The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1903-05-20
The Steam Plow Being Used In Rice
Culture.
(New Orleans Daily Sssles.)

IS The problem Of the scarcity Of Ia.
Dor is being solved in the rice coun-
try by the introduction Of steam
ploWs," /" said Mr. s. r. b. Morse. as
sistant passenger traffic manager Of
che Southern Pacific Railroad, who
came TO the city this morning and reg
istered at the Sc. Charles hotel.
"a man by the name OF Russell,
who came from Minneapolis, Minn..
and who has had much experience in
raising wheat in the far northwest,
bought the first steam plow to be used
in the rice country and is now operat-
Ing It on his rice farm Of 1000 acres,
which is located FIVE miles out Of
Houston, on the Southern Pacific
Railroad.
When he wen. to buy the engine
for his plow he wanted the company
from whom he purchased it to sell it
to him subject to test on his rice
farm. but objection was made to this
procedure and he then bought the
traction machine outright. He wish
ed to buy the eight plows needed to
hitch onto the engine subject to the
same test, but again he met with OBJ.
jections and again he bought tho
plows outright. He knew how steam
plowing was carried on in Minnesota
and he was convinced that it could be
done in the same way in Texas, as the
rice prarie is perfectly level.
Although everybody discouraged
him and advised him against making
the experiment he went ahead and
exercised his own Judgment with the
result that he is now plowing his land
at the rate Of 40 acres per day. His
steam plow does the work Of 30 mules
and eight negroes.
1.-THE Importance of the introduc-
tion Of the steam plow into the rice
fields cannot be overestimated when it
is understood that labor is so very
sca-ne that it is almost impossible to
get the crops in. The negro does not
seem to make good hand in the rice
field. It is impossible to get any 9TH
or sort Of labor sufficient to meet the
demands Of the rice farmers.
while it is NOT the purpose Of the
rice interests to encourage Japanese
immigration to the extent Of sending.
out agents for it, yet the introduction
of a>few intelligent Japanese ricefar-
mers will be of inestimable good.
They will teach us how to cultivate
rice in the most thoroughly up-to.date
manner. The Japanese excel in rice
farming. There are 100000 acres
of rice land farmed in Japan, and al
though the rice belt along the gulf is
some greater in extent than this, yet
only about 500, 900 acres is now under
cultivation. The Japanese use rice
for q variety Of purposes, IN fact util-
ising every bit Of the cereal. chat,
straw and roots. They make their
shoes out Of rice, their mattings and
window shades out ofthe straw, ard
their favorite beverages ont OF the
grain. They make many articles Of
clothing outfof the fibre, including
hats. Now what we want is TO learn
from these Japanese farmers who are
now settling in the rice belt the art OF
making rice more generally useful.
While in the United States only 4 OF
5 pounds Of rice per capitals consum-
ed annually, in Japan from 400 to 500
pounds is used. The Japanese know
how to cook rice ;nto dozens of the
most tempting diohes while in Ameri-
ca it is seldom seen excepting in the
ordinary boiled form. although we
have . ccok book with 900 recipes in
| 7it for oooking rice. Allthia informa-
tion We want to get in practical way
from the Japanese farmer.
"But want to say that there ie
not Q particle Of danger Of cheap COM
lpstision from Japanese labor. Take
the Japanese cook, for instance.
While you can set negro cook for
$l5 per month you would have to pap
. Japanese at least $50, and the same
IS true Of all sortg Of Japanese labor
ers. The common laborer OF the field
wants So per day. In every way they
have the highest conception Of the
value Of their conception. There is
no danger from Japanese immigration,
and while we are not going out for it,
yet it is welcome and will prove Of the
greatest benefit to tho rice belt as
have outlined.