The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1917-01-31
GAN FARMERS RAISE RICE?
NEARLY 100000 SPENT ANNUAL.
LY FOR RICE IN THIS SEC
TION.

Annual Consumption Estimated at
Close to $4,000 Bags, Selling at An
Average OF $S.75.-Requires Little
Fertilizer, Small Amount of Labor
and Can be Raised ON Land Which
| VIII Drown out Other CrOps-May
be Grown for Home CONSUMPTION.
In these days the farmers of Sum-
ter county along with the farmers
throughout South Carolina and in
other States are sitting up late nights,
or should be, devising schemes where
by they can not only keep the wolf
from the door. but make a profit on
their farms. Various schemes have
been proposed by the State and gov
ernment farm experts. which the pro-
sressive farmers have already begun
to adopt. while other farmers, slow
or to take advice. are still pondering
over.
The chief message Which these
experts have been trying to hammer
into the farmers heads IS to live at
home' This il the first and most i'm
portant advice they have offered. Then
the second message Is to diversity
their efforts. SO that the success of
the farming operations during a year
DO not depend entirely on any one
crop. Cotton has been the one-crop
upon which most farmers have al
ways In the past depended, and
the success OF the years work depend
cd largely upon the price of cotton
at the end of the year. All efforts are
being put forth to get away from this
long established custom and very un-
satisfactory system. The farm experts
have advised the raising Of live stock,
nogs and cattle. and big steps
In this direction have been ta-
ken Of late. Packing plants have
been established in the State TO pro-
vide q market for the cattle and
hogs raised In order to insure a ready
aaie. The raising of sweet potatoes
for starch paking Is another plan still
being discussed and which may be
put into execution. The raising of
truck. for home consumption, local
and foreign markets. and the planting
OF greater areas In grain. in order that
the money which Is paid for grain
shipped In from the west may remain
at home. are measures advised and
adopted to q more or less greater ex-
tent. Besides the increase in wheat,
oats and corn, there Is another grain
OF which much is used here each year
which could be successfully grown at
home, grown with little cost, little
work, and on land generally not
adapted to other crops. This srain is
rice. 1t is not advisable that the
farmers raise rice, or endeavor to
raise rice for market purposes, but
raise sufficient for home consump-
ton.
Recently a local organization, the
sumter Roller mills. has announced
that 1t would install a rice hulling
machine to hull all of the rice raised
In this community. this step being ad-
vised primarily to encourage the 'Iive
at home policy and to aid the farm
ers in preparing for the boil weevil.
This mill was established to grind
wheat raised in this community, to
encourage the raising Of wheat, and
mas found the industry profitable, as
well as helpful to the farmers, as the
mill purchases any surplus of whea
which the farmers may raise, al
though not encouraging them to try
to raise wheat to compete with the
big wheat growing districts. The same
way with rice, the mill will hull what
the farmers raise for home consump-
ton and will purchase any surplus
they may have. although it Is not
deemed advisable for the farmers to
try to raise the rice for maketing.
A canvas Of the city shows that
there Is annually distributed through
sumter jobbers approximately $4,000
bags OF rice. This rice Is of various
grades and practically all Of it comes
from Louisiana, Texas and Arkansas.
the big rice producing regions in the
United States. And it may be said
here parentheically that in Texas and
Arkansas rice was not raised on
the present big scale until the arri-
val OF the boil wevil forced the farm
ers to look for other crops to take
the place of cotton. There Is little
South Carolina rice raised for mar
ket now. as most of the rice planters