92 VEGETABLE SUBSTANCES. 



M. Duhamel, in his admirable work on Husbandry, 

 has detailed the various processes followed by Chinese 

 cultivators in raising rice. The great and careful 

 labour bestowed upon this object is no doubt called 

 for in that vast empire by the state of its population, 

 which renders it a matter of necessity to draw con- 

 tinually from the soil all the assistance which it can 

 be made to impart. 



' To hasten the germination of the seed-rice it is 

 placed in baskets and immersed during some days in 

 standing water. 



' When the ground is so thoroughly soaked that 

 the surface is like soft mud, it is ploughed with a 

 buffalo, yoked to a very simple plough, without 

 wheels, and having only one handle. The clods are 

 after this broken down by means of a rude kind of 

 hurdle, drawn also by a buffalo, the driver sitting 

 upon the hurdle to increase the weight. The ground 

 is cleared very carefully of all stones, and whatever 

 weeds may be found are diligently removed with their 

 roots. -The land is then partly covered with water, 

 and smoothed by a harrow which has several rows of 

 great iron teeth. 



* The seed-rice, when it has once sprouted, is 

 known to be good ; grains not in this situation are 

 rejected, and the remainder is sown by hand very 

 thickly and as equally as possible upon a part only of 

 the land, which is thus used as a sort of nursery for 

 the remainder. The land having at this time upon 

 it just as much water as will barely cover it, the 

 points of the plants appear above the surface one day 

 after the seed has been sown. 



1 In a short time, when the plants have acquired 

 a little strength, they are sprinkled over with lime- 

 water, the object of this being the destruction of 

 insects. For this purpose a small basket with a long 

 handle is used, and this being filled by immersion 



