VEGETABLES. 



probably made the distinction which now prevails, 

 between white and gold rice. Rice may be said to 

 be solely the produce of the lower country. The 

 plantations which produce this grain, are of two 

 kinds, river swamfi and inland swajnfi* The first 

 are immediately connected with fresh water rivers ; 

 the latter are situated on low inland swamp, uncon- 

 nected with tides or navigation. About the twentieth 

 of March, the land is drilled either with ploughs 

 or hoes, into about one hundred trenches to the acre, 

 and the rice sown therein in the proportion of one 

 or two bushels to the acre. The land is then 

 flowed for three or four days. After the rice is 

 some inches high, and has attained a little strength, 

 it requires a hoeing. Three or more of these hoe- 

 ings are commonly given to rice, during its growth ; 

 and at the second hoeing the toil becomes more se- 

 rious; for then the grass is hand picked from the 

 rice. After this operation is over, a flowing in tide 

 lands, is commonly given, ^nd continued from ten 

 to twenty days, to prepare it for branching: after 

 which the water is run off gradually, and the rice 

 remains dry for some time. This is a critical pe- 

 riod of the crop ; the harvest proving good or bad, 

 in proportion to the branching of the rice : every 

 branch produces one ear, containing from one hun- 

 dred to two hundred and fifty, or three hundred 

 gi^ains. 



Three months after sov/ing the rice, it joints, blos- 

 soms, and forms the ear ; water is then let on the 

 fields, and retained, being occasionally changed » 

 until a few days before harvest, viz* towards the 



