JAMAICA. 



BULLETIN 



OF THE 



BOTANICAL DEPARTMENT, 



Vol vn 



New Series June 1900 ~^«^^t 



RICE CULTURE IN THE UNITED STATES.— (Continued.) 



GENERAL NOTES ON CULTURE AND TREATMENT OF RICK. 



PREPARrNG THE GrOUND. 



Some planters advocate shallow ploughing for rice because it 

 appears to thrive best in compact earth. Even if it be granted that the 

 rice plant finds a more favourable condition in compact earth, it does 

 not prove the superiority of shallow over deep ploughing. It has been 

 demonstrated that the better the soil and the more thoroughly it is pul- 

 verised the better the crop. The roots of annual cultivated plants do 

 not feed much below the plough line, so that it becomes evident that 

 deep cultivation places more food within the reach of the plant. If 

 pulverising the earth deeply be a disadvantage, by reason of the too 

 great porosity of the soil at seeding time, it can be easily remedied by 

 the use of a heavy roller subsequently. If the soil is well drained, deep 

 ploughing will be found profitable. Deep ploughing just before planting 

 sometimes brings too much alkali to the surface. The remedy for this 

 is to plough a little deeper than the previous ploughing just after har- 

 vest ; the alkali will then be washed out before the spring ploughing. 

 The plough should b3 followed in a short time by the disk harrow and 

 then by the smoothing harrow. If the land is allowed to remain in the 

 furrow for any considerable time it will bake and can not be brought 

 into that fine tilth so necessary to the best seed conditions. This is 

 particularly true of rice land. If the best results are desired, it will be 

 advisable to follow the harrow with a heavy roller. The roller will 

 crush the lumps, make the soil more compact, and conserve the moisture 

 for germinating the grain, rendering it unneccessary to flood for 

 *^ sprouting." 



SOWINQ. 



Selecting the seed, — Too great care can not be exercised in selecting 

 rice for seed. It is indispensable that the seed should be free from red 



