284 



ElCl. 



Mozambique Channel, Madagascar, some parts of Western Africa, 

 Soutli Carolina, and Central America. Three species only are 

 enumerated by Lindley : — Oryza sativa, the common rice, a native 

 of the East ; 0. lafifolia, a species having its habitat in South 

 America ; and O. J^epalensis, common in IS'epaul. But there are a 

 liost of varieties known iu the East ; these, however, may for all 

 practical pui'poses, be resolved into two kinds — the upland or 

 mountain rice (O. JSIepalensis^ the O. mutica, of Eoxbui'gh) , and 

 the lowland or aquatic species (0. sativd). 



Zizania ag^uatica is exceedingly prolific of bland, farinaceous seeds, 

 which aftord a kind of rice in Canada and North- West America, 

 where it abounds wild .in all the shallow streams. The seeds con- 

 tribute essentially to the support of the wandering tribes of Indians, 

 and feed immense fiocks of wild swans, geese, and other water 

 fowl. Piukerton says, this plant seems intended to become the 

 bread-corn of the North. Two other species of Zizania are common 

 in the United States of America. 



Eice, the chief food, perhaps, of one-third of the human race, 

 possesses the advantage attending wheat, maize, and other grains, 

 of preserving plenty during the fluctuations of tirade, and is also 

 susceptible of cultivation on land too low and moist for the pro- 

 duction of most other useful plants. Although cultivated prin- 

 cipally vrithin the tropics, it flourishes well beyond, producing 

 even heavier and better filled gTain. Like many other plants in 

 common use, it is now found wild [it is to be understood that 

 the wild rice, or water oat {Zizania aquatica')^ already referred to, 

 which grows along the muddy shores of tide waters, is a distinct 

 plant from the common rice, and should not be confounded with 

 it], nor is its native country known, Linnseus considers it a native 

 of Ethiopia, while others regard it of Asiatic origin. 



The chief variety of this cereal is cultivated throughout the torrid 

 zone, wherever there is a plentiful supply of water, and it will ma- 

 ture, under favorable cii'cumstances, in the Eastern continent, as 

 high as the 4:5th parallel of north latitude, and as far south as the 

 38th. On the Atlantic side of the Western continent, it will 

 flourish as far north as latitude 38 degrees, and to a corresponding 

 parallel south. On the Western coast of America, it will gi-ow so 

 far north as 40 or more degrees. Its general culture is principally 

 confined to India, China, Japan, Ceylon, Madagascar, Eastern 

 Africa, the South of Europe, the Southern poi-tions of the United 

 States, the Spanish ]Main, Brazil, and the Yalley of Parana and 

 Uruguay. 



In 1834, 29,583 bags of rice were shipped from Maranham, 

 but I am not aware what have been the exports since. 



At the Industrial Exhibition in London, in 1851, there were 

 displayed many curious specimens and varieties of rice, grown 

 without irrigation, at elevations of three thousand to six thousand 

 feet on the Himalaya, where the dampness of the summer months 

 compensates for the want of artificial moisture. Among these 

 American rice received not only honorable mention for its very 



