Goldsboro weekly argus., 1909-01-14
PLANT RICE.
Farmers, Diversity Your Crops:
Here Is a Suggestion.
LAGRANGE, N. c., Jan. 8. 'O9.

in Eastern North Carolina we'll adapted
to the production Of rice, and much of
this best rice land is Improbable tor
other crops. In travelling through this
section, I occasionally see an old
abandoned water mill, and whenever I
see such, cannot help thinking what
a fine rice farm could be made of the
old pond at q very small cost by simp-
ly placing flood 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
yield 40 to so bushels of the best quail
ty rice which would sell for more
money than the best acre of the owners
will produce in cotton. There is
nually planted in corn and cotton that
does not pay cost of cultivation which
If planted in rice would pay a hand
some profit. / have known suoh lands
to produce SO to so bushels per acre of
the best quality upland rice and sell
for ninety cents to one dollar per
bushel.
It there is only one or two acres of
such land on farm, it is much more
advisable to plant them in rice, crop
for which the land is adapted, than at
tempt to grow other crops often at a
loss. The straw alone il properly cured
and cared for will bout pay the ex
pense of cultivation. In the eastern
counties are frequently found broad
areas known as Savannahs now looked
upon as perfectly worthless which can
be converted into good rice farms pro-
dueing paying crops at small expense
for irrigation. Whenever these lands
are situated near a creek or sufficient
water, an irrigation plant can be in
stalled and heavy crops produced with
but little cost for cultivation, the only
cost after the crop is planted would be
the cost for pumping water when the
rice required it.
The poor prarie lands of the South
west, formerly looked upon as perfect
ly worthless, except for grazing purpo-
ses which were selling for twenty-five
and fifty cents per acre not many years
ago, are now converted into paying
rice farms producing fifty to one hun
dred bushels per acre, and selling for
twenty-five to tortysdollars per acre.
and this great change has come in a
few years by system of irrigation.
These lands have to be irrigated from
deep wells at a heavy expense for
pumping, with al liftEfrom twenty Eve
to fifty feet, and yet the owners are
growing rich producing rice. I do not
speak authoritively, but do not think
the expenses Efor irrigation would be
so much in eastern North Carolina, ,and
if it should be as much the rice crop
would be a paying proposition. II
would be we'll for our1people to fully
investigate the irrigation problem, al
it is easily solved sw henevsr attempted,
in the right way. It will come some
day and whoever takes hold of it with
a determination to!succeed, will reap u
rich harvest. A ten-inch we'll that
VIII furnish water to irrigate one hun
dred to one hundred and fifty acres i'll
rice when they have a bore $50 to IT'S
strata, usually cost $4,000 to 81. 500
which includes engine and boiler and
all machinery and fixtures necessary
tor a complete pumping plant. One
hundred acres will easily produce 5000
bu:-5O per acre. Some rice Planters
harvest 100 bushelsiper acre and many
produce crops of ESQ to rs bushels per
acre. The writer is we'll acquaintei
with many planters Ewhose rice crop
sold for $4,000 tos $50 90 lper acre In
1908, If the yield should be less than
so bushel per acre and the expenses
for irrigation more than kabove stated
rice would yet be apaying proposition.
There are thousands ofacres in Wayne,
Lenoir, Craven, Pamlico Hyde and
other counties inia orth Caro-
lima where the land kcan be irrigated at
comparatively small expense. In many
localities in the countries no wells is
required, as pumping plant can east
ly be installed on the1banks of creeks,
lakes and rivers and waetrIthe required
for irrigating largefrice plantation be
obtained with q lift stromeeight to ten
feet with little expense, kas but little
power is required for ailowswater lift.
Growing rice in theseiIeastern counties
by irrigation has not been attempted,
simply because thesplanters have failed
to give the subject the consideration it
justly merits and imuch time could be
well spent in investigation relative to
such q proposition.
Rough rice is nearly always saleable
at paying prices to the farmer.
During Mr.. Cleveland's administra-
ton the tariff of two cents per pound
on clean rice which amounts to fifty
cents per bushel on rough was remov-
nd and rice nlacai ON the fraa list