The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1902-08-13
THOMAS H. BALL.
Observation-Disclosures
(EIGHTH DISTRlCT.)


presenting his observations while travelling
over and through the rice belt
| presume one reason tur So many con
hicttng statements being made concerning
the crop conditions. etc. is that there are
some men wnu Wat du
that really would not know rice In the field
or after II was thrashed. from rye, wheat
or oats never having had experience or
chance to observe. nevertheless they write
just the same. and naturally sometimes the
statements made by these men are mQte
or less misleading 1t is proper for the
writer to state that he. has never planted
or harvested an acre of rice. ] AM how
ever a student of the rice Industry aud
have been for some time trying to learn
as much as | possibly can of this I'm
portant industry. viii also state that
l am a rice eater and believe that there Is
no better food for man have tested 1t
with good results and believe it is per
fectly safe to advise one and all TO eat
rice.
| have been for the past three years,
on and ON, travelling over the rice belt
OF Louisiana and Texas. have talked with
/ rice growers, rice buyers, rice mill and
| rice implement men, have accepted the
Hospitality OF rice farmers while out IN
! pretty nearly all sides OF the rice qucs-
| ton. and while this is true, ! hud that
| there IS something TO be learned about rice,
| rice irrigation and rice culture aud the
| marketing of same. every day. II certainly
| Is great crop and there Is much 70 he
! learned about it, and TO be able to present
| the rice industry to the public intelliEenty
| one has To make a speciality Of 1t and
| mix and mugle with those who grow
! mill and buy the product. 1t Is no Joke.
assure you; 1t Is business all the way
/ through. and while Il Is a gord paving
crop, one of the best In the United States
| when the conditions are favorable, II wants
| to be distinctly understood TINT rice. like
! figs, don't grow on thisbles; tina; IL takes
considerable capital and good management
on the part OF the growers to succeed.
| speaking of this years crop, II is at
this time prospective: no man can tell
! what the harvest viii be until @ter on
Rice, Ike wheat and other grain, can pot
! granHry, and then II is well to have II
insured. and If the farmer can store II
IN his own warehouse or granary and dea
i out to the mill and buyers as they need
II so much the better.
That the rice crop will not be much over
If any, half crop In Louisiana and Texas
that Is to say including both states, /,
plain 10 all. The crop in Louisiana rs
stated 10y the Rice Journal and Gulf Coast
Farmer. published Mt Crowley, is very
much damaged by the dry spring not hav
ing received the water In time, and on ac
count of salt water In many portions ri
Texas where rice is planted the spring wn'
dry and some of the plants were not ready
for operation. Mistakes have been mad,
by planting the rice before water was Sc
erred Where men make mistakes the
blame should rest on them, and not al
the soil or water supply, when we fail &
secure results. There may be an nhund
ance of water. but " inexperienced mon
either In the well business or canals, MAKE
mistakes, which they are pretty sure Il
do, that should not affect the rice PROPOSE
ton. Where We fail to secure water at III,
proper time the yield per acre and tn
quality OF the rice are naturally reduced
doubt very much II there will he II
Texas and Louisiana this season any more
sacks of rice than what would he consid
cred good rice crop In Louisiana In
I favorable season.
After looking over the fields, l ful
agreed with the Rice Journal and Gul
Coast Farmer that the crop will he no
over 80 per cent of n fun crop. If We hay
short crop the rice growers are entltle
! TO long price and II Is very iruportaD
and In the Interest Of the business me
and railroads as well as che farmers tina
: they receive good prices in order to eve
up on the short crop. If we report n fu
: crop Of rice the manpulators OF the lie
5 market VIII make use Of these statement
2 TO knock down the price. We, had a pref
! ty good illustration Of what II Is 10 over
/, estimate, the crop Of potatoes III Texas
few weeks ago. 1t was reported that ther
would be 1000 cars OF potatoes shtppe
from enc certain station In Texas, whe
: the facts In the case were that there wer
less than COO Statements Of this KIN
having gone out, men who make busiaes
a Of manipulating prices made use If hi
q report and the result was that many falli
q ers did not receive over 80 cents per bush'
n for their potatoes. when they we're we
>. same time consumers were paying 90 pc
v bushel for Texas potatoes IN missouri an
A 1 other states we nave nau AueSg sun
!. experiences in wheat In Texas Report
n have gone ont at different times that IeSa
/. had n crop say Of fifteen to twenty miIllo
bushels Of wheat when the crop hmguhte
= to only FIVE or six million bushels, the r.
suit being that the wheat growers WEI
chisseled out of from 10 TO 10 cents pc
husbel on their wheat This OF course, q
fected merchants who were looking 10 an
depending on the wheat farmers TO pa
le their bills due and 70 purchase new snl
= plies. What Is said Of wheat and potatot
: viii also apply to rice. II we have sho,,
e crop everybody In the rice belt Is directl
Il interested In seeing that the farmers al
a maid fuil value for their rice, The MOI
The farmer receives for his product u
u better customer he makes for the merchl1
y and railroad.
,e AS to hurting the reputation OF the rl'
~ heH of Texas and Louisiana by any pap'
" reportlng or stating the facts In the cas-
T be they uufavorable or otherwise. fnll
T. see It. for the reason that In any Sta
a. and country men who grow crops or ~
= kind meet with disappolntments In u
- way ~ short crops from Tine TO time. hr
Ie scnahle and experienced men expect nv
9 Womb advise those who expect to ha'
o | good crops every year, meeting W IN
disapnuintments, 10 Keep out Of Texas 81
70 Louisiana The country has nor yet be-
e found that ] know Of irhere farmers ma
re good corps every year and no 1isappoi
n fuents. II can. however, be said With sn'
Al " that the coast country OF Texas Al
IS IonIsjann where the soil Is used for tn
81 which II IL best adapted. Will make as go
a. an average for we win say, eight to Z
N years in the way 81 crops ~ any COUNT
ot know OF. am inclined 70 believe n