RICE 187 



Of this amount, Louisiana produces over one-half, Texas, 

 about one-third, Arkansas, more than one-fifth, the re- 

 mainder of the total crop of this country being produced in 

 comparatively small acreage of the remaining Gulf States 

 and California. The rice industry in the United States 

 started with small acreages in South Carolina in colonial 

 days, and later it was introduced and grown in a small 

 way in Georgia. These two states produced the bulk 

 of this crop until after the Civil War. After the war, the 

 rice industry declined in these states, but the acreage 

 increased in the Southern States along the Mississippi, 

 which up to this time had produced but little. Portions 

 of these states, on account of their location in relation to 

 rivers and the presence of good wells, are well adapted to 

 the growing of rice, and the industry has developed rapidly 

 within the past two decades. 



The average yield of rice per acre in the United States 

 is about 32 bushels of rough rice, weighing 45 pounds per 

 bushel, which is equivalent to about 1000 pounds of cleaned 

 or hulled rice. The average price per bushel received by 

 the grower is about 75 cents, varying of course from year 

 to year, depending upon the demands and the abundance 

 of foreign-grown product on the market. The value of 

 the rice crop in the United States is, in round numbers, 

 approximately 17 million dollars. 



ADAPTATION AND CULTURAL METHODS 



175. Adaptation. Rice is a tropical or semi-tropical 

 plant, and requires a long, hot growing season, with moist, 

 humid climate. It is grown therefore only in low-lying 

 regions, with a plentiful supply of moisture and long 

 growing season. Almost all of the rice is grown on soils 

 that can be supplied with water by irrigation. Soils 



