Rice culture is carried on in the United States only in the south and is 

 limited to the south Atlantic and Gulf states excepting Arkansas and 

 California, where some is being grown. The production annually 

 amounts to 23,000,000 bushels of rough rice, the amount being a little 

 less than our consumption. 



While rice is chiefly grown on lands that are low and easily irrigated, 

 there are varieties which can be grown on fertile uplands without irriga- 

 tion. 



Soils 



The best soil for rice is a medium clay loam. In Louisiana where rice 

 is grown more extensively than in any other state, the best yields are 

 produced on a stiff, buckshot clay underlain by a semi-impervious sub- 

 soil. Gravelly or sandy soil is not adapted to rice culture unless the 

 light soil is underlain with a firm clay subsoil. Rice is successfully 

 grown on delta lands, inland marshes which can be drained, and on rich 

 level prairie lands which can be irrigated. Upland rice can be grown 

 quite successfully on any soil adapted to wheat or cotton, provided 

 climatic conditions are favorable. 



Seed-Bed 



While shallow plowing is advocated by some rice growers (they 

 believing it insures a compact seed-bed), it has been demonstrated con- 

 clusively that a deep seed-bed made so by plowing deep, gives the best 

 results. Rice roots rarely grow deeper than the plow sole; hence, it is 

 reasonable to suppose that the plant would have more accessible food 

 in a deep bed than in a shallow one. If the ground is too loose, it 

 should be packed before the rice is sown, or if lumps exist, a heavy roller 

 should be used. A roller not only pulverizes lumps, but it packs the 

 soil and assists in conserving moisture. 



Drainage 



Perfect drainage is very essential to rice culture for the following 

 reasons: 



1. Alkali salts are carried away through the drain tile. If these 

 salts are allowed to accumulate, the soil will soon become barren. 



2. Drainage at harvest time is very necessary. If the water cannc t 

 be removed rapidly when the grain is ripe, much of it is lost, due to the 

 delay in harvesting. If water can not be drained off rapidly, harvesting 

 by hand is necessary, an operation which is very expensive. 



3. If the land remains wet after harvesting, water grasses will grow 

 very rapidly, but if the land can be drained thoroughly, a legume of 

 some kind can be planted. Any legume is profitable as a crop and very 

 beneficial to the soil for the reason that it supplies nitrogen and humus, 

 and, in a measure, prevents water grasses and weeds from growing. 



