606 FIELD AND GARDEN PRODUCTS 



be deeper. A flow of water through the field aids in keeping the 

 body of the water cool and in preventing the growth of injurious 

 plants that thrive in the stagnant water. The water should stand at 

 uniform depth all over the field. Unequal depths of water will 

 cause the crop to ripen at different times. 



Where the lands are sufficiently level and have excellent drain- 

 age the tillering of the rice can be greatly facilitated by keeping the 

 soil saturated with water but not allowing enough to cover the sur- 

 face. In this way the crop is frequently nearly double what it would 

 be if allowed to grow dry until tall enough to flood or if flooded be- 

 fore fully tillered. 



The Practice in South Carolina. Under the usual method the 

 water is let on as soon as the seed is covered, and remains on four to 

 six days, till the grain is well sprouted. It is then withdrawn. As 

 soon as the blade is up a few inches the water is sometimes put on for 

 a few days and again withdrawn. The first water is locally called 

 the sprout water. After the rice has two leaves the so-called stretch 

 water, or long-point flow, is put on. At first it is allowed to be deep 

 enough to cover the rice completely generally from 10 to 12 inches 

 then it is gradually drawn down to about 6 inches, where it is held 

 twenty to thirty days. It is then withdrawn and the field allowed to 

 dry. When the field is sufficiently dry the rice is hoed thoroughly, 

 all grass and volunteer rice being carefully removed. After hoeing, 

 it remains without irrigation until jointing commences, when it is 

 slightly hoed, care being used to prevent injury to the plants, and 

 the water is then turned on again. During the time water is held on 

 the rice it is changed at least every week to avoid its becoming stag- 

 nant. When this occurs rice is liable to be troubled with the water 

 weevil. This lay-by flow, or final irrigation, continues until about 

 eight days before the harvest, when the water is drawn off for the 

 field to dry. 



Uniform Ripening. The planter should particularly note the 

 importance of not making the fields too large. It impedes complete 

 drainage. It is inconvenient to have large ditches intersecting the 

 fields. The simultaneous maturity of all portions of the field is desir- 

 able if it is to be cut with a twine binder. This can be secured by 

 uniform and good drainage, by plowing, harrowing, planting, and 

 rolling the same day, and by planting the seed equally deep and dis- 

 tributing it evenly. No field should be so large that the work of 

 planting can not be completed within three or four days. The flood- 

 ing water must stand in all portions of the field at equal depth and 

 temperature. Rice should be cut when the straw has barely com- 

 menced to yellow. If cutting is delayed till the straw shows yellow 

 to the top the grain is reduced in quality and quantity and the straw 

 is less valuable. There is also a considerable increase in the loss by 

 shelling in handling in the field. 



Fertilizing. Rice is not a great impoverisher of the soil, espe- 

 cially if the straw and chaff are regularly returned to it. It has been 

 claimed that the flooding of the rice fields restores to the soil as much 

 nutritive material as the rice crop removes. Where lands are flooded 



