Edible Products. 



216 



[March 1908. 



Elevating water to the upland prairies 

 will always be an expensive undertak- 

 ing, but the farmer who has successfully 

 grown wheat or oats has no difficulty in 

 undertaking the farming of rice. The 

 process, except for the irrigation, is 

 practically the same. 



Cultivation in Texas.— The land is 

 ploughed with gang ploughs in the 

 autumn or spring, sometimes both, then 

 disced and harrowed thoroughly. Plant- 

 in? is done with the broadcast machine 

 attached to an ordinary farm wagon, or 

 the seed is drilled in rows from 7 to 8 

 inches apart, the latter method insuring 

 a better crop. During the planting 

 season, which extends from April 1 to 

 June 15, or later, no water is put upon 

 the land, dependence being placed upon 

 rainfall to sprout the seed and promote 

 the growth of the plant for a period 

 varying between one and two months, 

 depending upon the season and water 

 supply. Flooding usually begins when 

 the rice reaches a height varying be- 

 tween 6 and 10 inches, and from this time 

 on until the grain is in the milk and well 

 formed, a period of about 70 days, the 

 fields are kept flooded. 



About ten days before harvest the fields 

 are drained. The grain rapidly hardens 

 and matures, and by the time it is ready 

 to cut, the field is sufficiently dry to 

 permit the use of the reaper and binder. 

 This machine is identical with that used 

 in the grain fields elsewhere in the 

 United States. The sheaves of rice are 

 shocked in the field immediately after 

 the binder, ten sheaves to the shock being 

 the rule, in order that there may be a 

 free circulation of air to dry the straw. 

 When harvesting begins the stalks and 

 leaves of the rice are still green, in the 

 main, but the head is golden yellow on 

 the terminal two-thirds. The green 

 straw, properly cured, is a valuable sub- 

 stitute for hay, and is baled and fed to 

 live-stock, including the work horses and 

 mules, which become accustomed to it, 

 often preferring it to prairie hay. Har- 

 vesting begins in September, and con- 

 tinues through October and part of 

 November, often until December 1, and 

 threshing the rice from the shock begins 

 after it has been allowed to cure and 

 dry for a period of two weeks at least. 

 The machines used are the modern styles 

 of wheat threshers using steam power, 

 revolving knives for cutting the binding 

 twine, and a blower to remove and 

 stack the straw. The rough rice, as it 

 comes from the thresher, is put in large 

 gunny sacks weighing, when filled, an 

 average of 185 lbs. each. The sacked rice 

 is either hauled to the warehouse or 

 direct to the mills 



The cost of raising a crop of rice in 

 Texas on 100 acres of land is estimated 

 as follows :— 



Cost. 

 Dollars. 



Ploughing at 1 dollar per acre ... 100 

 Seed for same, one sack (or about 



3£ bushels) for 3 acres ... 100 



Seeding with drill ... ... 50 



Watching levees (one big boy 



for three months) ... ... 30 



Cost of water (this refers to 



canals) ... ... ... 300 



Cost of harvesting 100 acres at 



2 dollars per acre ... ... 200 



Cost of 1,000 sacks ... ... 75 



Cost of threshing 1,000 sacks at 



10 cents per sack ... ... 100 



Interest upon the value of land 



improvements valued at 4,000 



dollars, at 6 per cent ... 240 



Total... 1,195 



Estimating the yield at 10 sacks 

 per acre and sold for 3 dollars 

 per sack would give ... 3,000 



Leaves a net profit of ... 1,805 



Rice Production.— The evolution of 

 rice milling has been as great as the pro- 

 duction. 



Many things are yet to be learned, 

 about rice in connection with machine 

 production. As yet it does not take as 

 high a polish as hand produced rice. It 

 has what is known as a chalky edge, 

 which reduces the price of the finished 

 product 50 cents per 100 lbs. The price 

 of rice at present is based on the amount 

 of shine it takes, and not what it is, The 

 chalky edge is due to careless manage- 

 ment in producing large crops, and will 

 soon be remedied. Another thing to be 

 learned is better cultivation, as neces- 

 sary to quantity and quality of the 

 product. 



Properly harvested and marketed, 

 rough rice brings from 2 to 5 dollars per 

 barrel, depending upon general prices, 

 grade, &c. 



Rice is considered one of the surest 

 crops raised, there is no probability of 

 drought when the water supply is 

 attended to, and it is little injured 

 by excess of rain. With good cultiva- 

 tion and care rice yields 15 barrels 

 (60 bushels) per acre. It has been known 

 to yield as much as 30 barrels to the acre. 



100 acres of rice furnish at least 100 

 tons of straw superior to native prairie 

 hay, and 25 tons of bran and polish. 

 This provides for the wintering of 100 

 head of stock. 



Rice stubble is used for fattening 

 swine, cattle and horses. 



