The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1902-07-11
MANY PROBLEMS TO BE SOLVED.
Prof. $. A. Knapp Writes of Lessons
Taught by the DrOuth.


ing timely contribution in the current
issue of the Rice Journal: The pre-
valling drouth is accentuating some
of the weak points in handling the
rice industry and the first to be noted
is lack of thorough cultivation on the
part of too many farmers. We have
never approved of the plan of single
blowing for crop. The object of
blowing is primarily to aerate. the soil
and prepare plant food, and secondly
to kill weed@
If one blowing is good two or three
are better. AS soon as the rice is
harvested the field should be plowed
and disked and some winter crop put
in. If this is a fertilizing crop turn it
under in March or April and disk and
harrow till the soil is thoroughly pull
verified. If no crop is planted then
pillow again late in December and
again before planting. Every rice
farmer should select forty and make
test of more thorough cultivation
and then follow what he finds to be
the best for his lands.
Too many have been advocates of
late planting. 1t is true, when the
season is favorable, that is, when
there are abundant rains in June and.
July that good crops can be made by
planting as late as July Is, if there
are no early frosts: but these are not
planting are safer.
Thousands of acres of late rice have
not been planted yet and thousands
more have been planted and the seed
lies dormant without sufficient mois-
ture to terminate. Under favorable
conditions rice will be ready for water
within twenty or thirty days after
planting. 1t is a mistake to let it
stand and take the dry heat too long
after it is up. More rice is injured
by late watering than by too early.
But in this case, as in others, good
judgement should be used. Many ex-
cellent farmers practice night irriga-
ton for young rice, letting on about
what water the earth will absorb
every night for a week, then food.
Japan rice thrives with a small
amount of water after the field is
shaded. Just enough to keep the soil
thoroughly saturated in every part is
apparently better than more
Honduras should have more, but
three or four inches of water is better
than foot.
Some practice saturating a field as
soon as it is planted. This will do no
harm provided the field was all
is put on than is sufficient to saturate,
avoiding all standing water in low
places: but the main dependence for
termination and early growth should
be placed on thorough tiilage before
planting and rolling afterwards.
1t looks as if there was no danger
of over production this year, and it is
doubtful if the rice crop of 1902 ex-
ceeds that of 1901. 1t is too early to
say positively, but present indications
point to much shorter crop than was
expected thirty days since.
1st. Quite a per cent. of the rice has
not been planted and cannot be on ac-
count of the dry weather.
End. Considerable of the late plant
ing on the heavy clay lands is slow Of
termination and young rice without
water is not starting.
Bird. There is any amount of diff
Guilty with the new pumping plants.
They are remote from supplies and it
consumes valuable time to secure re-
pairs; in the meantime the planters
are calling for water and water seems
to make no impression on the burning
fields. The earth swallows it and
calls for more.
Gigantic pumping machinery is
taxed to it's utmost. Rivers are lifted
out of their bed and hurled at the
thirsty earth with about the same re-
suit as a stream from a four-inch pipe
in a block of burning pine buildings.
In the meantime salt water is steadily