330 



RIOE. 



in tlie 80 per cent. duty. While foreign pays such an exorbitant duty, 

 it cannot decline for any length of time beyond a certain limit. In 1860 

 the exports amounted to over 81,600,000 lbs. ; in 1871, under a duty 

 of 80 per cent., to 445,000 lbs. The countries south of the United 

 States, viz., Cuba, Porto Eico, and the West Indian Islands, Mexico, 

 Venezuela, and other Central and South American countries, are the 

 largest consumers of rice in the world, with the exception of China. 

 These countries, instead of seeking their supplies from the United 

 States, now draw them mostly from England, and all because the rice 

 cannot be cleaned and dressed in the United States. The duty on 

 raw rice drives it to Liverpool to be cleansed, and from there it is 

 exported in direct competition with American exporters, who obtain 

 their supplies for export from the same port, as Government, while 

 refunding the 2^ per cent, duty on cleaned rice, does not refund the 

 additional 10 per cent, levied on rice imported from places other 

 than the countries of production. 



In 1869 the crop of South Carolina, as returned by the census 

 authorities, was 32,304,825 lbs.; of Georgia, 22,277,380 lbs.; of 

 North Carolina, 2,059,281 lbs. Production had nearly ceased in 1865. 



In Georgia, two-thirds of the rice is grown in Chatham and Camden 

 counties ; half in the vicinity of Savannah. In South Carolina, 

 nearly half of the crop is grown in Georgetown. The following 

 figures show how small a district yielded the rice in the palmy days 

 of 1859 : 



South Carolina. | Lbs. 



Georgia. 



Lbs. 



Georgetown 

 Charlestown 



Total .. .. 

 Twenty-four otherl 

 counties . . , . / 



Total .. .. 



55,805,385 

 22,838,98i 

 18,899,512 

 18,790,918 



Cliatliam 

 Mcintosh 



Total .. .. 

 Eighty-eight other"! 

 counties . . . . / 



Total .. .. 



25,934,160 

 10,330,068 

 6,421,100 

 4,842,755 



116,334,799 

 2,765,729 



47,528,083 



4,979,569 



■ 



119,100,528 



52,507,652 



The rice crop has been steadily increasing in quantity in South 

 Carolina, but decreasing in price : 





Year. 



Crop, 

 Tierces of 640 lbs. 



Lbs. 



Value per lb. 







1866 

 1867 

 1868 

 1869 



4,119 

 21,031 

 25,114 

 36,445 



2,677,350 

 13,670,150 

 16,324,100 

 23,689,250 



cents. 

 13 

 11 

 9 



Si 





The value of the crop of 1869 was 309,782Z. ; 5367 tierces were 

 locally consumed, and the rest exported. 18,000 bushels of rough 

 rice were shipped from Wilmington in 1868. 



