Lower coast gazette., 1913-05-10
Rice Cleaning and Polishing.

uuuSGly VI JllG IlltC CoC AoA SAS JSA
are given in a bulletin soon to be issued by d.
rector Durand, Bureau of the Census, Depart
ment of Commerce. 1t was prepared under the
direction of VIM. M. Steuart, chief statistician
for manufactures.
In 1909 there were II establishments en-
gagged in cleaning and polishing rice. In these
establishments, 1,7H persons were employed,
1899 being wage earners. The value OF pro-
ducts was $22,371,4 57, but the value added by
manufacture was only $2,870,377, the cost OF
materials being equal to 87.2 per cent of the
total value of products.
Of these II establishments, Al were engaged
exclusively in merchant milling, 8 exclusively
in sustom milling, and % in both merchant and
custom milling. In 1904 there were II mills
engaged exclusively in merchant milling, 81 ex-
c~lusively in custom milling, and 81 in both mer-
chant and custom milling. Of the rough rice
treated in 1909 9O.2 per cent was handled on a
merchant basis and 9.8 per cent on a custom
basis.
In 1909 Louisiana reported Sc per cent of the
total value of products, and Texas 1854 per
cent, leaving only 7.6 per cent for all other
states combined. These two states employed
9O.6 per cent of the average umber OF wage
earners. Louisiana reported 65.7 per cent OF
the total value of products in 1899, South Caro-
lima LIZ per cent, while Texas, with one estab-
lishment, was included under "All other
states"
Between 1899 and 1900 there was considera-
BILE change in the relative Importance OF the diff
ferent states in the industry. The number OF
establishments in Georgia, North Carolina, and
South Carolina decreased greatly, while Ala
bama, California, Florida, Mississippi, and New
York, each of which reported one or more es-
Establishments in 1899, returned none in 1909.
The number of establishments in Texas in
creased from one in 1899 to 10 in 1909 and
Arkansas. which had none in 1899, had 5 es-
adjustments in 1909.
This shift in the industry was due to the very
general abandonment of rice growing on the
lowlands near the Atlantic and Gulf coasts, and
to it's introduction with irrigation on the level
prairie lands of Louisiana, Texas, and Arkan-
sas. where machinery can be used in planting
and harvesting. According to the census OF
agriculture, the acreage in rice in these three
states in 1899 was 210,421, or GLIB per cent OF
the total for the country, and the production OF
rough rice by them was 6,472,2H bushels, or
71.9 per cent of the total. In 1909 these states
reported 582,52 acres out of a total OF 6lO,l15
acres for the country, while their production,
21,114,5 48 bushels, formed 96.7 per cent OF the
total. During the intervening period the acre
age devoted to rice in Louisiana, Texas, and Ar
kansas increased 1858 per cent and the produc-
ton 1862 per cent, while in all other states
combined the acreage decreased 70 per cent ano
the production TIA per cent.
With the shift in the industry has come the
abandonment of many small custom mills anc
the erection of large mills equipped with the
latest improved machinery for cleaning ant
polishing the grain.
The quantity of rough rice treated increased
from 1913, 6O2, O18 pounds in 1899 to 974,747,47E
pounds in 1909. There was, between 1904 an
1909. a decrease of 95, 1908, 635 pounds in rougl
rice treated in Louisiana, Of 1884, 45 pound
in South Carolina, and of II, 824,9 2O pounds il
"All other states" and an increase OF 55,645,
965 pounds in Texas and of 571,185 pounds Il
Washington, while Arkansas returned 37,Ol4'
OTIS pounds in 1909 and none in 1904.
Notwithstanding the decrease in quantity 0
rough rice treated, there was an increase Q
1888, O58,2 S9 pounds in the aggregate quantlt
of clean rice obtained in 1909, as compared VIII
1899. In 1899 the weight of clean rice obtalne
was 81 per cent of the weight of the rough rlc
treated; and in 1909, 64.2 per cent. In recen
years much attention has been given to the ST
lection of seed, with special reference to tn
yield and to the milling qualities, and this ma
urally has increased the proportion Of clean re
obtained.
The proportion Of clean rice obtained varlt
considerably in different states. In Arkanss
the proportion in 1909 was 62.7 per cent;
Louisiana, 65.1 per cent; in South Carollni
SOL per. cent; in Texas, 63.5 per cent; and
Washington, 90.4 per cent. The rice treated
Washington, however, was imported hulled rc
,,L H. x;oo ,,,o q MI no1;chod hU Tho mills. tf