222 SUCCESSFUL FARMING 



RICE 



Rice is unique in its culture, because it depends upon irrigation. It is 

 one of the oldest cereals, and is also one of the greatest food crops, being a 

 staple article of diet for millions of people in India, China and Japan. The 

 world's annual production is approximately 175,000,000,000 pounds of 

 cleaned rice, the greater portion of which is grown in India, China and 

 .la pan. As an article of food in the United States it is of minor importance, 

 and yet the production in this country falls short of the consumption by 

 about 200,000,000 pounds annually. 



Soil and Climatic Adaptation. — Rice is adapted to a moist, warm 

 climate, and its production in the United States is confined to the South 

 Atlantic and Gulf Coast states. The bulk of the crop is now produced in 

 Texas, Louisiana and Arkansas. Prior to 1890 it was produced mostly 

 in the Carolinas and Georgia. 



Since the lowland forms which constitute the principal source of the 

 crop require irrigation, it demands a level soil with a compact subsoil that 

 will prevent rapid downward movement of water. Such soils are found 

 along the bottom lands of the rivers and on the level prairies of Texas and 

 Louisiana. 



Preparation of Land and Seeding. — The land is usually plowed in the 

 spring and disked and harrowed to provide a good seed-bed. The rice is 

 seeded at the rate of one or two bushels per acre with a seed drill, usually 

 from April loth to May 15th. Unless water is needed to germinate the 

 seed the land is not flooded until the plants are six to eight inches high. If 

 the soil is too dry the land may be flooded immediately after seeding for 

 a few days to sprout the seed, after wliich the water is removed until the 

 plants are six to eight inches high. 



Weeds are often a serious menace to rice culture. Such weeds may be 

 brought on rice fields in the irrigation water or may find their way there in 

 the seed rice. Red rice is a serious pest, and seed should not be used in which 

 it occurs. The presence of red rice in milled rice lowers its grade and 

 reduces its price. Red rice, being stronger, hardier and more persistent 

 than white rice, soon gets a foothold in the fields unless precautions are 

 taken to prevent it. 



Fertilizers are seldom used in the production of rice, because the prac- 

 tice of irrigation brings to the land some fertility in the water. This is 

 especially true when the water is not clear. Furthermore, rice lands, being 

 either river bottom land or prairie land, are generally very fertile. In the 

 course of time, however, if rice is grown continuously, fertilizers will be 

 needed. 



Flooding or Irrigation. — Water is let into the rice field to a depth of 

 three to six inches, and is maintained at this depth until the crop is nearly 

 mature. Water of a rather high and uniform temperature is preferred. 

 Cold water from mountain streams is undesirable. The water is constantly 

 renewed to prevent it from becoming stagnant. This necessitates a slow 



