Bøker av Henry C. Dethloff

These essays, based on the 1980 Agricultural History Symposium held at Texas A&M University, spotlight the long-neglected area of agricultural development in the Southwest. Focusing on Arizona, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas, the book traces the history of farming from the point of view of novelists, businessmen, archaeologists, cattlemen, scientists, and politicians. The twenty-six contributing authors lucidly discuss issues ranging from the secrets of pre-Columbian agriculture to the dilemmas of the county extension agent; from the thriving rice industry to the versatility of the chili pepper; from the struggles of farmer movements to the mushrooming of agribusiness. The symposium will appeal not only to agricultural historians and scientists but also to government agents working with farmers and to students of southwestern lore. The reader gains a fresh perspective on the crises and complexities of farming, from its earliest days to the present. These thoughtful selections promote a greater understanding of the diversity of southwestern agriculture and a heightened awareness of the rich cultural heritage of southwesterners

Imprint date from Texas A & M University Press website.

Rice is a staple food for a majority of the world's people. Americans, however, traditionally have consumed corn and potatoes rather than rice. It thus may come as a surprise to some Americans that rice has been produced in America for more than three centuries and during that time has accounted for much of the world's trade. Most rice is consumed where it is produced, with little entering foreign markets. American rice has been primarily a product for the international export trade, but changing technology and political environments at home and abroad have made it a volatile commodity. Henry C. Dethloff has researched many original manuscript documents to gather the history of this American agribusiness that got its start when a British sea captain brought seed from Madagascar to the Carolinas in 1685. Plantations developed, and planters with resources for the complicated, labor-intensive production of rice made it the number-two colonial export cash crop. Louisiana, Texas, Arkansas, Tennessee, California, and Mississippi eventually became the primary rice-growing states, and new plant varieties, further mechanization of farming, and improved pumping and irrigation systems reinvigorated the industry at the turn of the century. In the twentieth century, the rice industry is even more tied to the political vagaries of the world and its markets than before. Events in foreign countries, trade policies, and the federal government's foreign policy have more impact on the industry than the weather in the rice fields.