Goldsboro weekly argus. [volume] (Goldsboro, N.C.) 1885-1909, 1899-04-20
FACTS FOE FARMERS.
Men Are Making Money Planting
Rice Rice Straw is Vau-
able,

sell goods again, said that within
a few years the methods of mer-
chandising have greatly changed.
This is true, no doubt.
But not only have the mer-
chants adopted new methods, but
the farmers have been equally
active. Successful farming-know-
ing where to plant, how to plant,
when to plant, and what to plant,
demand as much close thought
and reasoning as does any other
kind of business-for farming is
Just as much a business as is
merchandising or banking.
The rapid decline in the price
of cotton, rendering the yield on
ordinary land below the cost of
production, forced all intelligent
farmers to the conclusion that
they must turn their attention to
the cultivation Of other crops, and
they must adopt the most bust
ness-like and economical methods
of farm management. Consequent
~, many farmers, whose lands
are suitable, began to raise to-
bacco; others have cultivated
strawberries, Irish potatoes, let
tuce, and various kinds of truck
for market. The results, too, have
been most gratifying, and not
outstanding the hard times a
great many farmers are making
money, erecting new buildings,
and improving their farms.
But to our mind, there is open
to our farmers of Eastern North
Carolina a big field for money
making which is being neglected.
That is the cultivation of rice.
With keen foresight some men
have seen that there is money to
be made by planting rice, and last
year those who were so fortunate
as to have rice to sell were hap
Ply, indeed, over the fine prices
they received. The high prices +
due to several causes. First, on
account of it's wonderful value as
a food, the consumption of rice
is rapidly increasing not only in
America but all over the world.
In the second place, the recent
act of Congress placing a duty on
rice having largely shut out for
eign competition, American rice
commands a much higher price
than in former years. Now there
are hundreds of thousands of
acres Of land in Eastern North
Carolina Improbable to cultivate
in other crops that will produce
fine rice.
In this connection, we desire 10
empasize the fact that rics can
be grown proftubly on a great
deal of high land. We knew a man
to plant two acres Of sour upland
in rice. The season was only mod
erateIy favorable, but there was a
clear profit on the rice of a little
over fifty dollars, and the straw
was carefully stacked and fed to
the horse, which did just as we'll
the rice straw as old his neigh
boris horses on fodder. The same
land would not have pr>dused
more than three blrrels of corn
In fact, there has gotten to be a
regular demand for rice straw at
about six dollars per ton. Conse-.
quently1 IN case Of a severe drought
resulting in partial or complete
failure of the rice, the straw itself
more than pays all the expenses.
Last year many farmers cleared
over sixty dollars per eere on rice.
The further fact, that the rice
crop when harvested, both the
grain and the forage, can await its
own time for market, gives the
farmer who plants rice Il great adj
vantage oTer the farmer who
plants only tobacco or truck, the
latter especially being ephen,eral
and must be sold promptly at
whatever price, while tobacco, too,
must be speedily put on the mar
ket after curing. Not SO with rice.
And yetthe demand for rice is al
ways hrm, and 1T IS one of the
few food prod acts that cannot be
ad~ulterated.
Goldsboro is the centre of a
fine farming section admirably
suited for growing rice, and is
the best rice market in the State.
Hence surrounding farmers
can always be sure ofgetting here
the very best market price for