Goldsboro weekly argus. [volume] (Goldsboro, N.C.) 1885-1909, 1898-02-10
RICE CULTURE.
1T rs NOW THE BEST MONEY
CROP.
Mr.. Henry We'll Writes an Elab-
crate Article Covering the
Entire Subject, and it Cars
ries. It's OWN Comment and
Conclusion.
Conclusion,


riess It's OWN Comment and
Conclusion.
EDITOR ARGUs:-What crops
are the most profitable to raise?
This question almost every far
mer naturally puts to himself:
more especially this year, when
cotton. usually the chief crop,
and nearly the only cash crop, is
selling at barely the cost of pros
duction, and it is quite problems
atical whether it will sell at a
higher price next fall. This des
| pends on two conditions; one is
whether as large an acreage will
be planted as last year, the 9TH
er,whether the weather conditions
will be favorable to its growth
and harvesting. Every Indication
points to fully as large an acreage
as last season.
On close inquiry from farmers
we learn, that while they ac-
knowledge the fact that cotton
raising at present prices is not
profitable. yet in their opinion it
is the only crop that can be de-
voted to large area which can
be readily sold for cash, and for
this reason many planters en-
deavor ia raise more cotton so
bat they may realize sum
equally as great as a smaller
acreage yielded few years ago.
This with the yearly increased
use of fertilizers will produce
the same result (barring unfa.
vorable weather conditions) to
wit: a large cotton crop with
correspondingly low prices.
Tobacco is crop that under
certain conditions will prove
profitable. This crop. however,
requires great deal of care, Wig
lance and experience. Our far
mers are learning rapidly, but
will have to gain the experience
of several more years Of tobacco
cultivation before they can exs
pect much remuneration from
this product. At best, but a
comparatively small acreage can
be devoted to this crop; as over
cropping a tobacco crop would
be worse than a failure in other
products, as neglect in any stage
of its growth, curing Or handling
means disaster.
! The corn or other cereal crops,
excepting rice) is not profitable
to grow for market in this section,
and these are only advisable tc
raise in sufficient quantities fol
) home consumption.
i There is one crop which bids
fair to be the most profitable ont
under existing conditions, and tha
. is the rice crops u crop which hae
) so little attention for a good many
! years-for reasons easily explained
Statistics show that the United
> States has only grown about one
I forth of the rice she consumes, ant
? of late years, barely one-eighth
lone reason is that this crop Cal
, only be grown in small portion
of about four States, to wit
!. North Carolina, South Carolina
, Georgia and louisiana: In th
v second place, the low import dut,
b on rice for many years past mad
It it easy for China, Japan and othe
: rice growing countries to invad
: our markets, and sell the article a
i such low prices as to make it IN
VI profitable for our farmers to com
pete with them.
al Now the conditions are changed
IS Our last Congress put a dut
:. equal to 81 cents per bushel 0
s rough rice. This, with the freigf
sstt charges from foreign countries
g will give our planters protectio
(, equal to SO cents per bushel: an
q q just as long as this duty remain
Or in force our lice planters ma
in gather rich harvest. Good VI
t, land rice was readily selling at 8
= cents per bashel this season; Will
d lowland rice sold as high as ST.. 3
IL per bushel.
g. The secretary of the Carolil
lg Rice Mills in this city inform
= US that they bought the rice Gre
: Of four farmers living on the Car
Fear river for which they paid,
b. the aggregate, the sum of S39. 500