12 



carried on. The rice lands are for the most part divided 

 into small areas, separated by dikes for irrigation pur- 

 poses, and this method of culture renders impracticable 

 the use of machinery such as is employed in the Southern 

 States. The power for the cultivation of the soil is fur- 

 nished by water buffalo and horses. The rice is sown in 

 nursery beds and then transplanted. From three to seven 

 seedlings are placed in clumps about one foot apart each 

 way. The fields are submerged during about four-fifths 

 of the growing season. While this method of cultivation 

 seems tedious and wasteful of labor, it has been found 

 that the yields are almost double those from direct sow- 

 ing. The Chinese are so expert at transplanting that the 

 method is unquestionably profitable. 



There are about 16 important rice mills in the Islands, 

 many of them being of quite antiquated pattern, but the 

 work accomplished by them is satisfactory. The annual 

 crop of rice in Hawaii is about 50,000,000 pounds, and 

 in addition to this amount, 21,000,000 pounds are im- 

 ported from Japan and China. The exportation of rice 

 from Hawaii amounts to about 3,500,000 pounds per 

 year. 



The Hawaii Experiment Station has given considerable 

 attention to the study of rice. Comparative tests have 

 been made with more than 100 varieties, and a few of 

 these have proved so superior in yield and quality that 

 they are being generally adopted by the rice growers. 

 An efficient program of fertilization has been worked out 

 and is being fallowed by the rice producers. In addition 

 to work with varieties of rice and fertilizers, the Hawaii 

 Experiment Station has demonstrated that Upland rice 

 and salt marsh rice may be cut for hay and furnish an 

 excellent quality of forage, which compares favorably 

 with imported cereaj^ hays. The production of rice hay 

 is now being tested^ in a number of widely separated 

 localities and at different altitudes on the various islands. 



When it is remembered than 21,000,000 pounds of rice 

 are annually imported from Japan and China, it is ap- 

 parent that there is room for the extension of the rice in- 

 dustry. There are a few locations where rice could be 

 cultivated with profit, according to the methods adopted 

 in the Southern States. There Is a conspicuous lack of 

 threshing machines, and these could most assuredly be 

 used to advantage. At present most of the rice Is tramped 

 out by water buffalo on cement floors. The present 

 preference shown for the imported Japanese rice could 



