Rice gold

the long version

"The son of an indentured servant, James Hamilton Couper became one of the most extraordinary of the South's antebellum planters. The owner of hundreds of slaves and numerous plantations along the Georgia coast, he was famed for his wealth, education, and personal heroism. A scientific agriculturist, he pioneered methods of crop rotation designed to suit the unique climate of the coastal region. His crops of Sea Island cotton, rice, and sugar were constant laboratories for capitalist adaptation of science and technology to ever-increasing yields and profits. He was also famed for his paternalistic plantation management, contributions to Georgia's political life, archaeology, and architectural design. When the Pulaski sank, he added heroism and life-saving to his reputation."--BOOK JACKET.