1903 



FORESTRY AND IRRIGATION 



337 



in the growing of upland rice, fertilizer 

 is needed, and this should be of a high 

 grade to give best results, as cheap fer- 

 tilizer is a false economy. Naturally 

 the fertilizer varies in different localities; 

 but cotton-seed meal, blood and bone, 

 and other well-known mixtures are used, 

 most of them containing a good percent- 

 age of potash. 



In planting great care must be exer- 

 cised in the selection of the seed rice, in 

 order that it may be free from the vol- 

 unteer ' ' red ' ' rice and from weed seeds. 

 Uniform kernels are also desirable, as a 

 uniform crop will permit of a higher 

 polish than kernels that vary. The seed 

 is sown in March and April, and early 

 sowing has many advantages, though 

 some crops are put in as late as June, 

 with varieties which mature quickly. 

 The time of sowing also differs in dif- 

 ferent sections, and is affected by the 

 weather and to some degree by the mi- 

 grations of birds, which work havoc on 

 the crop, either when planted or in the 

 fall when the grain is in the " milk' 

 stage. The grain is planted either by 

 drills or in hoed trenches and dropped 

 by hand. The drilled method insures 

 an even stand, which is a matter of some 

 importance. It may be even planted 

 broadcast and harrowed in or it may be 

 planted in hills. Some planters recom- 

 mend the latter method, as it insures 

 easy cultivation and a more effective 

 campaign against weeds. 



After planting, the next important 

 step is flooding, and this is done soon 

 after the seed is sown, sometimes on 

 the same day. Seed that is not to be 

 covered is clayed before planting by 

 stirring it in clayed water, so that the 

 flooding will not float it. Flooding 

 serves several purposes. It protects the 

 grain from the birds and causes quick 

 germination. This water is left on the 

 field several days, or until the seed is 

 well sprouted. It is then drained off 

 and no more water is applied until the 

 plants are well up and the fields show 

 considerable green. Then a ' ' stretch ' ' 

 flow is turned on for a few more days, 

 until the plants are about six inches 

 high, affording nourishment to the 

 rice and impeding or destroying weed 

 growths. When the plants have at- 



tained a sufficient growth under the 

 stretch flow the water is gradually low- 

 ered to an average depth of a few inches, 

 and remains on the field for a period of 

 from two weeks to a month, the diira- 

 tion depending on local soil conditions. 

 Then the dry growth follows for about 

 a month and a half, and during this 

 time the crop is cultivated with horse 

 or hand hoes ; weeds and volunteer rice 

 are removed, and in some cases an in- 

 termediate flooding is made to protect 

 the plants from grubs. When the plant 

 begins to joint the harvest flow is turned 

 on and this is kept almost touching the 

 rice heads until their bending tells that 

 the grain is ripe. The field is then 

 drained for harvest. 



The quantity of water required for 

 irrigation is not looked into, but it is 

 probable that here, as in many other 

 places, the fault of over- irrigation is a 

 common one. The supply from tidal 

 streams is almost unlimited, and the 

 whole question of water rights is never 

 brought up, as there are none. 



Harvesting machinery is not used, 

 the grain being cut with hand hook or 

 sickle. The beds in the field are narrow 

 and usually small, to permit of complete 

 drainage, and this would entail much 

 breaking down of the grain and subse- 

 quent waste if a harvester were used. 

 The grain is cut before it is dead ripe, 

 or while the lower eighth of the head is 

 still " in the milk," for if cutting is de- 

 layed until the head is quite ripe, there 

 is much loss from the shelling out in 

 handling. A high stubble is left, on 

 which the grain cures for a day or two, 

 when it is placed in shocks after being 

 put up in straw-bound sheaves. As 

 soon as possible, in order to avoid loss 

 from storms, the grain is taken to the 

 threshing-houses. These are perma- 

 nent structures, one on each plantation, 

 built on the bank of a stream or tidal 

 canal, where tugs and lighters can get 

 the rice to take it to market. The mill- 

 ing is a complicated process, for, after 

 threshing, the rice or ' paddy ' ' still 

 has two coverings a coarse outer husk 

 and a thin close skin. These are taken 

 off by special processes, and the differ- 

 ent products bran, flour, grain, and 

 chaff separated. In addition to this, 



