The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1905-04-28
HOW IOWkNS HAVE
MADE SOUTH RICH
The Rice Crop Of Louisiana Has
Been Developed Entirely
by fawkeyes.
ITS ORIGIN AND GROWTH
iowa's Scientific Farmers, lowa's Men
and Money Establish the Industry
That Soon Will Supply Ma
TONS Demand for Rice.

Chicago, April 22.-Wm. Z. Curtis il
the Record Herald writes from New Or
leans:
Louisiana has a comparatively new in
dustry which adds about 600 a year
to the wealth of the state. and she owes 1t
10 northern men-Iowa men. All this sec
ton is under obligations to Iowa men. No
body has done or is doing more to fill up
the MISSISSIPPI valley with wealth pro-
ducers than Captain j. T. Merry of Du-
buquc. He is noe only bringing in .mmi
grants, but is locating factories of great
value in half a dozen states, and is the
father of the Nicksburg Battle park. l
have not heard of Il movement to erect
monument in Captain Merry's honor, but
| suppose grateful public Will attend to
that when he is gone, an event Which
should be postponed as long possible.
Thomas jefferson introduced rice culture
INTO this country. He did many other use
ful things such as founding the demo-
cratic party and securing the Endorsement
OF William j. Bryan, Grover Cleveland,
Tom Watson and "Esopus" Parker. Nj.
jefferson was deeply interested in agri-
culture, and, while minister in Europe, he
was sending by every steamer to farmers,
planters and agricultural societies in the
United States seeds, roots, nuts and
plants, which he believed might be cult
waited in this country. He tried to intro
duce olive culture into the southern states,
and returns again and again to the SUBJ
Ject i'll mis- letters. He saw the great use
fulness Of the olive in Europe because of
it's fruittuness, its hardness the low
quality OF the soil in which it nourishes
and the agreeable flavor it imparts to
many NiandS otherwise tastelcss and dis
agreeable The culture was commenced
with enthusiasm. bat. whether from want
OF skill, perseverance, the unsuitableness
OF the climate or the excessive richness Of
the soil. the trees did not flourish
The Beginning or Rice Culture.
Rice was another Of his agricultural
hobbies. He sent to Charleston specimens
of all the several kinds of rice known in
Europe. He concluded that the Italian
rice was Of the best quality and desired
to send seeds to his friends At that time
no one was allowed to send rice out Of
Italy. Failing back on what he termed
the higher law" Jefferson induced a
muleteer to run couple of sacks across
the Apennincs. Having no faith in the
muleteers's honesty, he filled the pockets
Of his coat and overcoat with best rice
The muleteer failed to reappear, but the
small store from his pockets reached the
president of the Agricultural Society of
South Carolina. who distributed it among
the planters, a dozen or more grains to
each. These were carefully sown and
watched, and were the origin of our pres
ent staple.
Secretary Wilson, an Iowa man. has
been doing quite as much to promote the
agricultural interests of the southern
states, but it was S. l.. Carey an immi-
grant from Iowa, who first recognized the
Possibilities of rice culture at Jennings,
then IN the parish of Calcasieu After a
of Il
problem, embarked in the business him
self and interested his ncighbors Profess
SCR Knapp, another Iowa man, formerly
president of the State Agricultural college
at Ames, and scientific as well as a
practical farmer, became convinced that
the quality of rice produced in Louisiana
was not economical. 1t was the sort 70 he
handled by machinery, and was broken
up IN the thrashing and cleaning. SO he
applied to Secretary Wilson for advice.
tie told the secretary there was a strip
OF land 900 miles long and fifty miles wide
on the gulf coast which was admirably
adapted to rice culture and capable of
producing all that could possibly be CON
sumed in this country
Knapp Found the Seed.
Secretary Wilson appointed Professor
Knapp special commissioner of the de-
partment Of agriculture and sent him to
all the rice-erowing countries of the world
TO study the methods of cultivation and
treatment and the different kinds of grain
produced. Mr.. Knapp found in japan
what he thought was the best quality for
louisiana soil and brought home a car
load of seed, which was distributed
among the planters of Louisiana, and that
was the origin of the present industry
which has grown to product of 800 COO Goa
pounds year
From the seed Mr.. jefferson brought
home n his pockets South Carolina used
to produce the best rice in the world and
the largest proportion of the crop in the
United States. But of late wears If has
been running down in quality and ouan-
tity In 1880 South Carolina produced
13J93o ,6l3 pounds and in 1900 only Al. 300. 1928
pounds. The South Carolina rice growers
having noticed what has happened IN
Louisiana, have appealed to Secretary
Wilson to come down and help them out
There has always been more or less rice
produced in Louisiana and on the alluyial
leads along the Mississippi which were ir-
rlgated by syphons from the river. and
many planters in other parts Of the state
grew small patches dependent upon the
rainfall Hence the term Providence
rice But today more than 5,50o,0OO acres
are devoted to that cereal in Louisiana and
Texas, being irrigated by water pumped
from the streams and rivers and by means
of case wells to S inches in diameter.
What 1t Has Developed.
AS result of this DEVELOPMENT land
which could have been purchased for 50
cents an acre fifteen years ago is now sell
ing from $l2 to $50 an acre, according to
location. There are some sixty-tive rice
mills in Louisiana and Texas, forty-four
of them being in the former state. The
cost of the mills varies from $4,000 to &c.,
COO, according TO their size. Experts say
ic l.,
that of wheat. the former averaging about
S. per acre and the latter ABOUT sic per
acre. In favorable localities in louisiana
rice pays as high as $50 an acre profit. This
has brought into Louisiana large num-
bers of farmers from Iowa, Illinois and