RICE. 



323 



The Burmese recognize nearly a hundred varieties of rice, but the 

 principal distinctions between the different kinds are as follows : — 

 hard grain, soft grain, and glutinous rice. The " Natsieng " is the 

 hardest grain, and the rice which is accordingly principally ex- 

 ported to Europe. The "Meedo" is the chief of the soft grain 

 varieties. It is much preferred by the Burmese to the hard-grained 

 sorts, and it is certainly superior in taste when cooked ; but the hard- 

 grained rice is that purchased by the merchants for export, as it 

 keeps better, and the soft-grained rice is too much broken by Euro- 

 pean machinery in cleaning. Latterly, on the continent, this last 

 objection appears to have been overcome, and a greater demand is 

 consequently springing up for the " Meedo " rice for the markets of 

 foreign Europe. The " Koungnyeen," or hill rice, is called " gluti- 

 nous " rice by Europeans, from the property it possesses when cooked 

 of the grains all adhering in a thick glutinous mass. It is the chief 

 article of food with the Karens, and other hill tribes, but is not much 

 eaten by the inhabitants .of the low swampy plains, where the common 

 rice is grown. 



The annexed table shows the exports of rice (excluding paddy) from 

 Bengal to Indian and foreign ports for twelve years : 



Year. 



To Foreign Ports. 



To Indian Ports. 



Total. 



1861-62 



341,198 



69,082 



410,271 



1862-63 



407,793 



74,264 



482,057 



1863-64 



388,814 



187,253 



576,067 



1864-65 



403,432 



291,909 



695,341 



1865-66 



255,167 



81,045 



336,211 



1866-67 



160,357 



62,302 



222,659 



1867-68 



268,892 



83,574 



352,466 



1868-69 



254,244 



132,369 



386,613 



1869-70 



190,093 



182,962 



373,055 



1870-71 



244,916 



185,442 



430,358 



1871-72 



252,812 



179,052 



431,864 

 511,260 



1872-73 



355,054 



156,206 



The following were the several countries to which cleaned rice 

 was sent from British India in 1872-73 : 



Cwts. 



United Kingdom 1 1 , 944 , 640 



France 10,144 



Germany 111,831 



Mediterranean ports 382,667 



Other countries in Europe 200,627 



North and South America 128,919 



West Indies 591,773 



Mauritius 2,435,035 



Bourbon 148,236 



Other countries in Africa 140,244 



Arabian and Persian Gulfs 1 , 162 , 620 



Ceylon 3,049,052 



Total 20,305,787 



In Cochin-China there were in 1874 700,000 acres under culture 

 with rice. In 1867 3,200,000 piculs of rice were exported. 



Y 2 



