New Iberia enterprise and independent observer. (New Iberia, La.) 1902-1944, 1917-06-02
THE RICE SITUATION.
(Bv M. +. Lavne.O

so prominently before us. and is
pressing for solution, it Will be
wise for us to understand the val
lie of rice as an article of diet. In
Its production, rice yields 10 the
will of man more readily than
any other food product; and the
fact that a territory capable of
marvellous production lies It our
very door is worthy Of note, and
should be carefully considered.
Rice History.
The history of American ice
culture dates back to 1894, when
vessel bound for Liverpool! t; ,ln
Madagascar. blown out CT her
course and in need of repairs, put
into Charleston. The clp5a
gave Langrace Thomas Smith a
small quantity of rice, which was
used for seed From this begin
ming. enough was soon grown to
provide the needs of the colony;
and, early in The following cen
fury, it furnished a considerable
AMOUNT for export. Productiol
gradually increased until, in 177G,
the harvest amounted to l,612, 800
bushels. The Civil War practi-
cally destroyed the industry, but
it gradually revived, and, in 1908,
this country's total rice crop was
1867 900 bushels. As time went
on, States further West and
South took up rice culture with
the result that the Carolinas were
soon left behind due to the fact
that these new States importe'
and propogated a new seed, used
better methods of cultivation.
more dependable irrigation. and
improved machinery. American
grown rice now comes mainly
from Arkansas. Texas, Louisiana.
and California-production for
the past season amounting to APP
proximately 100000 bushels
Government reports give the
yield per acre as follows: South
Carolina and Georgia, 30 bushels;
Louisiana and Texas. 10; Arkan-
sas, 81 to Sc; and the average cost
of production at from $40 to $22
per acre. To my personal knowl-
edge, the above yields have, IN
many instances, been materially
exceeded. and can be still furth-
err increased by better seed-bed,
better seed, correct fertilization,
proper application of water, and
: drainage within the control
of man.
The large Yields Of Arkansas.
Louisiana, and Texas are caused
partly by the fact that their rice
is raised on higher ground, bet
ter drained, and that the water
supply is more dependable-be
ing pumped from artesian wells.
Rice culture. especially in Arkan-
sas, is rapidly developing, with
wonderful promise for its future.
The State now has something like
100000 acres in cultivation,
while it possesses 1,72S,00O acres
capable of rice production.
Financial Conditions.
The Layne & Bowler Company
has supplied the trade with sew
eral million dollars worth of IT.
rigation equipment, and has
found the rice growers to be de-
pendable, but little slow in
meeting their obligations. Rice
growers in the past have been
handicapped financially, largely
due to their failure to anticipae
their needs and to provide the
necessary financial resources
Z through long time farm loans.
And because rice production by
the improved method is compare
lively new and not thoroughly UNI
derstood, short time money is shy.
Bankers, in some instances, have
refused to extend the needed and
worthy line of credit-placing
this new irrigation method on a
par with the old system. which
trusted to Providence-in other