how
we
grew
rice
Т1и>
follow Ini (ext anil Illustrations, from
l.cxlle'» lllustralri) Newspaper of October 20,
I
НПО.
liven a iniphlr contemporary descrip¬
tion of a oner Important North Carolina crop.
Utr rumor*, somewhat affecting the mar¬
ket. that, owing to peculiar condition» of
weather and atmosphere, there may possibly
be a considerable failure of the Carolina rice-
crop. have liven a particular pertinence to
the Illustration which we lhi« week give of
the mode of culture of that valuable cereal
There
■»
reason to believe, now. that these
rumor, were founded upon local exaggera-
tion. but the relieving of that fear, which
made it doubtful whether the pet dishes of
"nce-and-mllk" and -rice-pudding" would
not lie rendered more costly In our homes
and restaurants, doe. not take away from
the interest Inevitably connected with the
culture of a crop Ju.t now In process of mar¬
keting
It In» lieen more than half-believed, by
Ihe way. by many of our Northern people.
Hint, now that slavery was abolished, there
would In- no more rice raised In the United
States, as the negroes were averse to labor¬
ing in the swamps But such is not the fact
All labor performed by «laves was laid out
In tasks, which had to bo done every day.
A task in the rlec-fleld has always been easier
than one In a cotton or corn-field. and the
hands always have Ihe advantage of a breeze
from some river, unobstructed by hills or
tree» The ground Is always damp, also, and
after a negro Is acclimated, he prefer» it to
any other labor, lie commences work at day¬
light. and breakfasts al seven o'clock: at eight
he commences again, and generally finishes
hi. lask by two o’clock, having the balance
of the day for his own pleasure. It was so
under slave rule, and is so now; and at three
o'clock the Northerners are often surprised
to see sixty stout hands hang up their hoes
and all go fishing, "their own men" for the
balance of the day!
The illustrations In this number were taken
by our artist on Ihe plantation leased by
Major J C Mann near Wilmington. North
Carolina, which was owned by General Rob¬
ert Howe, of Revolutionary fame His house
on Ihe plantation was destroyed by the British
forces In Ihe distance Is seen the Cape Fear
River In the foreground I* seen a "bird-
mtnder." whose whole care is to frighten
away the rice-birds, which are the greatest
pests with which the planter has to deal.
These birds congregate tn Immense numbers,
and would ruin n crop In a short time If It
were not for constant vigilance. The ricc-
lU-lds are divided by hanks, ns seen in the
engraving, and then are subdivided by ditches
and small canals aid In "flowing" the field*
as well as to draw1 off the water when re-
luired Rice may lie planted at any lime
torn April 10th to June 10th. but the earlier
the better. In order lo get "ahead of the
lords " Alter Ihe ground has been "trenched'"
the "sowyers" come with their gourds filled
with rice, and drop it Into the trenches cut
by the men This work of sowing Is done by
young women and boys, who work with great
rapidity, going almost on a full run. stooping
watching their gourds As much
?.
depends upon this, great care is taken in the
selection of sowers The fields are then
flooded and kept under water until the rice
I. up. and if a good "stand." is at once
weeded, but If not. It stands in the sun if
the weather is warm, to force more sprouts
from Ihe seed It is then hoed and again
Hooded In about ten days the water U drawn
oft, and Ihe second hoeing and weeding
begin*, which requires great care, as the grass
which springs up among the plants resemble*
20
the rice to nearly that none but the old ex¬
perienced hands arc allowed to weed, an
operation which requires to be done entirely
by hand Alter the field Is carefully weeded,
as clean as they weed onions in Connecticut,
the water is again let on. for the "long flow."
If the rice gets "sick" Ihe water Is drawn
oft. and a new supply let on The crop ma¬
tures in a Utile over four months, and is then
cut by hand, as in the engraving It I* then
thrashed, either by hand, as Is usual, or by
an ordinary thrashing machine — then run
through a fan-mill, and U then ready for
market, but not for consumption, as It has a
tough hull upon It. which requires to be re¬
moved by machinery, and Ihe grains polished
In View No 7 It seen a "trunk" with which
Ihe water 1* held In check: It Is under the
THE STATE. AuOUIT 25. 1956
