The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-04-13
RICE CULTURE
IN rHH COUNTRIES or Txu
 EAST.
Commissioner from This Countr Re turns from the Orient, Where He Studied the Varieties Used and the Methods of
 Cultivation.

spent yesterday In New OrleAne at lne returned from a nine months trip through Japan, India. China. Burhsm. French Siam. Ceyion, Anam, the Philippines and Hawaii, where he had gone as . spe- Department of Agriculture to study the varieties of rice and its culture in those 'Jo pr. Knapp lief. New Orleans last night for Washington to make his report to the
 Speaking of his mission to the Orient and the results of his observatons. ne said last night: q was sent by the De. partment of Agriculture to study rice and nIants. and was authorised by the Sec retary of War to investigate the question of forage plants in the Philippines watn
 view to solving the question cs.ss aod of raasns es used by the army on the islands; and thus save the cost of transportauon' which Is enormous. ...,
 T left Lake Charles July 1. 1901. ana 1:ed from from 1P1 went to the perial Agricultural College at Ioklo. There I learned that number or forage plants that fourished on the island or in fine Philippines, and I shall recon. mend their cultivation to the oeDar''i'e'''
 Eight Varieties of Rice.
 'Tn Japan I selected eight early and large varieties of rice which ! span IF ture. One of the troubles with the nee nIanters of the United States Is that they have too few varieties. and they musy oe harvested at nearly the same time; WnaI ties of early and late rice. that the har. vesting season may extend over a period of from two to three months.
 "The United States can pronf rom tne
 A. 0.l> to1 yn6 varieties of rice, but nothing can bs s learned from them in the cultvauon oi inc plant. In Japan all cultivation IS done by hand. The fields. or rather tne or blows are used man there will cul- tivate only one-ouarter of an acre durinS s a season, while in this country, with our improved machinery, Q man IS aoie Eastern countries, the question of wages does net enter into the calculations ot the cost of raising . crop.
 What the Unite1 States needs more ties. and I believe that l was able 10 secure a number of these which can be successfully cultivated here:
 Crude Methods of Cultivation. "'The United States has nothing to fear from Japanese competition. The metn- them to successfully compete with us: Their lands are no richer than ours, ana wbile the method of hand cultivation makes the yield a trihe greater to the acrs 1t is not enough to seriously threaten our own interests.
 Then, again. the Japanese do not go Into the business of raising rice as an investment. If the price, for example. same to them, as the question of cost of production does not enter into the'r cai-
 From Japan I went to China I was Arax lad Ef~ ance of 600 miles up the Yangst River. the valley of which is the largest rice producing district in the empire Tn that country I found many varieties of rice can be successfully cultivated in the United States.
 One of the objects of my mission was l to learn new methods of preparing rice for the table. and I learned many ways in which 1t can be made palatable that are unknown in the United States. All this information will be embodied in my report to the government
 New Rice Dishes for Table. "I not only learned new ways of pre- rieties unknown in this country. One Of these varieties is much prtzed by the Chinese, and Is used exclusively when II can be obtained. The Chinese in San of this variety annually. and there Is no reason why it cannot be successfully cul- tivated in Louisiana.
 T secured two or three of the favorite varieties that are not grown in this country, and shall recommend them to the Secretary of Agriculture.
 From China I went to the Philippines to study the question of forage plants the forage needed for the horses and mules used in the army there can be easily raised on the islands. Among the plants that will flourish there are alfalfa hazi a kind of IanQpaSn clover stayed in the Philippines long enough to arrange for the cultivation of these in sufficient quantities to supply the needs of the army stationed there.
 From the Philippines I went to Ceylon and India. In India found many val | uable and new varieties of rice and legu- l minous plants. that hope to soon sec introduced into the United States.
 While the United States has nothing | to fear from the competition of Japan. China or India, the rich lands of Bur nah. French Slam and Anam, which pro- duce enormous crops with the slightest cultivation. may soon seriously menace the interests of the planters of the United Sts tes. Those countries are now pro ducing an enormous surplus. and as the the crops shcw no falling off from yeaI to year. While in the other countries visited the production per acre is about the same as that of the United States, In the countries last named 1t Is largely in excess cf the finest rico lands of this | country.
 In Hawaiian Islands. But little attention is paid to the cui- ! tjvation of rice in the Hawaiian Islands. | That is pre-eminentIy a sugar producing | country. and the plantations are equipped with the latest and most improved ma chinerv, and the methods are all that could he desired to insure the best re- suits. The islands produce no rice for ex- port, and no varieties that are not known in Louisiana.
 The conditions in the United States and in the Oriental countries are wholly different. Here the planter raises rice for a profit. If he can not make a profit he goes out of the business. There the question of profit seems to be overlooked Rice Is raised for food, and apparently from the force of habit. The owner of the land and water rights exacts half the crop as a rental and as the production Is enormous. he has but little incentive to introduce modern methods and ma chinery. The renter wants only enough for his own subsistence, and as a con sequence the methods in vogue are the same that have been used from time im- memorial.
 But the planter of the United States must soon take notice of Ceylon, Bur nah and Anam. Their crops are large the population comparatively small and they will soon be looking for a market for their surplus. When that time comes the planter of the United States will have competitors who, with their natural advantages and the cheap labor. will seriously menace the industry here
 Aside from the few brief facts I have AAnK nh1 fA rrtr-A A1.l