PREFACE. 



Wild rice {Zizania aquatica) i.s still an important, if not the chief, 

 farinaceous food for probably 30,000 of the American aborigines, 

 notably the Ojibwas. It is the principal fattening- agent too for 

 myriads of wild fowl in the eastern half of the United States. It is 

 now being placed on the market in a small wa}^ as a breakfast food. 

 On account of its great value as a food for game birds it has been 

 widely and justly recommended as a suitable plant for shallow lakes 

 and sluggish streams which are maintained as shooting- preserves. 

 The seed has been extensively marketed, but in most cases with 

 results unsatisfactory to the buyer, for usually it fails to germinate. 

 So nearly universal was the difficulty that some seedsmen who did not 

 wish to disappoint their customers refused to handle the seed, or 

 sold it only in small quantities. For a time it was supposed that 

 the loss of vitality was due to the scorching to which the seed was 

 subjected when gathered for food by the Indians, but it was found 

 that seeds which had never been scorched failed also to germinate. 

 It was then determined to try a series of experiments based on the 

 observation that the grain of wild rice is still somewhat soft and moist 

 at maturity and falls into the water immediately without hardening. 

 These experiments, which are recorded in this report, show that the 

 way to preserve the vitalit} T of the seed is to keep it from becoming 

 thoroughly dry, at the same time aerating it sufficiently to prevent 

 molding. The practical course suggested to buyers is to place their 

 orders before the time of the wild rice harvest, have the seed shipped 

 immediately on maturitj^, and sow it at once. 



The observations and experiments were delegated to two investi- 

 gators, Mr. Carl S. Scofield, who made an examination of the plant 

 in its natural situation in Minnesota, and Mr. Edgar Brown, who con- 

 ducted the storage and g-ermination tests. 



Frederick V. Coville, 



Botanist. 

 Office of the Botanist, 



Washington, D. 6'., July 3, 1903. 



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