The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1902-08-21
THE CULTIVATION OF RICE

Census Report Describes IrriGa- =
ton Methods in South Car.
o1ina.
The census bulletin on agriculture
in South Carolina has the following
on rice culture:
The beginning of irrigation in South
Carolina was contemporaneous with
the Introduction of rice growing, the
irrigation systems being similar to
those now IN use. Rico was first
planted in 1900, and from that time
until 1861 South Carolina ranked first
among the States in its production
Changed labor conditions since tho
war, and the great expense of main
tenance, due to tho destructive dikes,
and the total loss of crops by floods,
which are frequent since the defores.
tation Of the mountain slopes, which
operated against the growth of this in
dustry and rice culture has not made
the progress here that it has in few
other States.
Rice is irrigated in South Carolina
by manipulating rivor waters through
trunks built in the dikes which protect
the low marsh lands from tho rivers
The delta lands are selected with ref
erence TO the possibility of flooding
from the rivers with fresh water at
high tide, and of draining them at low
tide. The reclamation of these lands
necessitates the building, parallel with
the river, of costly dikes, capable of
resisting the force of the flood tide, and
also that of the river in time of fresh
cts. After the dikes are built, the
field is divided into sections and
squares by similar banks, called
"check" banks. These squares con-
tain from to 80 acres each, and in
turn are subdivided by bitches into
bed, usually about thirty.ive feet
wide and extending the length. of the
square. Each of these squares has a
wooden trunk with door at each end
through which the water is admitted
TO the field. The trunks are from 80
to 40 feet long, from 3 to II feet wide,
and about sixteen inches deep and arc
built under the dikes on a level with
the beds of the bitches. In flooding
the field the outer door is raised and
the inner closed. AS the tide rises
the water comes III through the
trunk, pushes the field door open, and
passes through the bitches to the field.
When the tide falls in the river, the
pressure of the water in the field closes
the inner swinging door against the
muzzle of tho trunk, thus holding the
water. In draining the field this
method is reversed, the field door be.
ing raised at low tide and the outer
door dropped. The unlimited supply
of fresh water and its perfect control by
this system of flooding and draining,
account for the superior quality of rice
for which South Caroline is famous.
The practice Of dumping the harbor
drcdgings into the river above Savan.
nah has injured the system of dram
age, causing the abandonment of a
number of rice plantations along the
Savannah River. On many planta-
tions, which formerly were readily
drained at low tide, pumping is now
resorted to when the rivers are high, rs
the fields can not properly be drained.
The pumps, which are mounted on
flats or lighters, arc operated by steam
and shifted on the river from field TO
field. The suction pipo is dropped
over the dixie into any desired field and
tho water pumped into the river.
Rice is grown inland on low,
swampy lands, which are flooded from
reservoirs or small streams. The cul-
tivation of upland or "Providence''
rice is attempted in many Of the in.
terror counties, but owing TO the low
yield and an occasional total failure
the results are not satisfactory
Orangeburg County has tho larges
crop of upland rice, and in 1899 pro-
duced 2,2GG,1G2 pounds, an average
yield of 300 pounds per acre. The
irrigated crop is sure as compared with
that of the uplands, the average yielt
per acre being much higher, and tho
quality Of rice far superior.
Tide water irrigation is generally
practiced in Beaufort, Berkeley, Cole
ton, Charleston, Georgetown, and
Hampton counties. In 1890 the ric'
acreage of these counties, irrigated
and upland, was 100 per cent. Of th'
total, while the production, DC, ,661 ,0G'
pounds, was 500 per cent. of the tota
rice crop of the State. The everag
yield per acre was 748 pounds. Th
total product of all other counties wa
G,708, AGA pounds, an average OF %
pounds per acre.
, 1t is impossible to ascertain tho. OK
act cost of reclalming these delta lands
, Rice irrigation was reported on Cd
, plantations; the average was 90, 600
| and the yield, 33, ,467 ,191 pounds
| The average first cost per acre fl
preparing rice lands for irrigation, il
8 elusive of cost of construction Of dixie
Q trunks, check banks and bitches, is Q
K timated TO be $28.68, and the systen
4 in use represent total investment
= over 1861 500.