March 1908.J 



215 



Edible Products. 



of cultivation were primitive, the acre- 

 age planted was small and the harvest- 

 ing was done by hand. Such success as 

 they had, however, convinced later 

 settlers that the business of rice growing 

 could be made profitable. It soon be- 

 came apparent that it would not do to 

 depend on the rainfall for the irrigation, 

 and steps were taken to prevent the 

 heavy rainfalls from running to waste 

 by damming the water back in the 

 fields. This was the beginning of arti- 

 ficial irrigation. Owing to the imperfect 

 drainage of the lower lands harvesting 

 continued to be done with the sickle. 

 Threshing was done with the flail, and 

 winnowing was dependent upon the 

 breezes. It was only in 1891 that pumping 

 on a large scale was commenced. It had 

 been found that the higher lands were 

 well adapted for rice culture if sufficient 

 water could be procured. It was then 

 that the centrifugal pnmp was first 

 employed, and canals were constructed 

 to carry the water to the fields. 



The effect of successful irrigation on 

 the prairie lands was a rise in value of 

 such lands. In 1888 these lands could be 

 obtained at from 1 dol to 3 dol. 50 c. per 

 acre, according to their facility for cul- 

 tivation. In 1892, when pumping experi- 

 ments were being carried out, the value 

 rose to 7 and 10 dol. per acre, and in 

 1895 the value reached 15 and 20 dol. per 

 acre. Some of these same lands are now 

 held at an average price of 30 dol., and a 

 few choice locations bring as much as 50 

 dol, per acre. Rice lands not so favour- 

 ably situated as regards canals may still 

 be had for 15 dol. per acre, but consider- 

 able capital is required to provide canals 

 and pumping plauts. 



The following is a comparison of the 

 value of rice land with wheat lands in 

 various States : — 



Average Value 

 per Acre. 





$ c. 



Rice, coast country 



20 



Wheat- 





Indiana 



I 3 71 



Illinois 



8 32 



Iowa 



9 20 



Kansas 



9 73 



Missouri 



7 88 



The rice belt is intersected by ten navi- 



gable rivers and by many smaller 

 streams, all conveying fresh, soft water 

 comparatively free from slit. 



In nearly every township there are 

 one or more ridges slightly above the 

 surrounding land. On these ridges 

 surface canals were built from 20 to 150 

 feet wide, according to the area to be 

 watered. The sides of the canals were 



raised from 4 to 5 feet with ploughs and 

 scrapers, or with grading machinery. 

 Laterals were run from the main canal 

 to accommodate remote farms. Powerful 

 pumping machinery was located on the 

 banks of the river at the head of the 

 surface canals. These canals, when well 

 constructed and operated, proved 

 entriely successful and made the rice 

 crop a practical certainty over a large 

 section of the countr y. 



Underground Water Supply.— 

 Scarcely had the surface canals been 

 accepted as a success when it was dis- 

 covered that there was a strata of gravel 

 at 125 to 200 feet under the surface of 

 the entire section of south-west Loui- 

 siana containing an unlimited supply of 

 water which would, of its own pressure, 

 come so near the surface that it could be 

 easily pumped. It was afterwards dis- 

 covered that this bed of gravel was 

 nearly 15 feet in thickness. 



Throughout the entire belt the surface 

 has such a slight variation that for the 

 purposes of irrigation it may be con- 

 sidered practically level. The soil is rich, 

 sandy loam, in some sections underlaid 

 with tenacious clay at the depth of 2 to 

 3 feet. In the other sections the soil is a 

 strong clay or clay loam, with sub- 

 soil conditions similar to that of sandy 

 loam. Between these extremes the sand 

 and the clay form many grades of loams, 

 but all easily tilled and fertile. At a 

 depth of 8 to 16 feet from the surface a 

 stratum of water-bearing sand is 

 generally struck, the water answering 

 for domestic purposes. 



Pipes of 2, 3, 4, 6, 8 and 10 inches in 

 diameter have been sunk to the gravel 

 and pumped continuously for mouths 

 without diminution of supply. The 

 water is soft, at a constant temperature 

 of 70°, and absolutely free from all seeds 

 and injurious minerals. Such is the 

 facility with which these wells are made 

 that a 6-inch tube has been put down to 

 the full depth required— 200 feet— in 14 

 hours. 



Most of the later wells are 8 and 10 

 inches in diameter. The California pro- 

 peller pump seems to excel the centri- 

 fugal in popularity. Sets of four and 

 five wells have been bored, worked by 

 one 50 horse-power engine, and will irri- 

 gate from 500 to 1,000 acres. 



The cost of wells in south-east Texas 

 is about as follows :— 10-inch well com- 

 plete, 200 feet deep, 650 dollars ; Califor- 

 nia propeller pump in place in well, 250 

 dollars ; 20 horse-power engine, 700 

 dollars ; total for plant, 1,600 dollars. 

 This should water 250acies of rice land 

 for sixty days at a total cost for fuel, oil 

 and engines of 400 dollars. 



