November, 1909.] 



417 



Edible Products. 



that time, from the seed Mr. Boyd raised 

 and distributed, other settlers have 

 taken up the matter of rice-growing at 

 various times and in a fitful manner, the 

 largest local planter some fifteen years 

 ago being Claus Lahrs, an enterprising 

 Gvi man settler, who planted at Pimpama 

 Island two or three varieties of the 

 China and Japan rices, but, owing to 

 the seed not being tested or acclimatised, 

 he met with but indifferent success. He 

 even went so far as to incur the expfcuse 

 of erecting a mill for dressing the paddy 

 (as rice in husk is termed J, but after a 

 few years he gave it up, partly because 

 of the machinery, not being of the best 

 description for dressing the rice, doing 

 its work imperfectly, but also because the 

 rice grown was not the best variety for 

 table use or suitable for the home market. 

 So the industry, so far as the manu- 

 facture was concerned, was allowed to 

 lapse. The farmers since then have still 

 kept on planting the rice, which they 

 have cut and used for fodder for their 

 horses and stock, using the seed saved 

 from the crop reaped for re-sowing the 

 land. The consequence has naturally 

 been that the crop had deteriorated with 

 successive plantings, through the same 

 seed being used without change. But 

 three things of great importance had 

 been learned. These were : 1st. The 

 suitability of the soil and climate of the 

 Logan district for rice culture. 2nd. 

 The proper time at which to sow the 

 seed to ensure success, 3rd. The best 

 system of planting and after-treatment 

 of the crop. The value of rice has also 

 been thoroughly tested as green feed 

 for horses and stock, who eat it greedily 

 and keep in splendid condition when fed 

 upon it. The greatest difficulty in rice 

 culture has been found in procuring the 

 right seed, there being such a large 

 variety of each kind, both with their 

 distinctive flavour, colour, and quality, 

 as well as in the facility with which 

 the crop can be handled and harvested 

 (as 1 will explain further on) and in the 

 requirements of the merchant, who has 

 his prejudices in favour of certain kinds, 

 which more or less best suit the tastes 

 of the consumer. This has now to a 

 certain extent been overcome, and our 

 farmers are now prepared to carry out 

 this important branch of agricultural 

 industry on sound business lines and 

 with up-to-date methods. 



Preparing the Land. 

 Rice, like every other cereal and 

 vegetable, to ensure good results, must 

 have a certain amount of attention and 

 care in preparing the land, although the 

 question of drainage does not enter so 

 largely into consideration as regards 



rice as with other cereals, and it, of 

 course, greatly depends as to which 

 variety of rice you intend to cultivate, 

 but stagnant water should be avoided as 

 detrimental. The variety I intend this 

 article to illustrate is the Aus, or upland 

 rice. I have tried the Aman variety as 

 an experiment, but with small success, 

 the chief fault of the latter being the 

 necessity of it being submerged con- 

 tinuously with not less than 2 to 3 inches 

 of water, and, when the crop ripens, the 

 difficulty of harvesting, owing to the 

 grain being so brittle that at the least 

 touch it lc;i ves the ear with a consequent 

 loss of seed, The variety of rice now 

 grown most extensively in the Logan 

 district is known as the "White Java," 

 which gives a length of straw from 

 4 to 6 ft., with a good flag, besides a 

 grain of good length, fairly plump, and 

 good cropper, and, so far, seems fairly 

 free from disease or rust. Other varieties 

 now being tried are the China, Kobe 

 Japan, Batavia River, and Italian 

 Upland, of which the White Java and 

 the Italian Upland have been obtained 

 through the medium of the Agricultural 

 Department, 



In preparing the land for planting, 

 ordinary methods need only be adopted — 

 that is, to first plough, leaving the soil 

 to lay for a week or so, to aerate and 

 sweeten ; then crossplough and harrow, 

 bringing the soil to as fine a tilth as 

 possible. The best time in this district 

 for planting (and I should think it a 

 suitable time for all districts south of 

 Rockhampton) is at the end of September 

 or at the beginning of October, when we 

 get the first rains, In cultivating for 

 rice on hillsides or sloping land with a 

 natural rapid drainage, it would be 

 advantageous to slightly terrace the 

 land crossways to the fall of the hill, 

 leaving an open catchment drain on the 

 higher side, blocked at each end to 

 conserve the rain water, because even 

 so-called upland rice must have a certain 

 amount of moisture, and by the con- 

 struction of the above drain, or dam so 

 to speak, the gradual percolation of the 

 conserved water will have the desired 

 effect of helping to supply the necessary 

 moisture, which would be about 20 to 30 

 in. of rainfall spread over the period of 

 growth. This rainfall has produced 

 very good crops of fair yielding grain. 



Sowing the Seed, 

 In sowing the seed we have to be 

 determined as to our requirements — if 

 for cropping for grain or for fodder 

 purposes only. There are three systems : 

 Broadcast chiefly for fodder pui poses, 

 planting in drills, and transplanting 

 from nursery beds. In the first instance 



