Arizona republican., 1905-04-17

acres. This year it is calculated that the yield will be about 470.000.OO0 pounds. the land planted with rice be- ing 643,4G0 acres. Notwithstanding this large increase it is still insufficient to meet the home demand.
 Before 1860 the rice productions in the TTnised States was practically linn | ited to the alluvial lands of the Car oIinas. Georgia, Florida and Louisi- ana When laEor conditions were all tered after the civil war the production in the eastern states decreased con | siderabIy. When machinery was adapt- | ed to rice production and it was dis | covered that the prairie lands of southwestern Louisiana and southern | Texas. with their impervious subsoils | would dry before the rice harvest suf- | ficientIy to support machinery, there | was a revolution in the rice industry
 Fifteen years ago there was scarcely | a barrel of commercial rice produced in what is now known as the prairie rice section of Texas, which extends 400 miles along the Gulf coast, and contains some of the most fertile lands on this continent. These lands were then valued at 9 cents to Sl.5O per acre. Today improved lands are worth on an average $12.50 per acre. With Tn the territory there eAi e eLiJDuI 1iA4i " rice mills with q daily capacity Of over 10000 barrels of rice.
 By 1898 the canal and the deepwell | system of irrigation haG been satis- factoriIy tested, and the rice industry was rapidly extending along safe lines. At this date it was found that too l large a percentage of the machine i handled rice was liable to breakage in milling. The attention of the United l States department of agriculture was | called to this fact, and measures were | immediately taken to remedy the de- feet and overcome the difficulty by the i introduction of new varieties. The | departments work resulted in the in troduction of a variety from Japan known as Kiushu, which has given very satisfactory results.
 The Kiushu variety is known for its short thick kernels and thin hull. It takes on but little polish and the per | centage Of bran is small.
 ] Japanese growers consider the fol- lowing points important for the sue cessfuI growing of rice:
 l. The seed should be pure bred, Of even quality and size of grain.
 9 Any light or imperfect grains should be removed. This is done in Japan by soaking the seed rice in water several days till it is about to sprout when it is thrown into salt } water of 1.3 specific gravity and al- lowed to remain two minutes, being gently stirred meanwhile. The light ] grains will float, the others are remov- |, ed. washed in cold water and planted.
 When seed drill is to be used the damp seed is first dried by being roll , ed in tho ashes of rica straw.
 9. Even sproutilng of the grains is very essential to even ripening of the , crop. This is accomplished by pre- viously soaking the seed as above stated.
 The seed is sown in March and . April. A later crop is sometimes sown in June For this the white seed is used on account of early maturity. Tn a report issued by the census bureau. June 23. 1902, and covering so } establishments. it is shown that since . 1880 the number of rice mills in the
 United States increased 264 per cent, ? capital 363 per cent, and value of pro- 3 ducts IFS per cent. This report noted
 that the increase in Louisiana and } Texas was very marked, their produc- 3 ton having advanced from 75,753, S5G
 pounds in 1890 to 179 9.919.2O3 pounds in J9OO The statistics indicated that tho 3 industry is being transferred from the
 South Atlantic States to Texas and
 Louisiana ana later reliable statistic. Q have pointed out a continued change . in this respect.
 The effect of successful irrigation 9 on the prairie lands was a rise in val . ue of such lands. In 1888 these land,
 could be obtained at from $1 to S3.5t = per acre, according to their facility fo
 cultivation. Some of these lands ar,
 now held at an average price of S3O
 and a few choice locations bring a!
 much as $50 per acre.
 Before the civil war the planter real
 ized 4 or per cent on his investmen
 in the rice business. valuing his slave
 employed a from $500 to $500 per hea, and reckoning them as part of his in vestment. The planter now realize from to 10 per cent on the invest ment
 MT. Bells report also contains muc
 valuable information as to the selec
 tion of land and seed, irrigation. meth
 ods of cultivation. flooding, weedin,
 harvesting, thrashins polishing. by
 products. and other technical subject
 Of importance to those directly inter
 ested in the rice industry.