222 SOUTHERN FIELD CROPS 



by local conditions. While deep plowing might otherwise 

 be desirable, it risks inconvenience in harvesting, since in 

 fields deeply plowed the wheels of the binder sink too deep 

 if much rain falls just l^efore harvest time. The land must 

 be further prepared by harrowing (Fig. 112). 



In the rice fields of South Carohna, which are very small 

 and poorly drained, i)lanting is done chiefly by hand labor. 



Fig. 112. — Pkep.\eing for Rice in Louisi.ina. 



The employment of hand lalwr in this region for planting 

 and harvesting the crop has caused the decline of the rice 

 industry here, where the cost of jiroduction is necessarily 

 much higher than on the prairies of Louisiana, Texas, and 

 Arkansas, where machinery is used for all of these opera- 

 tions. 



