The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1910-06-10
The Rice Situation,

- May, Witnessed gfedI CndnHe
n conditions, not only in the prOducin
% end Of the rice industry, but in tn
!. marketing end, for the market ha
IS steadily improved, with evidences c
u permanent Improvement, while tn
e outlook for the farmer is greatly IN
l. proved. The chances for a fair Gro
e are much better than they were in th
middle of May, while the prospect O
a fair price for rice during the bal
ance of the season and the opening O
) the new season, is improving.
. The rice acreage for 1910 S prob
{ ably somewhat below that of 1909, al
though the prospect sixty days ago
was that the increase would be in tht
neighborhood of ten per cent. If tht
planting season had been a favorable
one, il is probable that the increase
on the river and in Arkansas, would
have brought the acreage up to close
to the 100000 mark in the United
States.
In Southwest Louisiana, the largest
acreage reduction is found. In Ver-
million parish the acreage is about the
same as last year. In Acadia and
Calcasieu the reduction in acreage
reaches about thirty-fve per cent. In
Texas there is little change in the
acreage.
The difference in acreage between
1909 and 1910, according to reports
from large Number OF Journal COR
respondents, is considerable.
On the river it was estimated early
in the spring, that the acreage would
be increased 100000 acres, counting
both sides OF the river.
There is an increase of about 10000
acres in the Natchez- Vidalia territory
and there is substantial increase at
Lake Providence and in the four rice
parishes above Baton Rouge, but be.
low Baton Rouge there is actually
some decrease and it is doubtful if
the total net increase on the river will
exceed $4,000 acres.
In Arkansas the total acreage this
year will hardly exceed $4,000, which
would allow for an increase of Is per
cent.
The Carolina acreage does not ma
terially vary, SO that there is an in.
crease of perhaps $4,000 on the river
and in Arkansas and 8 decrease In
Southwest Louisiana, alone, of about
double that amount, leaving net de.
crease of around 1000 acres without
counting Texas.
Crop conditions at the end OF May
are encouraging. Two weeks ago
there was danger of almost total fail
ure OF the planted acreage on account
OF drouth. Only the small part of the
crop that had been planted early
enough to get good start before the
arouth, gave promise of maturity.
A very large percentage of the acre
age had to be replanted during the
trouth and some of it the rains saved
while much of it was lost entirely.
out the rains during the latter part OF
Nay brought the crop out wonderfully
n the three states, and the outlook
low, all things considered, is very
rood. Southwest Louisiana suffered g
east from the drouth on the coast and Y
.exas next. The river was hardest q
lit. .
The market, which began to sag
DON after the season opened, had
ropped to d point where rice was +
eiling at prices almost similar to q
hose that prevailed in 1904 and 1905,
fter the two big crops. Then rice n
ook q strong upward turn early in
lay and kept on climbing. Prices ~
re now at a reasonable figure and -
,e market is strong, with many pre-. %
letting further strength. The reason ~
'r this does not lie in the adverse ~
'op situation, but in the fact that it ~
clearly shown that the consumption V
|fice during the past Year, has in. VI
'eased at a rate that few believed ~
ossible. 1t is fact that stocks of ~,
can and rough in Southwest Louisi- -
ma and Texas are surprisingly low, ..
bile Arkansas has only small VI
Mount on hand. it is now agreed vi
at the beginning OF the new rice ~
'ar will see the visible supply re. @'
iced to minimum of 1910 stock. Ill.,
Reports from all parts of the rice
lit indicate that there is no danger IL
the gulf coast from salt water this pa
ason. The bayous and rivers are Je'
IL and the tax on the streams will In
1t be excessive. So far as can be ICE
dyed at this time the crop outlook vi
favorable and the situation appears OF
justify the predictions being geuer.
~ made of favorable prices this fall. LII