RICE GROWING IN THE SACRAMENTO VALLEY. 7 



Foil and making possible a good seed bed at a mininniin cost. If 

 plowingis postponed until spring, the land should not be left in furrow, 

 but should be harrowed at once and not allowed to dry out before 

 planting. High germination and vigorous growth of the young plants 

 are dependent upon a good seed bed. The importance of its prepara- 

 tion can not be emphasized too strongly. 



The seed may be drilled or broadcasted. Large, heavy, flinty seed, 

 uniform in size and free from sun cracks, should be used. The crack- 

 ing of the grain by the sun occurs when the plants are alloAvod to 

 stand too long after ripening or when the heads of rice are exposed 

 in the shock. In thrashing and in cleaning by a fanning mill, grains 

 are often cracked, but this may be easily prevented by the proper 

 adjustment of the machinery. This imperfection in the seed is not 

 easily detected, because the husk which envelops the kernel remains 

 attached when the grain is thrashed. Sun-cracked and machine- 

 cracked seed will not produce vigorous plants. 



The seed should not be sown deeper than IJ inches. In a well- 

 prepared seed bed a less depth is desirable if the proper conditions 

 of moisture exist. On a cloddy seed bed greater depth is required 

 in order that all seed may be covered. A drill should be used to get 

 a uniform depth and distribution of seed, for these conditions insure 

 an even stand, which is an advantage in controlling weeds. In broad- 

 casting seed there is always danger of getting a very uneven stand, 

 due to difficulties in covering. Poor seeding reveals itself again at 

 harvest when the rice does not ripen uniformly, which always means 

 a loss, whether the field is cut when ripe or when portions of it are 

 immature. This loss may come from the shattering of grain from 

 the mature plants or from the low marketable product caused by 

 small and poorly formed kernels. 



The rate of seeding will vary according to the variety of rice, the 

 vitality of the seed, the character of the seed bed, and the method of 

 seeding. With the small-grain rices, wdiich, as a rule, tiller heavily, 

 the quantity of seed that should be sown per acre should be less than 

 with the large-grain rices that do not tiller so strongly. Too thin 

 seeding, however, induces excessive tillering, which invariably re- 

 sults in irregular ripening and low-grade rice. The sowing of seed 

 of good vitality in a well-prepared seed bed will alwa3"s give better 

 results than the sowing of seed of low natality in a poorly prepared 

 seed bed, A smaller quantity of seed is used when drilled than when 

 broadcasted. 



Rice should be sown late enough to escape the extreme cold weather 

 of spring, but early enough to nuiturc before the autumnal rains. 

 Sowing in April usually will be safe, as the crop will seldom be 

 expo.sed to low temperatures. 



[Clr. 97] 



