194 THE ANGLER AND HUNTSMAN 



local and of course is confined to the lowlands, the center of 

 its abundance being in Wisconsin, Iowa, and Minnesota. 



Propagation of Wild Rice: 



Although wild rice does not grow naturally in every 

 suitable place within its range, in most cases it can be made 

 to do so, says the bulletin, by transplanting. Formerly 

 wild rice was often transplanted by various tribes of In- 

 dians, and investigations by the Bureau of Plant Industry 

 have shown that with proper treatment of the seed the plant 

 may be propagated in any favorable waters in this country. 

 It has also been successfully grown in European countries. 

 However, experimenters should be prepared for occasional 

 failure, for the plant sometimes refuses to grow in localities 

 which appear to have every requisite for its successful prop- 

 agation. The usual cause of failure has been improper 

 treatment of the seed between time of harvesting and time 

 of sowing, resulting in loss of vitality. When growing nat- 

 urally, the ripe seeds fall directly into the water, where they 

 sink, and, being equipped with barbed beaks, penetrate 

 deeper into the muck surrounding the roots of the parent 

 plant. There they lie through the winter. They may 

 germinate in spring, or they may lie practically dormant 

 through still another cold season. The seeds therefore re- 

 main wet until ready to sprout ; they are exposed to currents 

 of water ; are not in close contact with each other, and are not 

 subjected to very high temperatures. As in everything else, 

 to succeed, one must imitate nature's methods. To keep 

 large quantities of the seed in close contact often causes fer- 

 mentation, but this may be prevented by cold storage. 



So far as propagation depends on the preservation of 

 the vitality of the seed, the methods so carefully worked out 

 by the Bureau of Plant Industry insure success. Several 

 seed firms handle wild rice properly and will deliver it 

 either in spring or fall as desired. Notable among these is 



