The Washington herald., 1909-11-07
RICE IN ARKANSAS
Years Product Said to Be
Worth S950,000.
ACREAGE WILL BE INCREASED
Three Million Pounds Have Been
Sold, and Total Crop VIII Asgre-
gate About 25,OOO,OOO Pounds.
Quality OF Product Claimed TO BE
Equal 10 Any that Grows.

Little Rock. Nov. b.-Onc million pounds
OF this years crop OF Arkansas rice,
harvested in September has been sold
and delivered within the State and 1000
900 pounds have been shipped out OF the
State. BY February 1 the entire crop OF
% 0o0. 900 pounds. grown on $500 acres
Of land, viii have been disposed OF. ac-
cording 20 present estimates. This year
crop nets the Arkansas rice growers ap-
proximately $4,000
Basing his assertion upon the present
heavy demand. Henry Leigh, OF this city.
an expert judge OF rice. declared yester-
day that not less than $1,000 acres OF land
would be growing rice i'm this State next
year. while within tho next decade every
available acre in the State approximate
~ 100000 would be under cultivation.
That would mean an annual production
OF 5000 0.O0O pounds Of rice
Six Mills Established.
Since the cultivation OF rice was be-
gun on the extensive scale in Arkansas.
four years ago. six rice mills have been
established within the state. two N
Stuttgart and one each at Wheaton. Car
isle. Lonoke, and De Witt The product
leaving these mills IS declared 70 be
equal 20 any grown IN this country. with
the exception ~ what is known as river
rico. grown ON a small strip Of river
land in Louisiana.
Within the last five years the con-
sumption Of rice In the United States
has trebled, and each year the demand
Increases. The inevitable result OF this
increased demand Will be the Increase
Of the supply from Arkansas. where the
land is more adaptable 20 rice growing
than IN any other State and where a
higher grade Of rice is grown.
The cultivation of the cereal here is
the result of a chance happening In the
prOmisCUOus distribution OF free seeds
from Washington. : small packet Of rice
seed was mased TO H. y. Fuller. OF
LOnOke. Having seen rice grown. and
approaching il from an esthetic stand
point. he planted the seed IN his garden.
crudely watering and keeping the plant
Immersed by hand. To his intense sur
prise II hourished and gave forth a
healthy looking grain That was six
years ago.
Expands from n Garden.
After his first years experience. Mr..
Fuller expanded slightly. planting a
small acreage, and using q cistern for
watering purposes. So successful was
this venture that government expert
mental station was established, frrlga-
ton systems installed. and rice growing
IN Arkansas became from that time an
established and prosperous Industry.
The yield here is from 50 to 65 bushels
an acre, rs compared with an averasa
yield Of A. bushels an acre in Louisi-
ana and Texas.
The average consumer. and. In fact.
according 20 Mr.. Leigh the average
dealer I'm rice has little conception OF
the manner Of its cultivation Planted
IN February. IN prairie lands about
which levees are built, IL IS first watered.
then. when the plant begins 20 sprout
from three 20 four inches OF the stall,
are kept submerged I'm water until within
ten days OF the time 10 cut q, when the
water is drained The submerslon gen.
orally covers period OF seventy DAYS.
One Of the reasons why rice growing
IN Arkansas probably VIII prove more
successful than I'm any other State is
the fact that here the land dries before
time for shocking. while I'm Louisiana
and Texas the grain is always cut and
shocked on wet soil Shocking on dry
soil hardens and polishes the grain and
+ increases its quality