384 TlMEHRI. 



It must not be crowded, as rice is a wonderful plant to stool, a single 

 seed producing from ten to thirty and often more stalks. If sown with 

 a good seed drill the necessary covering is secured at the same time, 

 otherwise we cover the seed by some other means, to the depth of from 

 one to two inches. 



No further attention is called for until the young plants are up eight 

 or ten inches high — then it becomes necessary to destroy the grass and 

 weeds that are also springing up and choking the crop. This is done 

 by flooding the fields. All drainage outlets are closed, and water is let 

 on until it stands nearly at a level with the tops of rice. If, on account of 

 irregularities in surface, portions of the field must be so deeply flooded as 

 to bring the rice entirely under water, no harm comes of it. The water 

 is left on about one week, possibly a little longer; or, in other words, 

 till it has drowned out and destroyed the noxious growths, they not 

 being able to endure such protracted inundation. The rice is not at all 

 injured by the water. When it is seen that the grass and weeds have 

 succumbed, the drainage outlets are opened allowing the water to run 

 from the fields. 



The rice now soon takes full possession of the ground, and thereafter 

 becomes its own protestor, in most cases, but if this happens otherwise, 

 and the pest growths again appear (which seldom occurs), a second 

 flooding becomes necessary to destroy them. 



About the time the rice is beginning to head, the water is let on as an 

 irrigation, but allowed to remain only some twenty-four hours. In 

 seasons of extreme drought it is sometimes necessary to irrigate before 

 this period in the growth of the crop, the need being made known by a 

 yellowish and unthrifty appearance of the plants. 



Harvesting the rice crop does not differ materially from that of most 

 other small grains. Our planters usually cut it with a horse-reaper of 

 the same character as employed in cutting wheat and oats. The 

 threshing is performed with an ordinary wheat-threshing machine. 



Rice straw differs from the straw of most other small grains in not 

 being hollow. It carries comparatively little silica, is soft and spongy, 

 and hence makes an excellent stock food. Cattle relish it highly, and 

 its percentage of nutriment ranks well up— almost as much so as first- 

 class English hay. 



I believe that this about covers the grounds marked out in your 

 letter of inquiry, and I hope that I have made it full enough 

 and reasonably plain. 



