RICE 637 



through which it has passed. After 8 or 9 hours it passes to the 

 brush screens, from whence the smallest rice and the little flour 

 that is left passes down one side and the larger head rice down the 

 other. 



The clean rice is subjected to one more process, that of polish- 

 ing, which gives it the pearly luster. This process is effected by 

 friction of the rice against pieces of sheepskin or moose hide tanned 

 and worked to a great degree of softness, loosely tacked around a 

 double cylinder of wood and wire gauze. The rice then goes to 

 the separating screens, composed of different sizes of gauze, and is 

 divided into its grades, and then barreled for market (Knapp, 

 1899, p. 34). 



Portable rice mills, for plantation use, have been devised, which 

 clean 8100 pounds of paddy rice a day. These small mills do 

 not give the finish required by the general market. 



720. Grades of milled rice. At the New Orleans 

 Board-of-Trade, milled rice is handled under the following 

 grades : (1) Screenings, the smallest product generally 

 used for human food ; (2) head rice, a collection of broken 

 kernels of larger size, which may not contain any whole 

 kernels; (3) fancy head, composed of whole and broken 

 kernels; (4) extra fancy head, containing 75 per cent or 

 more of whole kernels. These grades vary more or less 

 according to the hardness of the rice. The lowest grade 

 of rice sold is called brewers' rice, and is used chiefly in 

 brewing. Milled rice is sold in the primary market on 

 sample, and not on grades (634). 



721. Rice as a food sustains more people than does 

 any other one crop. In comparison with other cereals, 

 it is poor in protein and fat, but rich in carbohydrates. 

 In Japan and China, the lack of protein is offset by a 

 very large use of beans and other legumes. In oriental 

 countries, rice takes the place of potatoes, and is the 

 principal food often at every meal. Even in this country, 

 in the southern states, rice is often a dish in the heavy 



