STARCHY FOODS 143 



RICE 



Rice is the most important of the world's cereals. To more 

 than one-half of the population of the world, rice is the chief 

 staple food. This plant, known to botanists as Oryza sativa, 

 is supposed to be a native of tropical Asia. It is now culti- 

 vated throughout the Tropics and subtropics as well as in the 

 warmer parts of the Temperate Zones. Rice is not only the 

 most important cereal but should probably be considered the 

 most important food plant in the world. The world's crop of 

 rice is about 90,000,000,000 pounds, of which 63,000,000,000 

 are produced in British India, 9,000,000,000 in Java, 7,000,- 

 000,000 in Japan, 3,000,000,000 in Siam, 2,000,000,000 in Corea 

 1,500,000,000 in Formosa, 1,500,000,000 in the Philippines, 

 741,000,000 in the United States, 740,000,000 in Italy, and 

 smaller quantities in other countries. In 1914, Louisiana pro- 

 duced 11,800,000 bushels, Texas 8,000,000 bushels, Arkansas 

 3,500,000 bushels, California 800,000 bushels, and South Caro- 

 lina 179,000 bushels. 



There are two general groups of rice — lowland and upland 

 rice. Upland rice is grown without flooding or artificial irri- 

 gation in cHmates with a fairly abundant rainfall. Lowland 

 rice is grown only under a flooding system or as an aquatic 

 plant. The varieties of rice are almost innumerable. More 

 thcUi 4,000 varieties have been reported in Bengal alone. Thou- 

 sands of varieties bear names but the synonymy of these varie- 

 ties is much confused and at present it is quite impossible 

 to conjecture the number of really distinct varieties of rice. 

 Most of these varieties are of strictly local distribution and 

 have been so since the dawn of history. They may therefore 

 be geographical races. Strictly local varieties of rice are known 

 to have been grown in Siam in the same locality since records 

 have been kept of the civilization of that country. Some of 

 these varieties are known also to have peculiar flavors and 

 physical properties unlike any other varieties. The varieties of 



