JAMAICA. 



BULLETIN 



• F THE 



BOTANICAL DEPAHTMENT. 



Vol. YII 



New Series.] JULY, 19 00. ^ ; J,:^ 



Part VII. 



RICE CULTURE IN THE UNITED STATES. 



(concluded.) 



PRIMITIVE RICE MILLING. 



The primitive method of milling rice was to place a small quantity 

 in a hollow stone or block of wood and pound it with a pestle. The 

 blow with the pestle cracked the hull, and the friction created by the 

 sliding motion of the rice under the blow removed the hull and the 

 cuticle. The bran and hulls were then removed by winnowing. The 

 first advance upon this primitive mechanical process was to make the 

 receptacle for the rice out of a short section of a hollow log, using a 

 heavy wooden pounder 'bound to a horizontbl beam 6 to 8 feet long, 

 resting on a fulcium 4 to 5 feet from the pounder. The pounder was 

 raised by stepping on the short end of the beam, and by suddenly 

 removing the weight the pounder dropped into the rice tub and deliv- 

 ered a blow. The end of the pounder was concave with edges rounded. 

 This simple machine and the fanning mill are in common use in orien- 

 tal countries to this day. 



As one passes along the street in an oriental city, a peculiar sound 

 is brought to the ear as of a blow delivered upon some yielding sub- 

 stance. Looking to the right or left one sees a rice mill, consisting of 

 a one-man power jumping on and off the beam of the pounder and one- 

 woman power at a crude fanning mill cleaning the grain. Such a mill 

 cleans about 11 bushels (a trifle over thr^e barrels) of paddy rice per day, 

 at a cost of 6 cents (gold) per barrel. 



In time water power was used to turn an overshot wheel, which was 

 geared to a long horizontal shaft with arms at distances apart equal to 

 that of the rice pounders. The rice pounder was a vertical beam about 

 10 feet long and 6 inches square, with a pin projecting at a point to be 

 caught by the rounded end of the arm of the revolving shaft, which 

 raided the pounder a short distance then slipped past the pin, allowing 

 the pounder to drop into the tub of rice. This process was repeated 

 until the hull and bran were removed. The rice tubs stood in a row as 

 closely as practicable for use. Generally, to economize space, there 

 were two shhfts revolving in opposite directions, allowing two rows of 

 rice tubs. In every mountain village in Japan such mills may be found 

 preparing the rice for local consumption. They usually have about 



