The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-02-26
RICE CULTURE.
(C,oldsboro Argus
II. L. GRANT.

Editor Argus: w nat crops are inc
most profitable to raise? This question
almost every farmer naturally puts IL
himself. more especially this year, when
cotton. usually the chief crop, and nearly
the only cash crop, is selling at barely
the cost of production, and it is quite
problematical whether it Will sell at :,
higher price next fall. This depends
on two conditions; one is whether as
large an acreage will be planted as last
year. the other, whether the weather
conditions viii be favorable to its growth
and harvesting. Every indication points
to fully as large an acreage as last sea-
son.
On dose inquiry from farmers we
learn that while they acknowledge the
fact that cotton raising at present prices
is not profitable, yet in their opinion it
is THE only crop that can be devoted to
large area which can be readily sold
for casi, and for this reason many
planters endeayor to raise cotton so that
they may realize sum equally as great
as IL smaller acreage yielded a few years
ago. This with the yearly increased usv
of fertilizers will produce the same re
suit GEARING unfavorable weather con-
ditions) to wit: 4 large cotton crop
with correspondingly low prices.
Tobacco is a crop that under certain
conditions Will prove profitable This
crop, however, requires a great deal OF
care, vigilance and experience. Our
farmers are learning rapidly, but will
have to gain the experience of several
more years of tobacco cultivation before
they can expect much remuneration
from this product. At best, but com
partivdly small acreage can be devoted
to this crop; as over-cropping a tobacco
crop would be worse than q failure in
other products. as neglect in any stage
Of its growth, curing or handling means
disaster.
The corn of other cereal crops Except
ing rice). is not profitable to grow for
market in this section. and these are on
~ advisable to raise in sufficient quanti-
tics for home consumption.
There is one crop which bids fair to
be the most profitable one under ex-
sting conditions, and that is the rice
crop: a crop which had so little at,
tention for q good many years-for rea-
sons easily explained. Statistics show that
the United States has only grown about
one-fourth of the rice she consumes.
and of late years, barely one-eight. One
reason is that this crop can only be
grown in a small portion of about four
States, to wit: North Carolina, South
Carolina Georgia and Louisiana. In
the second place, the low import duty
on rice for many years past made it
easy for China, Japan and other rice
growing countries TO invade our mar
kets. and sell the article at such low
prices as to make it improbable for our
farmers to compete with them.
Now the conditions are changed Our
last Congress put duty equal to 81
cents per blIshel on rough rice. This.
with the freight charges from foreign
countries, will give our planters a pro-
lection equal to 30 cents per buShel: and
just as long as this duty remains in
force our rice planters may gather a
rich harvest Good upland rice was
readily selling at 80 cents per bushel
tbs season; while lowland rice sold as
high as $1.30 per bushel.
The Secretary of the Carolina Rice
Mills in this city informs us that they
bought the rice crop of four farmers
living on the Cape Fear river for which
they paid. in the aggregate. the sum of
s39, 800. One planter in Wayne county
sold his crop, grown on about forty
acres, for $500, and several others
in this county realized from $4,000 to
$1,000 per acre. Aside from these sums
realized, rice straw is selling at $500
rer ton. and reckoning two tons per acre
is moderate estimate. The average
acre of rice planted should realize $4,000
to $4,000. The question might be asked
rs it not likely that there will be an
over production of rice if it proves such
a profitable crOpW In answer it can be
said that, at most, but limited quantity
| Of land suitable for the cultivation OF
rice can be found in the Carolinas,
| Georgia and Louisiana, and the last
| named State, which has had the largest
area devoted to rice culture, owing to
| the fact that sugar has even q higher
| protective duty than rice, has not in
creased her rice acreage. For Those
reasons it will be many years before the
United States will grow sufficient rice
| for hOme consumption.
We would strongly urge our farmer:
| to put every available acre suitable t.
rice culture in this sereal. 1t is the only
crop we can see which will prove more
remunerative than any other money
| crop.
HENRY WE'LL.
GoldsbOro, y. c., Feb. s. 1898