610 



FIELD AND GARDEN PRODUCTS 



against each other, so as to resist wind or storm ; third, let the shock 

 be longest east and west and cap carefully with bundles, allowing 

 the heads of the capping bundles to fall on the north side of the 

 shock to avoid the sun. Exposure of the heads to sun and storm is a 

 large factor in producing sun-cracked and chalky kernels, which re- 

 duce the milling value. Slow curing in the shade produces the tough- 

 ness of kernel necessary to withstand the milling processes. In the 

 shock every head should be shaded and sheltered from storm as much 

 as possible. The rice should be left in the shock till the straw is cured 

 and the kernel hard. 



When the weather is dry, ten or twelve days after cutting is suf- 

 ficient for completely curing the grain. If the weather is damp or 

 rainy, the farmer must use his best judgment in determining the 

 number of days necessary for the curing. Whether stacking rice 

 from the shock is a benefit depends upon the condition of the grain 

 and straw at the time of stacking and how the stacking is done. If 

 too much heat is generated, stacking is an injury. It is, moreover, 

 of less importance with rice than with wheat. Judging from the 

 practice in other countries, rice well cured in the shock and aired after 

 thrashing ought to keep in the bin without heating. 



Thrashing. The primitive methods of flailing, treading out, 

 etc., have largely given place to the use of the steam thrasher, though 

 its use frequently involves considerable loss through breakage and 

 waste of grain. Great care should be exercised to avoid this and pre- 

 serve every part which has been won from the soil with such lauor. 

 At the commencement of thrashing an examination should be made 

 to see that there is no avoidable breakage of the grain. If the rice 

 is damp when delivered from the machine, it should be spread upon a 

 floor and dried before sacking, so as to be in the best condition for the 

 market, for color of grain affects the value. One great mistake made 

 by many farmers is to sack the rice when it is really wet, without 

 airing and drying. They claim that it will dry out in the sack. It 

 will, but drying under such conditions promotes chalkiness and in 

 extreme cases makes the rice almost worthless. 



The Question of Labor. The expense of labor in the rice fields 

 is one of importance to the planter. While American labor is the 

 highest paid in the world, it is also the most effective. The great 

 variations in wages and in the area which can be cultivated by the 

 laborer in different countries are shown in the following table : 



Number of Acres One Man Can Farm in Rice, with Wages, 

 in Different Countries. 



