THE CULTURE OF RICE 257 



was about 35 bushels of rough rice of 45 pounds each, equiv- 

 alent to about 1,000 pounds of cleaned rice. The total 

 crop of the United States was valued at $16,000,000. This 

 is one-third less than the value of the rye crop. 



317. Conditions Necessary to Production. The con- 

 ditions which are necessary to the successful production of 

 lowland rice include a soil which retains moisture and is 

 level enough to be readily irrigated, an abundant supply of 

 water for irrigation, and a warm growing season. The 

 fertile river valleys and plains of Arkansas, Texas, and 

 Louisiana are ideal for the production of this crop. 



318. Growing the Crop. The methods of preparing the 

 land for rice as practiced in Texas and Louisiana are not 

 different from those used in the Northern and Central states 

 for other cereals. The land is usually plowed in the spring 

 and is disked and harrowed to form a good seed bed. To 

 prevent too rapid loss of water from a loose soil, newly- 

 plowed land is sometimes rolled. The seed is generally sown 

 with a grain drill at the rate of from 1 to 2 bushels to the 

 acre, usually from April 15 to May 15. The seeding and 

 harvesting seasons may extend over a considerable period on 

 a given farm, thus enabling the farmer to put in a com- 

 paratively large acreage with a small equipment. Water is 

 not usually applied to rice fields until the crop is about 8 

 inches high; then it is let in to a depth of from 3 to 6 inches, 

 and this depth is maintained till the crop is nearly mature. 

 To prevent the water from becoming stagnant, a practically 

 continuous flow is provided, with drainage to maintain the 

 proper level. When the crop begins to ripen, the water is 

 drawn off to allow the ground to dry out sufficiently for 

 harvesting. The ordinary grain binder is used; the methods 

 of harvesting, stacking, and thrashing are not different from 

 those used with other grains, 



u 



