Lower coast gazette., 1909-05-22
Rice in North Louisiana.

The advent Of the boil weevil in North LOUISIANA Is producing "
novel conditions among the tllers OF tne SOL II We ~ w. 8
ORG that p considerable quantity of land has been IN rice culture II"
Arkansas during recent years and the results are reported to nave F
heen comparatively satisfactory. Now comes the news IND, we
rice acreage in East Corroll parish, the northwest river paris" u
the state, will this year reach about 9VU acres; oone ye eaa ,s :
certain lands in that section had been put into johnson grass "l''
2 view of utilizing the grass for grazing and tor forage br a,"e'
The improved prices for cotton led to d change OF pan ana 10
efforts to extirpate the johnson grass with rice culture. So~ L" ~
found that rich culture itself can be made a very posiuVe Su''e:'
IN E.st Carroll narish and the 1000 acres planted this season IN
that cereal speak for themselves. The Banner Democrat OF Lake
Providence; in discussing the matter, speaks in enthusiastic terms
lot the view Of the plantations around the lake, ~here; Wl'nlh
fifteen miles miles fourteen pumping stations have been estaonsneo ~
iirriieating the rice fields: Of these pumping or 'rr'gat'ns s1at'ons'
ten have been put in this season: ~: ;,c;,,
IN addition to the rice ice planted around the lake; Messrs: Nichol-
- ~ Amacker, Nelson, Beard and Fowler have some 2&9W acres IN
cultivation on the river, on the Cottonwood VISTA, Donna y1s W.,
1ongwoood and Chids plantations. All Of these will De lr11ga1eo
from the river. Below the town OF Lake Pro"oeqee - 10: . ~
will irrigate a large field from Hagaaan lake: Bonner Bros. nave
800 acres on Outpost, which will be irrigated by two deep weAs,
one 26O feet deep which, on a ten hour test showed a now OF lW
gallons per minute and the other, IL inches in diameter ana oW
feet deep has not vet been tested. Various other rice helds along
the line have gone into the culture and the expectation OF good re-
su+e soon Il rim high at the present time. We sincerely hope
that these gentlemen will not be disappointed at the tnal results
Int thew must keep in mind the fact that IN the past rice frequent.
" has been one of the most disappointing crops ever raised
in Louisiana. In August, 1888, a Louisiana rice crop OF near'y d
t million baqs was estimated to be in the fields and on a given Satur'
dav in that month a meeting was held in New Orleans to devise
WAYS and means for the purpose of carrying the rice, to prevent
the gluttin4g Of the market and the sudden fall OF prices wn'cn
then always interviewed with any large crop put on the market
|, sunday an enormous rain storm ACQUIRED, the rainfall in New Or
e leans for August Of that year reaching an aggregate Of u inches
and the rain of that Sunday reached some7 or 10 inches on tn
e Lower Coast, exceeding on one plantation over fourteen inches b!
Re careful measurement and on Monday after the storm ther was n
rice problem to solve. The rice was blown down into the wate
and before the water could be got off the rice it was generall
as sprout,d and otherwise damaged and many thousands OF bags OF
sold at vary little over a dollar a barrel. s. 4Hrr".
I'd The present area in Louisiana in rice bids fair to surpass an
previous record and let us hope that a good harvest season Will .
bod bod and That the rice planters will be able to secure their crop
GOOD condition and to market it at fair prices. >&>.