The weekly Iberian., 1919-08-30
IBER|A'S COMING INDUSTRY.

"Being interested Of Wall
OH the rice industry Surely you anything
big DO know that third OF the entire of
United right this
little Crowley is the "Rce City
America" that opportunities to the square
foot here for and investor than any other
munity in the United States?
TO give You an idea the wealth there IN this section we
Conntv ACADIA Acres 1870 oOo Sacks 800 ooo Value sI5
900; Vermion Acre Sacks, 49,
900; Jeff Davis Acres l24 oOo Sacks, 24o0O; Value
sl4 SsOOOO Totals Acres Sacks, 1880 Value
Don't these figures Indicate that the industry and this
of State of Louisiana commands Of
foremost financial publication Of the world "The Wall Street
Jounali"
The figures in Mr.. Halpn's letter are based on an
average of 10 sacks per acre. and SIP per SACK est
mated by the bureau and while $2 is too high
for average seasons price the yield of 10 sacks is pro-
portionately low FOR our Iberia parish lands.
Dispute the immense acreage in rice this year, Iberia
is yet in line to be classed among the Rice Parishes
but with the phenomenal prospect this season.
and from talk it is certain that 1920 will see an
enormous increase in the acreage of that cereal
Although c cannot hope to see $l2 and $l3 remain
the selling price indefinitely still the great shortage of food
supplies ghou the world will sustain the market for
another two three seasons with gradually declining
scale But the SO rice of late years will hardly be recorded
in the life time of present generation of rice growers
and prob ably never again.
Strange as it may to Louisianas people, with
whom rice constitutes the principal food the greater part
of the United States has yet be enlightened the true
value of rice as a basic article of diet.
Through the great eastern middle, western and nor
hern sections OF country used very little except
in the making of puddngs deserts and the like The art
Of cooking rice properly which makes the delicious food
1t is known very little outside the boundaries of The
Sunny South, while the consumption of rice with graves
in gumbo soup almost unheard of in the majority Of
homes north of the Ohio river.
But the general use of this splendid grain is now
spreading rapidly The quarering of million sons of the
North in the military camps of the South and their
return home, carrying with them the lessons learned
co1ra hoyin t,oHon
result together with the natural superiority of rice as
food in greatly increasing the demand So for these rea
possible overproducon is likely result from an
= erease in acreage. I
The increase in output of this cereal in our parish is
r ousrppng the local facilities for handling it. With
increasing and of prices in prospect
should take steps for providing adequate sto
facilities For instance Crowley has seven rice ware
houses where total of 100000 bags can be stored and
held during periods of low prices due Cutting Of the
market This is the system used in the great wheat corn
and oat sections in the mdwesern and central states
the warehouses built by private funds
the grain stored for the farmers much per bushe
I'm other places the producers cooperative storage
warehouses charging each grower his proaa making the
rates just high enough all costs Of operation and
n
The best authorities place the total area in rice in Ibe
ria this year at around 10000 acres while it is estimated
there least 10000 land situated as to
be considered good rice land showing possible increase
283 percent in the total available acreage Experts pre-
ct increase OF perhaps 30 percent in the years
otal, which with average yield only fair price, will il
mean an added revenue OF $75O,OOO in parish. n
The favorable composition of Teche Country soil o
makes possible to average of approximately
our bags per than made by the rice growers
the western parishes The earlier varieties seem to do
er here and the milling quality of Teche rice is always
superior commanding from 25 so per bag
than does the output of Acadia and other parishes
1nrther west where the soils are lighter.
But if Iberia is to become great rice country and
lew Iberia important rice shipping center, which is y
ow strongly indicated, thought should be given by
most interested to these problems of storage
leting and shipping in order that the most encourage
bent may be given prospective growers and the last posi-
Re cent be secured in the marketing of the crop. -
sc
nasna,n sa.nnu - pt