132 THE MONTHLY BULLETIN. 



For the larger ditches and the drains an elevating grader has proved 

 very satisfactory and is usually more economical than the Fresno. 



The banks of the laterals and drains should be of hea\y and perma- 

 nent construction in a rice field. Light banks cause a great deal of 

 loss of time and are a constant source of worry and labor to the irri- 

 gator. 



For the construction of the check levees the road grader, "V" 

 Crowder, and the Fresno scraper are all used. On the lighter slopes 

 the first two are the most economical and are entirely satisfactory, but 

 where the land is rougher and steeper better checks are made with the 

 Fresno. Recently a levee builder constructed on the principle of a * ' V " 

 has been built. The large end of the "V" with a width of 15 to 18 

 feet is dragged ahead and the dirt is discharged from the small end. A 

 large engine is required to pull it, but it has the advantage that the 

 check levee is constructed in one trip of the machine. On the lighter 

 slopes and on ground which has been well worked up this checker is by 

 far the most satisfactory on the market. 



Whenever possible, land which is to be put into rice should be pre- 

 pared the previous summer and fall. The work can usually be done 

 more cheaply at this time than in the spring, when the late rains inter- 

 fere with the progress and materially increase the cost, when the idle 

 time of men and machines is considered. On larger tracts an engine 

 should be used for the plowing and check building, while horses or 

 mules may be used on the construction of the laterals, drains and any 

 necessary leveling. 



The preparation of land for rice irrigation does not require the same 

 degree of finish as is used in the preparation of land for alfalfa. It was 

 at first considered good practice to level off the knolls and fill the low 

 places, but experience ,has shown this to be a waste of labor. The loss 

 of yield consequent upon the removal of earth from the high points, or 

 its deposition in the low places, becomes a serious matter on some of the 

 rougher lands and should be avoided when possible. Contour checks, 

 when carefully located, do away with the necessity of a great part of 

 this leveling, and for this reason are used almost exclusively. 



Japanese rice of the Wataribune variety has been found to give the 

 best results in this section and is planted almost exclusively. It is a 

 short grain rice and is less subject to sun-cracking or shattering than the 

 long grain rices. It is a slow maturing but heavy bearing rice and for 

 this latter reason is the most popular. 



When it is remembered that the growing season covers from 150 to 

 190 days it is easily understood that there is some risk of the harvest 

 being interrupted by the early fall rains. In the past considerable 

 acreages have been damaged or destroyed in this manner, and the planter 

 should use every effort to get his crop in early in the spring and force 

 its early maturing as much as possible. When set out in the latter part 

 of March or early in April there is little danger from late frosts and the 

 chances are decidedly in favor of the harvest being entirely over before 

 the fall rains. From observations of results during the past few years 

 it does not seem unreasonable to advise the prospective planter, if con- 

 ditions are such that it is impossible to get the seed in the ground before 

 the last of April, to postpone the planting until the following year. 

 There are always some who are late getting started in the spring, and 



