September i, 1891.] THE TROPICAL AQRICULTURI8T.’ 
>65 
and also of the attendant “ servitudes,” as Colonel 
Screven aptly styles them, co istantly menacing 
the planter. Nor is it surprising that in 18C0 some 
rice lands were held as high as two hundred 
dollars au acre, and paid an excellent par cent, 
on that figure. Today, owing to the differenoe 
in the price of labor and the corresponding profits, 
these lands oould be purchased for much less, 
and in every instance at a figure greatly below 
the original cost of construction. 
The eguipmenb of a rice plantation varies with 
its size and location. From three hundred to 
five hundred acres is about the average size. It 
searcely pays to cultivate less than one hundred 
acres. On a place of average size, sufficiently 
near a city or town, a rice mill is now a rare 
adjunct. Previous to the war nearly every large 
planter milled his own rice, doing toll work as 
well for his neighbors. Now it is found more 
convenient to carry the rough rice or paddy by 
boat to the big steam mills in the nearest city. 
A thresher, however, is necessary on every plantation 
of any size. In addition to the common laborers 
who are employed by the day, and engaged and 
discharged as convenience requires, a well-appointed 
plantation generally has an overseer, a trunk minder, 
who is always a carpenter, and a foreman or 
“ leader” for the negroes, besides a few regular 
hands to care for the stock, all of whom are en- 
gaged by the month or year, 
As many moles are iiiceseary as on a cotton 
plantation of the same size ; for although at 
times they have nothing to do and enjoy altogether 
®CBy life, nevertheless, when they are wanted 
badly and in considerable numbers, as is the 
case Quring rolling lime” in sugar planting, in 
order to hurry through a certain process by a given 
time. 
, ^* 1 ® planter's busy season commences with 
the new year. The squares are cleared of stubble, 
ploughed, and harrowed. The stubble is in some 
cases piOugbod in but is oommonly burned on 
tho laud. The ditches are cleaned uui annaally, 
as they foul quite rapidly from abrasion, siit| 
and water vegetation; and the stuff so thrown 
out of tho main ditches is laid on the banks. One 
would think that in course of time the latter would 
become considerably enlarged by the accumulation of 
vegetable matter and ditob mud thus piled on them 
year after year ; but in nany instances, so light and 
porous is the original soil of which they are com- 
posed, and so spongy and liable to rapid decay is 
the added trash, that the banks are annually shrink- 
ing and growing smaller under the process of gradual 
consolidation, so much so, indeed, that in even on a 
well-kept plantation it is frequently the case that 
two or more squares temporarily join their waters by 
portions of the bank giving way. 
Single-horse plows are generally used in breaking 
up, but euooessful attempts have been made to 
introduoo sulky and gang plows and screw pulverizers. 
The fields, however, are to out up by the quarter 
drains that commonly light, portable bridges have 
to be employed in orossing the ditches, and heavy 
machinery, in consequence, is not always oouvenient, 
esides, the soil, contrary to the necessity in 
sugar planting does not require deep breaking. 
As a rule the laud is not fertilized, although 
It will not be long before the contrary will become 
the common practice. Many plantations that 
have been under oonala.U culture sinee oolonial 
times still yield good hai vests; but the land is 
gradual, y, though fortunately very slowly, losing 
I S native power. Usually the older fields produce 
Jhan°the7rrsh:;Zd^ 
ftWhete a fieldi has reoenfly been " taken in," 
and is consequently composed of light, porous 
soil, it is not productive on account of tho absence 
of mineral matter. On suoh a field phosphate and 
potash salts are iivd to advantage ; on some of 
the older fields ..uroganous fertilizers ate oo- 
casionally applied, but not with as satisiaciory 
results as in other crops. 
The paddy is sown from the second week in 
March to the middle or end of May. Maroh sown 
rice will mature in about five months and fifteen 
days. Later plantings sometimes mature in ad- 
vance of the earlier. 
The principal motive of the planter, aside from 
important oultural objeots in selecting the period 
of sowing, is to avoid harm upon the vieuation 
of that vioious pest yet sueoulent daimy, ifie 
rice-bird. He oomps in swartoa twice a year — in 
the late spring and early fall — and the rice must 
be planted at suoh intervals as to bo protected 
from his ravages. And here another factor comes 
in, available spring tides. 
Both the early sowed rice and that planted 
later are protected by tho “ sproul" and " stretoh'’ 
waters when the birds come in the spring. The 
former is harvested and safe from their visitation 
in September, and the latter is not fully ripened 
until after they have taken their flight further 
southward. 
Should a mistake be made in regard to cither 
of these conditions, the rioe-bird to the unpro- 
tected crop is BS disastrous and annihilating a 
the torch or a tornado. Therefore, if the piante'^ 
misses one spring tide, he must wait an 1 cute' 
fully make his oaloulations so as to he able to 
utilize another lor flowing. 
Before the war the variety oommonly uced on 
the coast for seed was known as '• gold-seed.” 
At that time white riee was planted almost ex- 
olusively in the interior. This has now generally 
superseded gold-seed, on account of its more 
certainly yielding a superior pearly luster, oeoause 
it is more readily cleaned, and because of its 
earlier maturity. Bearded rice is somatimes used, 
but never on the tidal lands. 
The process of seeding is very simple ; grain 
drills, similar to those in use for wheat the 
country over, with a slight adaptatioo su.tmg 
them for rice, are employed. The dribs are set 
fifteen inches apart, and the land is sowed a 
little more heavily than for wheat. It is a noted 
fact that the white riee of the nplands affords 
better seed for wet culture than tidal-raised seed 
and is preferred by planters. ’ 
As soon as the rice is plantml the “sprout water" 
is turned on to swell tfie grain and force ger- 
mination. It is allowed to remain, according to 
temperature, from forty-eigbt hours to fifteen lays 
and then drawn off. 
Now comes a pionio for the birds. The grain 
is only slightly below tho surface, soft aud suc- 
culent ; and crows, jackdaws, blaokbirus, and 
sparrows know when the sprout water is off as 
well as does the overseer, and they flock to the 
fields like aohool-boys on a holiday. 
Baoh square, according to size, is guarded by 
one or more dusky Nimruda, and from dawn to 
dark the constant popping of the old army musket 
sounds like a regular skirmish. It is nothing unusual 
for one planter to use eight or ten kegs of powder 
a year. Strange to say tfie negroes do not relish 
this employment. It keeps their attentive luouiities 
on the alert all the time. Not for a nimumt oao 
they relax their vigilance, for the birds will bo 
down on the fields, and yonder is the overseer's 
horse on the canal bank outlined against tfie 
eky, and detootion will follow instantly. Tour 
genuine darkey loves tg plgugb; the oeoupatipn 
