74 



of the Gardeners* Chronicle, more especially the volume for 1874 : — 



Zizania aquatica is common to the North American Continent, 

 in the lakes, swamps, ponds, and shallow streams of which all over 

 the country it produces an incredible amount of herbage. 



The pertinacity with which immense flocks of wild fowl haunt the 

 localities where this plant grows naturally, is well known, and 

 whenever the plant gets destroyed from any cause, the game 

 diminishes as a consequence. 



The plant grows in vast beds in still waters, having a depth of 

 from 3 to 8 feet, and a deposit of mud or sand, in which the plant 

 luxuriates. Where there is little current, these beds cover a vast 

 area. When the rice begins to show the tender green - blades 

 above the water, the lakes seem to be studded with low verdant 

 islands. 



The plant usually grows 7 or 8 feet high, but sometimes as much 

 as 10 or 12 feet, the leaves attaining a length of 10 or 12 feet. 

 It has a panicle with female flowers above and male below. 



In the month of September in Canada the grains are fully 

 ripe ; they are so loosely enclosed between the bearded husks that 

 they fall out at the slightest puff" of wind, and the harvest can 

 only be continued for a few days after the maturity of the crop. 



The stalk and the branches or ears that have the seed resemble 

 oats both in appearance and manner ot growth ; the stalk being 

 full of joints and rising from two to four feet above the water, and 

 oftentimes much more. 



The squaws collect the seed by paddling through the rice-beds 

 with a stick in one hand and a covered paddle in the other, 

 striking the heads down into the canoe, into which the ripe grain 

 falls. In this manner an Indian squaw will collect from five to 

 ten bushels per day. After gathering, it is dried in the sun or 

 over slow fires by the Indians, and forms their principal winter 

 support. 



It is considered by many to be superior in taste, being much 

 sweeter and far more nutritious than ordinary rice. When 

 boiled, and left to cool, it forms a consistent mass, like good 

 wheat bread. It is very palatable boiled as ordinary rice, but the 

 outer skin being dark coloured it is not so inviting in appearance 

 as Carolina rice. In addition to the ordinary way of cooking it, it 

 is also parched by being heated in pots over slow fires until it 

 bursts and shows the white flowery part within the dark skin ; 

 thus prepared it is used in soups and is also eaten by the Indians 

 when on long journeys. 



The grain itself is an article of commerce in Canada where it is 

 sold in the stores at about 10s. per bushel. In addition to the 

 value of the plant as a food producer, it has comparatively 

 recently been discovered to be a first rate material for the manu* 

 facture of white paper, especially the kinds for newspapers, books, 



