The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-09-04
IRRIGATINa RICE FIELDS.
The System Has Brought Prosperity Il
Lnnlninnn.

Louisiana Is now being harvested, and IL pom
ises 10 be the largest on resord. The receipts al
New Orleans thus far this season are three times
as great a. last year; and rice Is OF very high
grade and brings good price. Tho farmers
seem TO have no fear that the big crop will de-
preciate the price. IL did In 1893 The Held Tor
rico then increased greatly and the consumption
is 80 much larger than heretofore that there Is no
danger OF the Louisiana product being too large.
On the contrary every preparation has been made
to greatly increase the acreage next season. and
tho crop will be largely cultivated In Southeast
Texas, around Beaumont and Orange, where tho
country is Identical in nearly all respects with
parishes In Louisiana whcro IL hos proved so
profitable. A few weeks ago. the Southern Pacific
Railroad took largo number OF railroad men.
bankers, merchants and farmers 10 the rice dis
trict Of Louisiana TO examine the success OF tho
industry there and 10 see whether II was adapted
TO Texas. They reported that II was suitable In
every way. Tho land Is nat weil watered by
streams. whence the water so necessary TO the
cultivation OF rice can be obtained without diff
culty. and contains the same clay subsoil found
in louisiana that retains the water. keeps the rico
saturated and the ground constantly moist 1t
was decided, therefore, TO recommend the Texas
farmers along the Louisiana line To take up the
cultivation Of rico q substitute for cotton; and
also TO erect rice mill in Houston The Louisiana
methods were 90 carefully studied by the farmers
present that there can be little doubt about the
advice being followed and that the rice industry
viii extend over into Texas
The prosperity which the Texas visitors found
in Southwest Louisiana Is an incentive TO them
10 embark in rice, for no point Of the agricultural
South Is more prosperous The rice district Of
Louisiana has quadruplcd in population in ten
years and increased its wealth ten fold Land
there is n ON worth nearly ten times what twas.
There have been several set backs from the chang
cs Of the tariff, the low price OF rice. and over
production but these were comparatively slight,
aud three years out Of four the rice crop has been
one OF the most profitable in the South II has one
great merit that II costs little TO cultivate requir
ing less labor than any crop planted, and a fail
ure OF any kind, therefore, can do a minimum Of
harm.
The rice farmers are particularly delighted over
this years experience, because they have solved
one OF the most serious difficulties Of the indus
try-an abundant supply Of water one Of the
first requisites Of growing rice This improve
ment they owe almost exclusively to New York
capital When tho financial status Of the new
industry was laid before certain New York carl
talists and II was made plain that 10 put il on a
thoroughly solid foundation, large sums were
needed to build irrigation canals they were so
well pleased with the security offered that they
guaranteed all the capital needed and several big
canal companies were organized. Heretofore,
most of the farmers raised what Is known
poverty" or Providence rice" so called because
they depended on Providence" TO furnish them.
with ample rain TO food their growing fleldsi
Somet ines the rains were not abundant-this
was the case last year-and the crop Is not only
cut down in size, but the rice produced is Of an
inferior quality. To depend on the rainfall for
flooding the fields introduced an element OF doubt
and uncertainty into the industry which the farm.
crs were anxious TO get rid Of and the success met
with in the farms where irrigation prevailed
showed them the remedy. A visit 10 New York
furnished the needed capital, and nearly all the
rice raised in Louisiana today is on irrigated
land. II was not possible however, TO increase
the acreage in rice as much as expected for many
OF the canals not in operation for the present
crop, but will be for next year.
The rainfall on the Gulf coast OF Louisiana
is very heavy. from IS TO 65 inches year. but
this Ia not enough for rice, which must be flooded
during a considerable part OF the growth, hence
the canals for irrigation. They are not such
canals as arc known elsewhere in the country
Most Of them run along the level OF the prairie,
with mud levecs on the side TO keep the water from
running out; that is instead Of being dug into
the earth, as most canals arc they are built up,
the bottom OF the canal being the level OF the land
and the water being kept in by the side levces, or
dikes II Is therefore above the level OF the sur.
rounding country, which is easily flooded from IT,
In other cases the canal runs in wooden drains,
mounted high on piles. several feet above the land
The water in these canals is obtained from the
bayous. being pumped from them. The pump is
therefore the surest friend OF the rice farmer and
the source of his prosperity.
The Mcfarland Company at Jennings La, is
said to have the largest pumping station in the
world, and pumps 25o DOC, 900 gallons day into
the canals There are eleven large canal com
panies irrigating 5000 acres each. The
Farmers Canal and Irrigating Company irrigates
20. 600 acres The Nermillion Department Com
pany %, 600 and the the Duson Abbott Company
$4,000. There are fjfty-two smaller irrigation
canals and dozen more projected. The canals
get 20 per cent of the gross rice crops Of the farmers
they furnish with water and this said to yield a
profit Of % per cent on the capital invested over
all expenses. The farmers fare even better for the
average cost Of raising ice is $40 an acre and the
value Of the product $40.
II is not 10 be wondered at under the circum-
stances that the crop of Southwest louisiana
has improved from 900. 900 pounds TO 800 600 900
pounds in twelve years and that louisiana which
formerly luIulsneu only poruOn Of Inc crops now
produces four fths OF all raised in the country OF
the rice consumed in this country two-th thirds Is
imported from the East. but the Lousiana farmers
believe that heywill be able TO so reduce the price
as TO ultimately drive Il out and raise all the rice
used by U.S. They see little chance therefore,
OF striking the difficulty which proved shock TO
them nvo OF six years ago-overproducing and
excessively low prices
As for the possible extension OF the industry TO
Texas and other Southern States, and compeu
ton from them, the louisiana farmers believe that
they have got such good start that the others will
never catch up 10 them. The industry is largely
In the hands Of Western men, from Iowa, Indiana
Illinois and other states, who began settling in
louisiana in 1888, and they have introduced many
Western methods into their system Of cultivation,
such as the use Of machinery and agricultural
implements. They invented for instance, a
Of the binder used in wheat adapted
It so as to be suitable TO the rico crops and it has
cut down the cost Of harvesting rice one-third.
Although the rice industry is an old one in the
Creole parishes along the Mississippi and the
Lafourche. as far back as three-Quarters OF a
century, the rice s still harvested there by hand