Lower coast gazette., 1909-01-30
SATURDAY JANUARY 3ORD 1909.
The Fertilization of Rice.

Rice being an aulatic plant, it has been a deDataDle qaesuoh
as to Just how to secure the best crops OF it. In LOUISIANA IL mas
hecorne the general conclusion that almost any sugar plantation can
he utilized successfully for two or three years in rice culture ana
the more successfully because of the fact of the land. having been
in cane culture. This can hardly be because there is any improve
roent in the soil because of cane culture, other than the tact tnat
cane culture. being a very intense culture, leads practically to- the
extirpation of all of those grasses which become SO annoying IN rice
culture and have to be weeded out by hand. II thereb be any other
cause than this we have it yet to learn. On the other nand' we
know from actual experience that lands that have been planted IN
COW peas, the cow peas plowed, under and the LANDS tnus mtenaeu
for sugar cane subsequently diverted to- rice culture, have produc-
ed CROPS of rice almost unheard of in quantity, and in, fact, to
the extent of over thirty barrels per acre, the barrel beng lz
hounds Of rough rice, including thesaek. This would seem to in
dictate that the nitrogen accumulated from the air and into the
lind BY the legdminous crop had a very positive, effect upon tha
rice planted upon such lands. Apart from this, it has been noted
tbatswhere there has been. stable manure dropped on the land, the
MANFRED spots showed q rapid and early growth OF the rice, even
though it is an aquatic plant and grows with its roots in the
water. eaa.,s ~#4S
The Gueydan News now reports the facts about the feEti[zation
ofia4ract Of rice landi in that vicinity. Messrs. Riley & Neehs
own a rice farm three miles Northwest of Gueydan. Last year they
nlanted and fortified six acres, keeping it entirely separate from
the rest of their fields. This six acre field yielded twelve bags to
the acre and each bag weighed &3 pounds, which would be equal
to fifteen standardsbags Of rice per acre. In the milling OF TINS
rice It was found to yield 18 pounds of head rice, the broken rice
and other offal not being included. The rice brought the top Of
the market price and the gross yeld. was $3.50 per acre.
These results were carefully compared with those obtained
from the land lying alongside, which, was not ferilized, but which
had otherwise received exactlXiune same treatment 1nS yielueu
only 91-2 bags to the acre each bag weighing LBS pounds OF rough
rice anaNa t therice mill yielded 100 pounds Of head rice, which sold
for $3.50 per standard harrAk the gross proceeds being SD. ner
/ acre. Il was not stated whether thance, was harvested and mar
keted at the,same time, nor whether or not there had been any
change in the market price. It may be left fair for US to infer
that the best rice was sold for seed rice and hence brought the
fancy prices. It however, was evidently very heavy rice, the
bags being of the same size, of about five bushels each, and the
fortified rice weighing 203 pounds to the sack, indicating a very
large amount Of rice kernel and less of rice hull than the other,
whick only weighed 1876 pounds for the same measure and had a
less yield in clean rice to the extent of eight pounds per bag.
In the description of the transaction, in giving the yields stat
ed. the yields of 1903 pounds and of 100 pounds of head rice are
stated as being this much per bag but it is not stated whether the
bars Of 23 pounds and 100 pounds respectively were meant or
whether the standard bag or barrel Of 162 pounds was meant when
the yield Of 1903 pounds and 100 pounds respectively was reported.
II these data are all accurate as given and the difference OF the
gross proceeds per acre actually amounts to S26 lott is a striking
instance Of the value Of what ever fertilizer was used in this in
stance.
The particular fertilizer, however, snot stated and we are left
in the dark a. 10 whether or not it was phosphate or heterogeneous,
4 without which data the experiment would scarcely be as convin.
cling a. it might otherwise be. 1t is incidentally stated that the
cost was not over 81. so per acre, and we scarcely know what fer
tilizsr canba holzat AMI Ao3is to ta. laal at 50 light a cost pc
acre.