Edible Products. 



134 



[Feb. 1908, 



with pestles. When the cuticle is remov- 

 ed, the contents of the mortar form an 

 oily mixture of rice flour and chaff. This 

 now passes over "flour screens," by means 

 of which all flour is removed. The "chaff 

 fan" is then used, and the rice delivered 

 as clean grain is run into cooling bins. 

 In the preceding processes so much heat 

 has been generated that cooling is neces- 

 sary. For about nine hours the grain 

 remains in the cooling bin, after which 

 one more separation takes place. By 

 means of "brush screens" the large rice 

 is separated from the smaller, and the 

 little flour that has not yet been removed 

 is brushed from the grain. The product 

 is now ready for the final process-polish- 

 ing. 



Polishing.— The commercial article is 

 always polished. This consists in giving 

 the grain a glossy appearance, and makes 

 much difference in the market value. 

 The process that gives the gloss removes 

 much of the most nutritious parts of the 

 grain, including nearly all of the fats and 

 most of the flavour. The food value of 

 rice flour is many times greater than the 

 food value of the polished product. 

 Polishing is effected by pieces of skins 

 passing over the rice and by giving a 

 thin, fine coat of paraffin. Within a 

 cylinder of wire gauze revolves a cylinder 

 of' wood, around which sheep-skins are 

 tacked, wool inside. This gives a soft 

 surface, over which tanned skin, worked 

 to a velevt-like softness, is fastened. 

 The grain, with a piece of paraffin, is 

 put into the large cylinder. The cylinder 

 revolves, and passing the soft surface 

 over the grain gives the pearly lustre. 



Rice Straw.— For a long time rice 

 straw was regarded as waste and burned 

 in the field. Sometimes it was used as 

 fuel at the threshing mill, as is the custom 

 still with some planters. This straw, 

 however, has a practical food value. It 

 contains proteins, fats and carbohydrates 

 in such proportions as to be a good 

 forage for stock. In recent years it has 

 been baled and placed on the market for 

 packing purposes. 



Cost. — The initial expenses are, of 

 necessity, heavy. The average cost to 

 do necessary grading and prepare clean 

 ground is about 25 dol. per acre. Tim- 

 bered land may be cleared for about 75 

 dol. per acre. The cost, therefore, of 

 converting timbered land into a rice 

 field, with its canals, banks and ditches, 

 is about 100 dol. per acre. To put the 

 ground into condition, cultivate, harvest 

 and prepare the grain for market costs 

 the planter from 20 to 25 dol. per acre, 

 For milling and handling by a broker, 

 the expense the planter must meet equals 

 about 20 per cent, of the value of the 

 product. 



In the rice belt factors furnish the 

 planters money at 8 per cent., and 

 usually take a lien on the crop, real 

 estate, farming implements and outfit. 

 The crop is delivered to the factor, who 

 sells it for a commission of 2£ per cent. 

 Planters who are not obliged to borrow 

 money sell through a broker at an ex- 

 pense of 1£ per cent. 



Labour.— Labour is done by coloured 

 men and women. The prices paid vary 

 but little, and range from 40 to 50 c. per 

 day. Labour is generally given out in 

 tasks at 40 to 50 c. per task. Some 

 planters contract with the labourers 

 for a year's work. The labourer receives 

 a given tract of land, usually an 

 acre, on which to raise rice for himself 

 and family, a cabin, wood and all the 

 upland he wants for vegetables. For 

 this he agrees to work one day of each 

 week for a year or eight or nine months, 

 and during the remaining time for a 

 stipulated sum per task. 



All fields are laid off in half acre 

 divisions, called tasks. To hoe one of 

 these divisions or to plough three of them 

 constitutes a day's work. Harvest work 

 is given out at 2 dol. per task. 



Good rice generally brings from 60 c. 

 to 1 dol. 15 c. per bushel. It does not 

 often sell for less than 60 c, and seldom 

 brings more than 1 dol. 15 c. Upland 

 rice is not so valuable as the lowland 

 product, which brings about 20 per cent, 

 more. The upland culture in many parts 

 of North Carolina has of late years been 

 almost discontinued on account of the 

 low price offered for the product. 



Before the Civil War the planter 

 realised 4 or 5 per cent, on his invest- 

 ment in the rice business, valuing his 

 slaves employed at from 500 to S00 dol. 

 per head, and reckoning them as part of 

 his investment. The planter now realises 

 from 6 to 10 per cent, on the investment. 



Damage by Storms.— The principal 

 and greatest loss sustained by the planter 

 is due to storms. In 1803 all the fields 

 along the Combahee, Edisto, Savannah, 

 Ashpoo, Cooper, and many other streams 

 were devastated by storms. The water 

 beat against the banks and levees till 

 they gave way, rushed in and rolled 

 over the fields, destroying the grain, 

 filling up ditches and canals, and creat- 

 ing havoc generally. 



Self-set Rice. — In harvesting more or 

 less seed falls to the ground, especially 

 at places where sheaves have been 

 stacked and along the driveway from 

 the fields to the barnyards. The seed 

 that is not destroyed by sprouting - and 

 burning remains in the ground and 

 grows up with the following season's 



