care must be taken in shocking to protect the grain from the heat of the 

 sun and storms. 



Uses 



Rice contains about 88 per cent of nutrients. It is probably more 

 easily digested than any of the cereals. The proportions of protein to 

 carbohydrates is 1 to 10. 



By-Products 



Rice bran, hulls and polish are rich in protein, fat and carbohydrates. 

 They have a stock-feeding value equal to the by-products of wheat. 

 Rice straw is equal to good prairie hay for stock. It contains 4.7 per 

 cent of crude protein, 32 per cent of carbohydrates and about 2 per cent 

 of fats. 



POTATOES 



POTATOES are probably more universally used by mankind for food 

 than any product of the soil. Some years, when the yield is unusu- 

 ally large, they command a low price on the market, but the average 

 price for a series of years gives the farmer a greater net return than any 

 other field crop. The yield per acre depends upon the nature of the soil, 

 amount of moisture, the character of the seed and the care given to 

 the growing plant. 



Soil 



The ideal potato soil is a deep, sandy loam, rich in active humus. If 

 the farmer does not have such a soil, he can attain a fair degree of suc- 

 cess on almost any type if he will give the soil the right kind of treat- 

 ment. 



Heavy clay soils are made mellow and friable by adding an abundance 

 of humus, either in the form of barnyard manures, or by plowing under a 

 green crop, preferably cow peas, soy beans, clover or alfalfa. It is 

 always best to plow the ground intended for potatoes in the early fall in 

 order that the organic matter turned under will be thoroughly decayed 

 in the spring. Clay soils are also improved by adding lime. 



Sandy soils require humus and lime. Lime tends to improve the 

 mechanical condition by making it more compact and humus furnishes 

 plant food and is of material assistance in maintaining moisture. 



Wet lands should be thoroughly drained, first, to carry off surplus 

 water; second, to admit atmospheric oxygen, and, third, to admit 

 warmth. 



Soils which are inclined to puddle easily are very undesirable for pota- 

 toes on account of their extreme hardness after rains. The tendency to 

 pack, however, can, in a measure, be overcome by the free use of organic 

 matter. 



148 



