The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1909-02-02

In the La Grange Sentinel Mr. d.
N Stanton. of that town has an ar
tlcie OF much value on diversified
uon OF crops. He especially treats
OF rice culture and his whole article
demands< careful consideration. He
writes:
There are thousands of acres of
land in Eastern North Carolina we'll
adapted to the production of rice
and much Of this best rice land is
unprofitable fer other crops.
In travelling through this section,
occasionally see an old abandoned
water mill and when / see such L
cannot help thinking what a fine rice
farm could be made of the old pond
It a very small cost, by simply plac-
lng a tiood-gate in the old dam to
control the water so it could be used
tor irrigation when needed. A rice
farm can be made that would Weld
10 or SO bushels of the best quality of
rice, which would sell for more money
than the best acres the owner will pro-
duce in cotton,
There is a large acreage in wet bot
tom lands. annually planted in cotton
and corn that does not pay cost of
cultivation, which if planted in rice
would pay a handsome profit. l have
hnown such lands to produce so to
80 bushels per acre of the best
quality of upland rice and sell from
ninety cents to one dollar per bushel.
II there is one or two acres Of such
land on farm. it is much more
advisable to plant them in rice. a
crop for which the land is adapted
than attempt TO grow other crops
often at q loss. The straw alone. if
properly cared for. viii about pay
the expense OF cultivation.
In the Eastern counties are fire.
Quently found broad acres known as
savannahs, now looked upon per-
fectly worthless. which can be con
verted into good rice farm. pro-
tucing paying crops at a small ex-
pense for irrigation. Whenever these
lands are situated near a creek or
Sufficient water. an irrigation plant
IAN be installed and heavy crops
produced with but little cost for
cultivation. The only cost after the
crop is planted would he the cost
Of pumping water when the rice re
lured it. The poor prairie lands
of the South West, formerly looked
upon as perfectly worthless, except
ior grazing purposes, which was
selling for twenty-five and fifty cents
per acre not many years ago, are
now converted into paying rice farms
producing fifty to one hundred BUSH
els per acre and selling from twenty
tive to forty dollars per acre and
this great change has come in Il
few years by a, system Of irrigation.
These lands have to be irrigated
FROM deep wells at a great expense
Tor ping with Il tIII ITOIn tWeHIS
70 fifty feet, and yet the owners
are growing rich producing rice. l
do not. speak authoritativcly, but
DO not think the expense of irrisa-
ton would be so great in Eastern
North Carolina. and if it should be
as much, the rice crop would be a
paying proposition. 1t would be
wen for our people to investigate the
irrigation problem, as it is easily
solved, whatever ATTEMPTED in the
2
and whoever takes hold of it with
a determination to succeed will reap
4 rich harvest.
"A ten inch well that will furnish
Water to irrigate one hundred TO one
hundred and fifty acres IN rice When
they have to bore $50 to 175 feet deep
% strike sufficient water strata. usual
lv costs $4,000 to $2,50O, which in
cludes engine and boiler and all ma
chinery and fixtures necessary tor
complete pumping plant.
aOne hundred acres win easily pro-
duce 800 bushels Of rice. SO bushels
Der acre. Some rice farmers harvest
90 bushels per acre. and many pro
luce crops of. SO to % per acre Ihe
writer is well acquainted with many
planters whose rice crops sold from
$50 to $50 per arce in 1908. IL the
--yieId should be less than SO per acre
md the expense for Irrigation more
than above stated. rice would yet De
paying proposition. There are tnous-
a11ds> OF acres in Wayne. Isenolr. era
ven, Pamlico. Hyde and other counties
in Eastern North Carolina where the
land can be irrigated at compaIt.lse!!s
4nalf exDense In many localities III
these counties no we'll is required. az
> a.pumping plant can easily be installed
ss on the banks OF the creeks, lakes anc
I rivers and all the water required 10y
y Irritating a large rice plantation DC
obtained, with lift from eight to ten
;S<3D 10