FARM CROPS. 125 



harvested. The damage to the crop is not limited to 

 the influence on yields, but decreases the price when 

 seeds are sent to market with the grain. 



Diseases. The only serious disease of the rice is 

 " blast " or " rotten neck." This disease is some- 

 times serious on the Atlantic Coast. The U. S. De- 

 partment of Agriculture has demonstrated that the 

 disease can be almost exterminated by the use of lime 

 on the soil. Two smuts destroy occasional grains on 

 the Gulf Coast, but neither is yet a serious disease. 



Insect Enemies of the rice crop are not abundant. 

 The rice weevil causes some damage to stored grain, 

 but this can be largely prevented by fumigation. The 

 corn-root worm and tide rice maggot cause some de- 

 struction of the young crop in early spring, but by 

 proper manipulation of the water damage from these 

 insects can be greatly minimized. Some damage is 

 occasioned by bugs stinging the grain when it is in the 

 milk or dough stage. No remedy for this trouble has 

 yet been discovered. 



EXERCISE. If rice is grown in your locality, name the popular type. 

 Why is this type given preference? Do any of the planters import 

 seed from foreign countries? Why? Are weeds ever introduced in 

 this way? What effect has the rice crop on the fertility of the 

 land? If fertilizers are used find out the percentages of available 

 phosphoric acid, nitrogen and potash contained in the most popular 

 brands. How much fertilizer is used per acre and when is it ap- 

 plied? 



The threshing of rice should be explained to the class by a visit 

 to a rice plantation during the harvest season. 



SECTION XXII. OATS, WHEAT, RYE, BARLEY. 



By PROF. O. D. CENTER, 

 Department of Crop Production, University of Illinois. 



General Description. The great family of true 

 grasses (Gramineae) has four very important mem- 

 bers represented by the cereals oats, wheat, rye and 

 barley. These grasses are all characterized by their 

 hollow stems, closed joints, leaves on alternate sides of 

 the stem, and with the leaf sheath which envelops the 



