The Columbia evening Missourian. [volume] (Columbia, Mo.) 1920-1923, 1921-08-09
Worth Of Products Sufficient
TO Gain Mention From U.
S. Department of
Agriculture.
LARGE PROFIT ON RICE
Poplar Bluff Farmer Sells a
Seasons Output Which
Cost $4,000 for
$4,000.

Suiiiclen N g1in nohofsbc hchho
from the United States Department Q
Agriculture. according 10 information OF
tanned from E. A. Logan, agriculture
s,aiistician Of the Bureau Of Market
and Crop Estimates.
While peanuts and rice were experi
menied with and grown in the stale eyeI
earlier than 1915, the yield of eiihe
commodity was not large enough for tht
Federal authorities TO give either men
iion or favorable consideration in month
" and annual reports Of the Department
of Agriculture.
Although Missouri now ranks ninth il
the production Of rice, il is not YET gen
orally recognized as a rice-producinf
state. In 1913 Missouri produced 25,0Ot
bushels of rice on $50 acres. a yield Of
IS bushels an acre and worth S8l an
acre. The yield per ncre is excelled only
by California, according 10 the State
Board Of Agriculture.
The bes, soil for profitable rice pro.
duciion is clay loan with waier-hold-
ing subsoil. it is said. The average rain
fall required to produce a crop is about
half an inch a day 70. period of
ninety days. and the growing season is
from FIVE 10 six months. Rice should be
planted early so that the crop will not
get frost-bitten before maturity, how
ever, il is advised.
1t takes from one to three bushels
of seed rice TO plant an acre. and il
should be drilled. according to the State
Board of Agriculture. As the grain
consumes about three-ienihs of the total
nitrogen. phosphoric acid and potash
contained in the plant. there is very
little soil depletion if the stubble is
plowed under or the land is subject to
overflow, resulting in substantial saw
ing in the fertility and quality of the
soil.
POPLAR BLUFF MAN Rises RICE
George Begley. Jr.. of Poplar Bluff,
Mo- is Of the opinion that much Of the
land in Stoddard and Butler counties ex-
cells that of Louisiana and Texas by al
least 100 per cent for the production Of
rice. Mr.. Beeley was the owner of two
large rice farms in the two Missouri
counties, and it is estimated that there
are $4,000 10 $1,000 acres in the counties
suitable for raising rice on profitable
scale. Louisiana and Texas. however.
are the Two largest rice-producing states
in the Union.
Mr.. Begley grew 2l.OOO bushels of
rice in 1918. production which sold
Tor $4,000 as compared with a cost of
slO,oOO to produce the crop. He also
grows as high as 100 acres Of broom
corn, 200 acres Of oats, 25 acres Of sweet
potatoes, Is acres Of white potatoes and
$50 acres of cowpeas.
In the late summer Of 1919. the
Chamber of Commerce of Poplar Bluff
took up the problem Of developing rice
production in Butler and Sioddard coun-
lies Statistics and data regarding the
kind Of soil required 10 grow rice, sue
cessfully were cbiained b; committees
of the commercial organization, and
great deal Of valuable information on
rice growing in the two counties was
compiled.
Until few years ago. the peanut in
dustry, which was confined almost en-
iirely to the Southern Atlantic states.
was considered Of little Importance.
Agricultural education and experimental.
lion later found new and various uses
and value for the little pintas. New
fields were tried out for the production
Of peanuts. and It was found that Arkan.
sas, Oklahoma, Texas and portions Of
Missouri are as well adapted as the
Southern Atlantic states. Texas recent
ly forced her way TO the front and is
now leading all the states in peanut
production, while Missouri has also
fallen into line as a peanut-growing
state.
Early in 1871. s. White Of Howell
County reported to the State Board of
Agriculture that he had actually demon.
strated that South Missouri can pro6tably
grow peanuts Of as fine quality as any
state. The crop being comparatively
new one TO the Ozark farmers, however,
the state department cautioned the farm
ers TO carefully consider the growth,
habits and soil requirements Of peanuts.
FROST AN ENEMY OF PEANUTS
The peanut. being tender, should no,
be planted until all danger OF frost is
past, according TO Jewell S. Mayes. sec
retary of the State Board Of Agriculture.
Peanuts weigh twenty-five pounds 10 the
bushel in the hull, and il requires about
Two bushels in the hull 10 plant an acre.
As feed. peanuts will produce from goo
TO loo pounds of pork an acre, AMI
the hog can do his own harvesting. waile
from one to three tons Of fine hay per
acre can be harvested before the hogs
are turned into eat the nuts when used
as stock feed.
In his experiments in Howell County,
Mr.. White grew s240 worth an acre as
peanut crop on old. worn-oui land. The
average crop, however. is forty bushels
an acre. the usual price being about
$3.50 a bushel.
In Scott and Mississippi counties and