THE TEXAS RICE BOOK. 39 



total and irretrievable. But the rice crop was not beaten down. 

 Here and there a patch of it heavier than the rest, was pretty 

 badly broken. Much of the ripe Honduras was whipped out by 

 the wind. Japan stood the storm best. The farmers estimated 

 their losses by the storm variously at from 5 per cent to 25 per 

 cent. The harvest weather of the following two months was per- 

 fect, and the threshing machine in most cases discounted the 

 estimate of the farmer as to his loss. Most of these farmers 

 are northern men who never raised rice before, and many of 

 these, paradoxical as it may seem, are actually cheered rather 

 than discouraged by the results of the storm. One said, 'What a 

 bonanza we have in this rice crop ! Notwithstanding all the vi- 

 cissitudes of the worst season ever seen here, long delayed seed- 

 ing, fifty days' continued rainfall with this final hurricane to 

 blow it down, we have threshed out a greater and more valuable 

 crop to the acre than ever we raised of wheat, corn, rye or barley 

 on the rich prairies of the Northwest !' And this about expresses 

 the sentiment of many of these farmers from the North. 



"What effect had the wind on cotton? Why, blessed if I 

 know. We raise no cotton, and mighty little corn. Too expen- 

 sive, too hard work. No Negroes in the rice fields. We raise a 

 crop on which we make horses and mules do all the heavy work. 

 I can give you names of several planters, their acreage, opin- 

 ions, etc/ 



"J. A. Lambert, the Beaumont rice buyer, though no planter, 

 is very well informed. He says storm damage was 15 to 20 per 

 cent and that crop averaged 8 to 10 barrels per acre. Japan rice 

 stands storm best. Rice under wells was fully as good as that 

 under canals. A deep well, pump and engine will nearly pay for 

 itself in one year by difference saved in canal tolls. There will 

 be 50 per cent larger acreage in 1901 than the past season. 



"E. Goldsmith, manager of the Hinz Milling Company of 

 Beaumont, visited nearly all the rice country after the storm. 

 He says the 7,000 acres of rice under the Raywood Canal in Lib- 

 erty County was not damaged at all by the storm and made a 

 good crop. Nearly 25 per cent of the 11,000 acres of the Beau- 

 mont Irrigating Company was lost, 'but still the average yield 

 was very good, being nearly 10 barrels. Under the Arthur 

 Canal the storm damage was about the same, maybe a little 

 worse. If the storm had not occurred they would have had an 

 enormous crop. Acreage will perhaps be increased 50 per cent 

 next year. Is not acquainted with any discouraged rice planters. 

 They must increase their warehouse capacity for next year. Now 

 full to the doors. 



. "F. W. Schwettmann, Secretary of Trinity Rice and Irri- 

 gating Company of Stowell, Chambers County, says of the 7,000 

 acrtes under -their canal : The danger by storm was not more than 

 10 per cent. About 70 per cent of their rice was Japan ; 30 per 

 cent Honduras. Hardly any blown down by the storm. The 

 wind threshed out the ripe Honduras to considerable extent. Will 



