BREAD PLANTS 



II 



husks the grain is called " paddy." It is ready for 

 the milling process, or to be stored for months, 

 or shipped to near or distant markets. 



There are various simple methods of pounding 

 the paddy to get the hull off of the white grain. 

 Stone mortars and pestles are used in different 

 countries, and a vast amount of muscular energy 

 expended in pounding large or small quantities, 

 until all the hulls are off. The Chinese family 

 has a daily job of pounding just enough paddy 

 for the day's use. Children often do this work, 

 using mallets of wood. 



Then comes the winnowing process. The 

 grain is lifted high and poured out of shovel-like 

 baskets. The heavy grain drops to the ground. 

 The light chaff drifts away a little distance as it 

 falls. 



It is easy to find rice imported from Japan in 

 any large city market. It comes in bags woven 

 of rice straw, that resembles tea matting. 



Rice is deficient in oils and proteid matter, but 

 rich in starch. It needs eggs or meat to make 

 a balanced diet for us. That is because we are 

 not vegetarians, as the average oriental is. He 

 thrives on rice, with beans to supply the elements 

 we get from meat. But he eats the whole rice, 

 and so gets the richest part of the grain, which 



