Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1905-05-22
WATCHING RICE CULTURE
Something About the Aid Given by the Department
of Agriculture to the Production Of This Cereal.

age ana yieid OF the cereal, becau.. :
practically every instance oth.r N
nave been found more rrofit.h 'ps
the Gulf country, on the Other ~ In
great impetus has been given ''
business, because the land now de-. deal
10 rice was formerly held to he .,.ei
worthless, and the cultivation NJ !.
der existing conditions is rnateri,,,'. uH-
HANGING its value. a tonserva,i, ca
Official estimate places 1T s18Ooo ooo W.
increased value Of the prairie I,nay .he
cause OF the discovery that tho W.
peculiarly adapted to the cuI,,,, are
rice. Of
The cheapness Of the Gulf lana.
compared with those formerly do. az
| to rice growing in the South a,,.N'7
states, the fact that ur-to-da,a
! chinery can be used on the FORM. ma
not on the latter, and the unsa,,.s '''
tory prices recently received bv tba i.
lant1c coast product arc most -
| reasons for the transfcrnnco NJ ,ha
| tire of the rice industry t, the nov, ei'
ton. Because North and South Carr
lima and Georgia could not comma,
with Louisiana and Texas. the ALL
lands formerly devoted to rice ~.
been gradually given over to 9th
crops.
One of the results of the satisfac,o..
developments in the Gulf region j.
cording to the departments rnnor.,
has been a heavy stream Of immin,a'
ton toward the Southwest. Tho 81,
roads there have been very active in n
dacing immigration from other sto,n,
in the Union. and from other copn,r;o-
The comparative cheapness Of tho -.
lands has appealed 10 the newconer.
and they have taken 10 the GROWN. :,
the cereal The thing has been r,tho-
overdone in the last two years Tbara
is no apparent danger Of any ultimate
overproduction of rice in this country
since the home demand largely excnos,
tine home grown supply. but tho IN
crease in production has been ratbe.
too rapid. and increased CONSUMPTION
mas not Kept pace with it. The growing
of the cereal was so easy and 50 ra.
narkably profitable at first that tba
planters thought it unnecessary TO givs
much attention to the usual problems
Which confront all who help to raise Tho
crops which feed the country. They
are waking up to the necessity of a lit.
tie moro care now. however. and the le.
rartment expects good results.
Although consumption has not been in.
cfcaslng as rapidly as production in this
country. 1t has nevertheless shown ma
terial advances since the time when about
hre years ago, the Gulf rice belt first at
tracted attention. AT that time the annual
per capita consumption of rice in this
country was only three pounds Now the
Department estimates it ut over FIVE and
II Is predicted-unoffIciall Of course
that the campaign of education set on
foot by the railroads of the Southwest
it to forty pounds The estabIisbmert
known as the Rice Kitchen" which at
tracted SO much attention at the St
Louis Fair last summer was part Of this
propaganda. and one of the roads has is
sued thousands of copies of "rice cook
book" which has been translated into sew.
eral foreign languages. Japan has been
especially interested in the matter and the
rrikado's Government has sent n number
OF colorists to Texas. with the view Of
ones are successful in their work. The
italian ambassador. on his recent trip
through Texas. paid particular attention
to the rice industry. and it is regarded as
of his countryrnen who are expected to
emigrate to the South as a result Of the
reports he will make to his Government.
will devote as much of their time to the
raising of rice as to any other crop
The value of the output Of rice in tho
Gulf region last year was approximately
So GO0000. That is to say the wears crop
brought that amount to the planters ior
their trough" grain. The cleaned gram
as sold to the consumers of the country
hrn rsvh x4pr- ri
This is one phase of the matter in whicn
the public at large is vitally intercSu'
The price to the producer ana that pllu
by the consumer are obviously 700 ~
apart. The middlemen are making you
great n profit. The IDEA of the Depart
ment of Agriculture's agents. apparently.
is that the farmer does not get enons ..
for his grain and that the consumer va va
too much for it after it has h's tsa
through tho hands of the milirl; ~ ~
" wholesale dealer. the retailer anu tuo
various others who are now partP.pnu;j
in the profits. If a means can ne uNaria
whereby the cost of rice to the Phr"t
who eat it can be brought down % mn
it ought to be- and still allow a ialf f'T ~.
to everybody concerned. there Gun Nv ~ ,n
tie doubt that consumption VIII st NV, II
even more rapid rate of increase 'h''' -
has in the past.