RICE 



107 



P'IG. 79. Terraced rice paddies of the I 



food for the plant. Phosphorus is the food of which rice 

 most often has too little. 



Water. With regard to its need of water, two sorts of 

 rice are distinguished upland rice and water rice. 

 The upland rice thrives on soil which is light and well 

 aired. It does not require wetter soil than other crops ; 

 but it does require moist air. Where the air is dry, it 

 produces so little fruit that it is better to plant some 

 other kind of grain. 



The water rice requires more water than does any 

 other important crop. This water is almost always sup- 

 plied and regulated by irrigation. The ways in which 

 the water is supplied, the times at which it is put on, and 

 the length of time it is left, are very different in different 



