The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-09-26
RICE PLANTERS MUST UNITE.
Banks Need EIeyating and Strength
ening Before Next Year.


A planter in from the Ogeechee river
stated yesterday that the water is now
receding rapidly and the planters were in
a position to approximately estimate what
proportion of their crop of rice will be
marketed. After a careful survey of his
fields he had reached the conclusion that
he would get about one-third crop to
market. Some of the others would not
do as well, but the yield would probably
average up to about that proportion of
what was expected before the storm.
On the Savannah river the water is not
yet off of the upper plantations, and they
Will yield little as IA result. Some of the
lower plantations may get 80 to 40 per
cent. of what was originally expected.
Savannah is not alone as a sufferer from
storm damage. A gentlemen here who is
interested in the rice planting industry re-
ceived letter from a large planter of an
important Louisiana parish yesterday stat
ing that that section had been visited by
a severe storm on Sept. IS. "Our rice
crop" says he, was badly damaged. We
had not begun cutting, but expect to
start seven machines next week. We had
an unusually fine crop, but now cannot
tell how 1t will turn out, but hope better
than it looks at present" This planter
has 1900 acres under cultivation. The ex-
tent Of country covered by the storm is
not mentioned but 1t is evident that 1t
was quite considerable.
well known local planter, discussing
the effects of the storm, and the condi-
tons that rendered it possible for the dam
age TO be increased by the flood that came
down from Augusta. said:
1.-THE estimated acreage of plantable
rice land on the Savannah back river in
No Il a~ 10 ~ z - f, s1k
about 1900 acres was under cultivation
this season. This represents, at forty
bushels to the acre, 10000 bushels of rice.
THE Savannah river is classified among
rice planters as a long river. 1t is sell
dom affected by local rains, but is in
great danger from the floods which fall
above Augusta, where the river gauge Is
recorded daily and wired to apPrise US of
danger if the 25-foot mark is passed.
Years before the war the planters who
titled the large swampS organized a
company, assessed each plantation to be
benefited, and built a levee at a cost
of 100000 to insure protection from the
highest foods. This levee connects with
the high land on the lines of the Guerard
and Mcpherson properties. Col McPher-
son gave the land for the levee in fee
simple conditional on his release from
assessments. Since the war the decline in
values of property, after the low price Of
rice, which in 1929 sold as low as so
cents bushel, has cramped the planters
and the levees have deteriorated, sunk
and become neglected. AS a result they
have broken at critical times and entail
ed losses, the fractional part of which
would have repaired them and made them
proof against all danger.
1.-THE United States, in its desire to i'm
prove the Savannah river and harbor in
the interest of commerce, constructed at
CrOeGtiHpd a wall nf to
the stream from its natural expansive
course to one rather cramDed for the
volume of water forced through 1t. This,
in my judgment has affected our drain
age beneficially on the back river, but it
takes no civil engineer to comprehend that
with a freshet on it tends to elevate the
river say, two feet higher against our
banks and retards the water in it's move,
ment to the ocean by probably a week.
While doing US this injury, though, the
government fails to Taise our banks or
strengthen them to meet the new cond-
tons 1t has created.
1.-THE elevation of the recent freshet
lacked nearly twelve inches of reaching
the flood of 1888. 1t trickled over our
company levee and the Redeem banks I'M
til the Wednesday tide, when finding the
soil loosened by the storm-tossed branches
of a peach tree, the water came throue h
with a roar and made forty-foot break and
almost to the margin The Lucknow
banks passed the ordeal triumphantly, but
the Beech Hill bank being low, the water
rolled over it at several points like a
tidal wave and broke the bank in three
places, which are probably still unrepair-
ed. The overripe straw fen into the
water, and, as has been stated in the
Morning News, the grain sprouted The
stacked rice had to be fished out into boats
and flats. The tops were in perfect con-
dition. but the submerged parts lost.
mo planter on the north side of the
river can to-day accurately estimate his
loss. 1t depends on the closing of the gaps
and the fall of the river. The river banks
of the Laurel fInl and Recess plantations
are all perfect. Experience has again
shown the absolute necessity of ali plant
ers combining for mutual protection. The
water through an upper break IS felt
injuriously as far as the Screven place,
and what is the concern of one is shown
to be the concern of all. A union of in
terests should make the banks perfect be
fore another years crop is put in the
ground"