the circum-
stances rice should bring higher prices.
There is said to be a broker now buying
rough ricesin Savannah and Charleston at
the mill DOORS paying 81 and upwards per
bushel and shipping it to Wilmington, N.
c., showing that there is a short crop
somewhere and that rice is likely to go up.
The planters will all make money this
year, however, on account of the good
prices prevailing the early part Of the sea-
son.
While the acreage of rice in savannahs
territory before the war was about 10000
acres, on account of the low prices pre-
vailing during the last few years and the
freshets and storms, some of the largest
and finest plantations have been aban-
doned the banks are broken and trunks
rotton and gone. ,4
Some OF the largest before the war were
Proctor's Point plantation, Blue Mud
plantation Mackey's Point the Gowric,
II
vannah river. and the Cape plantation on
the Ogeechee. On the Altamaha, where
before the war. there We're over twenty
large plantations, with the exception of
Woolford, Champna Island, Generals ISL
and, and some little rice planted on But
ler's Island, the balance of those fine
plantations on the Altamaha have been
abandoned.
On the Satilla river are Col. Clinch 8
place. the Owens place, Burdell's and Nal
lory Kings place, but the balance have
ell been abandoned, except where a few
negroes are planting patches on them.
The prospects are that with the present
tariff rice will go up and it is likely that
a number of the abandoned plantations
will be taken up.
The acreage at present under cultivation
in Savannah's territory is said to be about
as follows: Savannah river 5000 acres;
Ogeechee river, 240O; Altamaha river, LOCO;
Satilla river 2100, and New river, 40, max
ing a total Of 1850 acres. This is very
poor showing compared with the 10000
acres planted in this territory before the
war.
The planters have learned by experience
to make rice for less than they did a few
years ago and with continued good prices
1t 10 likely that the acreage viii Increase.
Savannah rice has the reputation of be-
ing the best grown in the country. 4
Morning News reported was shown beau
tiful sample OF fancy rice last week from
Recess plantation, of which 1902 barrels
were recently sold by a broker for export
for the use of the European crowned heads