IRRIGATION OF FIELD CROPS. 227 



the cocks over one day before drawing them in, as the 

 bottom of the cock will be found to contain enough 

 moisture to make them mold in the stack if not dried 

 before hauling. Peas put up in this way will be as 

 green in January and February as they were in the 

 previous June and July. 



Rice. — In growing this crop by irrigation in the 

 south it is best to selecft a tradl of level land, which 

 should lie so that it may be surrounded by a low levee, 

 for the purpose of retaining the water on the field. It 

 is plowed into beds fifty feet in width, thoroughly pul- 

 verized, and put into condition to receive the seed. 

 Eighty to ninety pounds of rice to the acre is sown 

 with a seeder in the latter part of March, or in April, 

 sometimes as late as June, though the late-sown rice is 

 not so apt to make a good crop as the earlier sown. 

 After seeding, the ground is thoroughly harrowed, 

 that all the seed may be well covered ; then the harrow 

 is followed with a roller, in many instances, to crush 

 down clods and lumps, and make a good, smooth seed- 

 bed. When the young rice has grown to four or five 

 inches in hight irrigating is begun, usually by pumps, 

 putting on an average of two inches of depth of water 

 over the whole field, but not enough to cover the 

 young plants. As the rice grows the water is increased 

 in depth, following the growth of the rice with the 

 water, until there is a depth of six to ten inches over 

 the whole field. This depth is maintained until the 

 rice is headed out, and the grain formed and grown 

 well out of the milk ; in fadf , until the dough stage, as 

 it would be called in wheat. At this time the water is 

 drawn off the land, and by the time it has dried out so 



