84 



NOTES ON THE AGRICULTURE, 



The fields are tilled in spring (see PI. I, Fig. 1). The 

 earth is banked up into, narrow ridges forming beds 2 feet 

 wide and when these are prepared the rice seeds are strewn 

 by hand in the beds which are specially hoed and the ridges 

 are then rolled into the rice beds. 



Plate I. 



Bice is usually sown at the end of April or during the 

 beginning of May. For one Chinese ch'in 180-200 pounds 

 rice seeds are required. 



In the region of I-ma-ho river sometimes mountain rice 

 is sown together with Kaoliang and this is done with the 

 purpose of ensuring a Kaoliang crop which is hardy in 

 drought should the rice crop fail. 



Before sowing, the rice seeds are picked to eliminate 

 the seeds of panic grass (Panicum cms galli). While the 

 plants are growing they are weeded and the furrows are 

 banked. 



Bice begins to develop at the end of July and during 

 the beginning of August. The plant attains a height of 

 60-90 cm., the panicles are of 16-21 cm. in length, have 

 6-8 branches and 30-40 grains. 



Mountain rice is harvested from the middle to the end 

 of September and a Chinese ch'in gives 10-15 piculs. 



1,000 unhulled grains of mountain 



rice from the district of Harbin weighs 22,92 gramms 



,, ,, ,, ., Hsuangcheng weighs 21,40 ,, 



„ ., » ,•> Yin-ma-ho ,, 23,45 „ 



Kirin „ 23,70 



Shengking „ 22,20 „ 



100 gr. of unhulled grains gives 72-75 gr. of hulled rice. 



