SO FOR BETTER CROPS IN THE SOUTH 



The fields of this section range in size from three to twenty 

 acres; the average size is about ten acres. An embankment or 

 levee is made around the field. The size of the area within the 

 levee depends upon the contour of the land. The levees are so 

 constructed that when the field is irrigated, the lowest part will 

 have not more than eight inches and the highest part of the field 

 less than two inches of water. The lateral from the main canal 

 is run on the highest part of the farm, following a ridge if there 

 be one. The fields or cuts are laid out adjacent to the lateral. 



If the weather is very dry it is good practice to flood the fields 

 along the lateral all the levees will hold. Do this rapidly — 

 twelve hours' pumping is usually sufficient — then turn the water 

 out of the flooded fields down onto the fields below and so into 

 the next until all are wet. The remaining water is turned into 

 the drains. In this way the full value of the water is obtained 

 with as little waste as possible. The rice will grow rapidly and 

 commence to stool or sucker. When it becomes dry again, 

 irrigate as before. Rice fields having once been flooded should 

 not be allowed to become dry enough for the ground to crack or 

 injury will result. When the plants have stooled enough to 

 shade the ground the harvest flow should be put on, or the crop 

 should be flooded and the water maintained until the rice is 

 headed in the fall. The water should be drained off when the 

 rice heads commence to turn down. This, however, depends 

 upon the season. The water is usually turned off from two to 

 three weeks before the crop is ripe, in order to allow the land to 

 become dry before harvest. The harvest in the rice belt com- 

 mences late in August for the Honduras; the Japan is seldom all 

 cut before the middle of November. 



The levees are built with the plow, the grading machine or a 

 T-shaped implement called a " pusher" which is constructed on 

 the farm. The work on the rice farm during the summer 

 months consists in distributing water and watching the levees 

 for leaks. 



Harvesting the Crop — The rice crop is harvested with the 

 self-binder. This is similar to the wheat machine, but is very 

 much heavier in construction. The wheels are boxed in with 

 galvanized iron to keep out the mud. The bullwheel is fitted 

 with pointed lugs so that the machine will operate in mud and 

 water should the season be wet, or the drainage bad. The 

 Champion, Deering, McCormick, Osborne, and Piano binders 

 have been used for rice harvesting, but at the present time the 

 Deering and McCormick are used almost exclusively. ' The writer 

 has used a Deering binder in the early days of rice culture, 

 when six yoke of oxen were required to pull it, and many times 

 the water was over the platform canvas. At the present time 

 six horses are required on a six-foot binder. The gasoline 



