The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1901-12-24
RICE CULTUR- IN THIS STATE.
Increased Pro auction Urged-Pront-
able CroT~ Generous Offer.

|
Some days ago we made a local notice
uging th-e farmers OF this section to
give more acreage to rice in the cast
ing IF their crops for the coming year,
and We again urge them to give moro
than q passing thought to this impor-
tant crop.
While the culture OF rise in North
Carolina has increased to a considera-
be extent within the last 5 years, yet
1t has not kept pace with the increased
demand.
The import duty which was increased
about four years g from &c to &c per
pound. has proved a strong stimulant
and made rice growing very profitable.
Before this increased duty was impos-
sd probably three-foUrths of the rice
consumed in the United States was i'm
ported from foreign countries. while
now. barely one-half our supply is i'm
ported. n it will be many a year be-
fore the United States Will be able to
raise their entire requirements at home.
In addition to Our domestic demand,
we have to furnish Porto Rico, which
in itself is a heavy drain on our stock
The Porto Rican trade is secured to the
United States on account Of the dis
eliminating duty of &c. per pound
against foreign countries, whereas we
pay no duty for our exports tn Porto
Rico.
The rice mills in North Carolina have
been unable to buy sufficient rice in
this state to run their mills. and have
10 look for a good part of their mill
ing supplies from neighboring states.
even so far as Louisiana, on which the
freight charges have been considerable
Why is it that our farmers DON'T TAX
advantage Of this situation and plant
all their available land suitable for rice
culture in this cereal.
We feel confident it would prove the
most profitable crop they could raise.
We know of a number of planters on
the Cape Fear whose rice crops yield
them from five thousand to fifteen
thousand dollars each.
The following figures are based on a
very conservative estimate:
Say one acre Of average rice land
yields 40 bushels at 75c, $4,000; one and
a half tons rice straw per acre $500. to
So. 90; a total per acre of $4,000; n so
a one horse crop of 80 acres is equal to
81, 260. The cos of ~cultivating n har-
vesting a one horse GRO should not ex-
coed s360.00, which would leave a net
profit to each one horse crop of 100000.
There are lands which yield as high
as 60 bushels per acre. and some choice
varieties of low land rice has sold this
season as high as s1.f0 per bushel.
However, il is not we'll to figure on the
highest attainable results.
We learn that the milling capacity Of
the several mills located in this state
is 700, 900 bushels for a season Of eight
months milling, while the total produc-
ton of rice in North Carolina does not
exceed one-fourth his quantity. =
Goldsboro Argus.
AS TO RICE CULTURE.
An offer by the Carolina Rice Mill. Of
this city. that should set our farmers
to thinking:
Editor Argus:-Your editorial of yes
teday. giving the statistics of rice Gull
ture in this state, and how far short
it falls Of the milling demand of the
state alone, not to speak of the CONNER
cial demand. should, indeed. set every
farmer in Eastern North Carolina to
thinking and stimulate them to devote,
at least, a portion OF their acreage to
rice the coming year.
You reference, too. to the protection
afforded American rice by the goverl
ment duty on imported rice. is timely,
and should encourage the increase Of
rice culture wherever suitable land is
available.
In order to further stimulate the
farmers of this state to venture on a
more extensive scale in the planting of
rice, the Carolina rice mills Of Colds
boro will maxi contracts at this time
before the planting season opens-with
every farmer who may wish to plant
rice to take his entire crop of 1902 at a
stipulated price-and a liberal price. at
that.
By this offer all element of doubt as
to price is removed, and there are SO
many. many acres of land throughout
Eastern North Carolina that could be
planted proftably in rice. that it seems
TO US the farmers of this section should
two --oi~kf- %A~r,rrtc nn6 foxvnro hEa.
action upon this proposition.
Very trulv-
WE'LL
President Carolina Rice Mills.