56 
SOUTHERN CULTIVATOR. 
RICE, MACHINERY, &c. 
Among the curiosities of the North End known to but 
few of our citizens, is a mammoth “rice-hulling” establish 
ment lately owned by Mr Parsons, The expensive ma- 
chinery and the great number of experiments to be tried 
to make it a first c lass establishment, and the incidentals 
required in getting up a new establishment consumed a 
great amount of capital We understand it is in good 
hands and doing a profitable business, rendering it one of 
the most valuable establishments. 
We, New England people, outside of commerce know 
but little of the preparation rice must undergo to make it 
an article of food and commerce. First, then, the rice is 
enclosed in a thick s'nell-like substance composed of silica, 
which will wear out almost anything to grind it In its 
natural state it becomes an article of commerce for trans- 
porting throughout the world. The shell in which it is 
encased is impervious to water; any amount of wetting 
will not prevent its keeping under water and mud, or en 
closed in the Egyptian mummies it has still come out 
bright. 
There have yet been no machines introduced except 
the old way which has been practiced for four hundred 
years, viz : the mill stone and the pestle and mortar We 
have engravings of the Chinese as far back as that time, 
the same as used at the present day. 
Through the genius aud persevering industry of Mr. 
Williams, the overseer, and Mr. Dyer Green, the foreman 
of this establishment, this system has been brought to as 
great perfection as possible; and we have been compelled 
to admire — amid the apparent complicated mass — the 
beautiiul simplicity with which everything works at this 
establishment, turning out daily six hundred bushels of 
clean- polished rice We have our object ons to this sys- 
tem. First, that a great amount of broken rice is pro- 
duced, and, second, a great amount is polished ofif fur 
more than is necessary. The flour and broken rice is 
sold at a low rate from to $30 a ton ; while the whole 
rice is sold at $80 per ton, thus losing a large amount in 
value. 
We commenced to give a history of its operations, and 
not our own opinion and speculations. 
First, the rice that comes to this port from Charleston 
in the hull, is called “paddy,” known throughout India, 
China and the East, and transported throughout the 
world in that state and under that name. In India, at 
the present day, it is hulled by rubbing between stones 
and balancing a pole across a fence with a stone tied to 
one end anb jumping off and on to lift it up and down. 
In our country, the all powerful mill stone and steam 
are bi ought to bear by a rapid motion ; a centrifugal force 
is brought to bear which tips the rice on its ends. But 
previous to this it is screened to sort the small from the 
large, so as to adapt the stones to the size, I should have 
mentioned that when the rice is brought to the wharves 
in ships and discharged into the ware rooms where it is 
Weighed and elevators pass it to the upper lofts of three 
large granite stores, so they are able to discharge about 
three thousand bushels per day into these upper lofts. It 
is cirried into screens as mentioned above, and from that 
conveyed to the millstones, and from there it is conveyed 
to the upper loft to a fantiing mill to separate the hulls. 
Another screening process takes placf;, and all that is 
nol b-ullcd i-i ssu'. bact to the siqnee whole. The other 
pa.sses to the mortars on the lower floor Here are 12 
great mortars, holding 08 bushels, Now commences the 
beating with the pestles, great iron and wood beams 
jumping up and down. This is called the beating pro 
cess in Older to get off u yellow coating Stained by the 
hull all the ri< e would bejustasgood ii this was notiaken 
off, but who would buy or eat yellow rice 7 not I exclaims 
every on,' at the table; but I want white rice and clean. 
Be it so then, but at a greater cost, After being beat for 
three hours, it is then passed up into the upper story, 
where another screenini takes place to separate the flour. 
It passes to an upright cylinder covered with sheepskim 
with the wool on, surrounded .by a wire seive. 
This is called the polishing process, or in other word* 
“pearling” rice. It then passes to a cylinder with three 
apartments; the first lets the dirt through, the next lets 
the fine broken rice, and last the finished rice. From 
these it descends to barrels and casks to be packed. Here 
then is a beautiful system, where manual labor is not 
wanted from the lime the rice leaves the loft till it is finish^ 
ed and put up, with only one exception, and that is the 
putting in the mortar and taking out ; this is the only 
break in it. 
Here, then, are eleven operations the rice undergoes be- 
fore it is finished. It is carried up to the ton of the build- 
ing four times, screened six times The hulls are used for 
scouring woolen cloth ; the flour is used for fattening hogs 
and horses, and they have what is called screenings for 
poultry. Farmers coming to Boston should not go empty 
handed when this stuff is almost as cheap as corn, and 
50 per cent, more nutriment in it. The broken rice is 
sold to factories for 22 cents per pound for sizing. 
We consider this one of the grandest and most perfect 
institutions the world can show. They have nothing 
equal to it in the great rice marts of Savannah and 
Charleston, and we wish nil prosperity toil. As it be- 
comes more known it will become more profitable, as they 
are unable to supply the market after running fifteen 
hours per day, and they have commenced running day 
and night. 
In connection with this subject, we should mention the 
great want the planters of the South and of other parts of 
the world feel, for some machine by which each planter 
can hull his own rice. As it is now, they are obliged to 
submit to the great mills of Charleston and Savannah, 
and send their crops hundreds of mills to be fitted for 
market. A machine that would give this power to the 
planter would be valuable. Many machines have been 
invented, but nearly all have been too expensive, and erf 
no durability, and altogether too bulky. 
We have within a few weeks seen a machine, invented 
by one of our most ingenious machinists, Mr. Danid 
Lombard, of this city [Boston], which, for simplicity, 
cheapness, and durability excels all others. And we 
have every reason to believe Mr Lombard has accomp- 
lished the long sought for machine, and that the planter* 
will render to him thousands of thanks, as well as line 
his pockets. 
If this machine, at a cost of a few hundred dollars, with 
one man to turn it, will turn out from 75 to 100 bushek 
per day, he is sure of a fortune. We have often fell dis- 
pleased to tee what leluctance our rich men feel in en- 
couraging or aiding inventors, and to see some of the 
most valuable inventions of the age lie untouched. 
1. W., 
[in Max<iaxhusetts Plowman, 
GoANO.-^We saw, ye'sterday, says the Savannah Re- 
puhlican of Wednesday, a large lot of this artiele landing 
from the schr. Virginia, and we understand that there are 
172,000 lbs , now in port destined for the interior, nearly 
half nf which is for Warren county. We are pleased ta 
see this active movement, as it presages a resuscitation «f 
the soil of our beloved old State. It has doubtless been 
prompted by the liberal policy of the Central Railroarf 
Company in carrying fertilisers at a price just sufficient 
to defray expenses We trust the bread thus cast upon 
the waters may have a speedy return in the increased 
production of cotton and other products which pay freiglrt 
to the road. 
