EPT. l6, ipOS.j 
FOREST AND STREAM 
229 
Wild Rice. 
Little Scatter Gun. 
Extracts from Experience. 
:)NG unseen and forgotten, yet safely stored in a stnall 
waire box brought from other days, came to light a 
I r. . Laboriously written with great nicety, in the bold 
1 just learned through the patient labors of the new 
ler, the younger brother has written from home to 
3ther,.but lately gone into the outer world to conquer 
mpire. It is of the time when the pen traces openly 
impulsively the inmost thoughts and ambitions of the 
and there is this sentence of much import: “You 
It to have seen Tommy and I jump and shout when 
leard that my gun was coming !” 
hich gun can it have been? Back along the list, 
lory slowly and carefully treads, stopping at this one, 
ing over another, in an effort to locate the member 
:^e advent caused this ebullition of bold penmanship. 
j|ie list is not so long, nor otherwise imposing, in the 
f of modern practice in gun making; but if some lost 
of the chain could be restored it would not again 
broken 
'pjiere was the little single muzzleloader, a present from 
%11 youthful uncle. He had hunted through the spar- 
g peckerwood, jaybird and robin age, and eyen into 
111 of the rabbit (for I myself saw him kill a large one, 
hre 1 had ever pulled trigger) ; then he had shown 
Belf not of the fraternity, .for the little gun was. cast 
dso to speak) and fell into willing hands, while Uncle 
jjined the chase no more, from that day to this. 
;.iien, for another, there was the learning to shoot, first 
a rest on a low fence rail, aiming carefully under 
•nal direction (when actually, some part of the shot 
; pattern on a barrel at twelve paces— good long 
es) ; then there was practice without the rest, and at 
ler targets. Afterward father and son repaired to 
voods, where squirrels fell to the aim of Coahoma, 
the first wild thing — an “Indian hen” — rewarded the 
ess of the little gun’s new owner. The gun was 
d on the railing of a bridge, and the aim was long 
careful., 
ter this much slaughter was done of sparrows in 
:ets and hedge rows on Saturdays and school holi- 
' Slowly the standard was raised, first to “jorees,” 
sapsuckers and bluebirds — sparrows were now com- 
^olace; to kill them was unsportsmanlike, 
rl^ain, a day came when jaybirds were the climax of 
Irodic ambition. “Jorees” only for target practice— 
s-ows no more! So the little gun did brave execu- 
t always striving to gratify the owner’s rising ambi- 
! until on a day this ambition took a leap so wild that 
?un saw ahead many disappointments. On this day 
bma had placed high bounty on the first successful 
upshot. His well trained double muzzleloader was to 
jl’ie prize. Powder was burned extravagantly, for that 
1^ and shot were sent to penetrate many winds, in the 
luit of this wild ambition; but the younger brother 
Igrown sturdy upon his legs, and of sufficient stature 
fcvel a gun (with a rest) before the wingshot was 
P- 
|iotber uncle came to the rescue of the situation, and 
leathed a gun which had won some glory— a double 
Idiloader of the old pinfire tribe. Redheads and fljck- 
ivere now considered the goal of true sportsmanship — 
I ys with a lingering hope for the wingshot— while the 
ler fell -heir to the little single-barrel, and went along 
root the sparrows and “jorees” that the pinfire dis- 
;d. 
jiere came a day when a i6-gauge double “centfer fire 
bought from a neighbor’s boy. The first w.idgshot 
fjd' other wingshots — had been made. The first-was a 
fcurd. But muzzleloaders were going out of styl^-and 
Sioma had traded his away for a watch, and bought 
^-gauge Scott. The i6-gauge was a compromise, but 
^recipient was not, for a long time, reconciled out of • 
tielief that the muzzleloader would have “hit better, 
lien the pinfire went to the brother, and the little gun 
fet another brother, designated as Tommy in the old 
ir that was quoted from. 
i! time, the first quail was killed. They were then 
ij. are now, by many) called partridges in the South- 
k being the only substitute here for a real partridge. 
I S old negroes call them “pat’idges,” while some of the 
ger negroes who can read in books now call them 
ter several years the Scott was passed down, and 
of the series of guns already described was handed 
e next boy below, in point of age — the little muzzle- 
;r. dilapidated and time worn, going into disuse and ■ 
oblivion. Where are its sacred ashes now? If even 
lall fragment could be found, it would be preserved 
igh life with tenderest care. The pinfire, too, and , 
;6-gauge are gone. ,, , u j 
ere were other guns bought, sold and exchanged, 
gun that made Tommy and me jump may have been 
of these interlopers, but was more probably one of 
ifrour of “direct lineage.” As memory reveals, , the 
i-rence was of about their time. 
3, ere was also nobler game. The second brother wiped 
iirst one’s eye for a woodcock, and the third, memory 
did the same in the matter of a few quail. Honors 
about divided on snipe. Rabbits had come to be dis- 
•ded. The relative bags on squirrels marked which 
,e trio held position on the lucky side of most trees, 
cs came later, then a few ’coons, a ’possum or two, 
-ecstacy of .ecstacies !■ — a wild goose ! 
le or- two rifles got into the family, and there are sev- 
Uurkey tails and deerskin rugs, much prized; but the 
of the old letter— of the little muzzleloader, the pin- 
ind the “jorees” will live, when later memories have 
ihed. • Tripod. 
iissipn. 
Some Practical Suggestions. 
Experience is a thorough and successful teacher, and 
its lessons are long remembered. They are the dia- 
monds among precepts, and never wear away. Possibly 
a few paragraphs drawn from an extended period of 
life in the woods may prove of interest with the reader. 
If you wish to command the respect of an “old- 
timer,” always take good care Qf your gun. Any fire- 
arm that is worth taking afield at all is worth treating 
well. Nothing jars upon the nerves of a true lover of 
the gun worse than to see a fowling piece all pitted 
up with the “rust pox,” as if it had but just come 
■through a plague, all battered and scarred, but never- 
theless alive. A little oil is the antidote that is a sure 
preventive against such attacks; what possible excuse 
can there be for not applying it! 
When going afield, take a little pains with your 
dress. Some wear “any old duds” on their excursions, 
on the ground that they are not, to be seen, and it does 
not matter. But this is not so. They are seen, and 
misjudged by their appearance to the detriment of the 
whole sportsman fraternity. T^e farmer confounds 
them with tramps, and gets the ifiea that hunters are 
“hoboes,” a dangerous class, one that.he does not want 
about under any circumstances, and consequently he 
warns them off without provocation. A man will be 
estimated from his appearance as quickly afield as in 
a drawing room. A suitable outing rig can be had 
at a very modest price, a canvas helmet and coat cost- 
ing but very little. Alw'ays keep up a good appearance 
when you go afield, and so maintain -our reputation. 
Don’t make so much noise as you usually do, while 
in the woods, if you are hoping for any degree of suc- 
cess. There is something peculiar about the woods in 
this respect; every noise echoes and re-echoes through 
them after such a fashion that it always seemed to the 
writer that it carried twice as far as in the open. Is 
there anything that can be heard at a greater distance 
than a picnic party in the woods? Some hunting 
parties sound exactly like picnics. You could scarcely 
tell the difference. How they can possibly expect the 
game to wait for their approach is certainly a mystery. 
As a matter of fact the wild animals of the woods 
have their sentries, their out-flanking scouts and picket 
system, as complete as any of man’s devising, by which 
they are warned of the enemy’s approach. The crow 
from his perch on the top of a dead pine sees you com- 
ing, takes flight with a few sharp, quick calls, and all 
the neighborhood knows the meaning of the signal, and 
is put upon its guard. The jay and the squirrel, even 
the smallest birds', understand this “secret service” of 
the wmods, and all have a hand in it. They know, 
usually, when any one is coming, while yet he is a 
great way off. Silence is the only passport to the woods, 
woods. , 
When going and coming through the fields, close 
the gates after you, replace the rail that , topples from 
its post, and above everything else, leave boundary 
'ipost and stones alone. You are not on a foraging ex- 
pedition through the country of the enemy, bent on 
crippling him as far as possible, but are passing by the 
■courtesy of the owner over private grounds, where 
really you have no, right. Do not abuse your privilege. 
;-,„Have your dog well enough trained and in hand, so 
that vou will not' be compelled to be shouting after him 
at the top of your lungs all the time, till your temper 
is nettled beyond control, and you; are black in the face 
with rage, it he cannot be bcemght to mind except 
under such circumstances, leave .'him' at' home. He is 
ot no value aneid. ' ■ ' 
Make every ‘ Hiot count. Each discharge of the gun 
means just so many birds' warned out of the neighbor- 
hood. The true hunter does not resemble a gatling 
gun, but more frequently spend's the entire day without 
once discharging his piece, because a satisfactory aim 
could not be secured. 
' Count your success by the skill you have displayed '' 
and the benefit you have derived from the outing. The 
size of the bag does not always count. The man who 
has “potted” a grouse from a. treq skulks hb'rfl'e with 
a bird in ffiis bag, but there is none' of the air of the 
successful huntsman about him. His own’ estimate of ' 
himself is reflected in his walk. His day has mot 
profited him. ■ • 
And finally, if you are so fortunate as to know the 
whereabouts of birds, while your associates do -not, if 
you have been successful in locating some - favored 
nook, unknown to all but yourself, share youf good 
luck with others, rather than keep it to yourself. To 
be sure, there is a certain satisfaction in being able to 
bring in bird after bird, while others are unable to 
as much as locate a feather, but it is a satisfaction far 
inferior to the whole-souled, genuine joy of contributing 
to the happiness of others, and of being generous and 
open-handed. Add in so far as you can to the pleasures 
of the season with your companions, and the gain will 
be yours in the end. Rupe BarnAby. 
Two boys of Santa Fe, N. Mex., have been killed by 
the explosion of a box of. dynamite. The boys were rab- 
bit hunting, but found .the game scarce. When they 
reached the powder house of the Denver & Rio Grande 
Railway Company, near Chama, they set up a box of 
dynamite as a target. The dynamite exploded and set 
Qff fpur tons of powder. 
BY J. W. T. DUVEL, ACTING BOTANIST IN CHARGE OF SEED 
LABORATORY, WASHINGTON, D. C. 
Bureau of Plant Industry — Bulletin No. 90. 
The seed of wild rice, sometimes called Indian rice 
or water oats (Zisam'a aquatica L.), has always been a 
very valuable food among the Indians, especially those 
of the upper Mississippi Valley. Of recent , years wild 
rice has found a place on the menu cards of some of 
our best American hotels. The rich and highly nutri- 
, tious grains, together with the slightly smoky flavor it 
has when properly prepared, make it an extremely 
palatable article of diet. It it were not for the diffi- 
culties ofjiarvesting the seed and preparing the finished 
product for market it is probable that wild rice would 
find a place in many American homes. 
At present, however, the greatest interest in wild rice 
is created by the value of the seed as a food for wild 
waterfowl, particularly wild ducks. As a result of this 
interest the propagation of wild rice from seed has be- 
come a question of considerable importance, especially 
to the members of the gunning clubs throughout the 
United States and Canada. 
Disifibutioo. 
The distribution of wild rice is now reported from 
New Brunswick and Assiniboia south to Florida, 
Louisiana, and Texas. There are, however, compara- 
tively few localities in which it grows abundantly. Good 
reasons exist for assuming that this area can be ex- 
tended to include all fresh-water lakes, as well as 
swamps and river bogs, where the water does not be- 
come stagnant, throughout the whole of North America 
south of latitude 55° north. Wild rice also grows 
luxuriantly along the lower parts of many of the rivers 
of the Atlantic Coast States, the waters of which are 
affected by the action of the tide to a considerable de- 
gree, and consequently contain an appreciable quantity 
of salt. It has been shownf that the maximum, degree 
of concentration of salt-water in which wild rice plants 
can grow successfully is equivalent to a 0.03 normal 
solution of sodium chlorid. This concentration cor- 
responds to 0.1755 per cent, by weight of sodium 
chlorid, which is sufficient to give a slight salty taste 
to the water. 
Habitat. 
While it is well recognized that the habitat of the wild 
rice plant is in shallow fresh water, it is now known that 
it will grow luxuriantly in water containing little less 
than two-tenths of i per cent, of sodium chlorid. Oc- 
casional plants have been found growing in water which 
contained, for short periods at least, nearly double that 
amount of salt. These facts indicate the possibility of 
a much wider range of conditions to which this plant 
may be subjected without hindering its development. It 
is not beyond the range of possibility — indeed, it is 
quite probable — that by careful selection plants may be 
obtained which will thrive on soil that is comparatively 
dry, at least in places in which the water can be drawn 
off gradually during the latter part of the growing 
season. 
In September, 1904, Mr. "G. C. Worthen, of the 
Bureau of Plant Industry, collected a cluster of wild 
rice plants which were growing on the Potomac Flats, 
near "Washington, D.iC., in soil which was sufficiently 
dry to permit the use of a 2-horse mowing machine for 
cutting down the rank growth of vegetation. This was 
newly made- land, and . in all probability the seed giving 
rise to this cluster of plants was pumped in with the 
dirt from the Potomac River the year previous. 
This qmphibious type once established, it will un- 
doubtedly carry with it a strain of seed which can 
withstand considerable drying without any marked in- 
jury to its vitality. Such being true, the methods and 
difficulties of propagation from seed would be greatly 
simplified. 
Simultaneous with establishing an amphibious type 
should come the selection of seed plants which are 
capable of retaining their seed until the larger part of 
it has reached maturity. These two steps once made, 
the future of wild rice as a cereal will be assured. 
Germination of the Seed* 
The greatest difficulty to be overcome in extending 
the area for growing wild rice is the poor germina- 
tion of the commercial seed. Inasmuch as wild rice 
constitutes one of the most important foods of wild 
ducks and other wild waterfowl, many individuals and 
most of the gunning clubs east of the Rocky Mountains 
have been asking the question. How can we propagate 
wild rice from seed in order to establish better feeding 
and fattening grounds for our game birds? 
The many failures in the propagation of wild rice 
from seed have been due to the use of seed that had 
become dry before sowing, or to the fact that the seed 
when sown fresh in the autumn had been eaten by ducks 
or other animals or was carried away by heavy floods be- 
fore germination took place. 
It is now very generally known that the seed of wild 
*'Wild rice is considered one of the most important foods for 
■wild ducks and other water fowl, and a large number of inquiries 
have been received from members of gunning clubs throughout the 
United States, asking where good, germinable seed can be secured. 
It is quite generally recognized that wild rice seed loses its • 
vitality if allowed to become dry, and better methods of storing 
the seed during the winter have long since been demanded. 
The results of investigations begun two years ago show that wild 
rice seed can be handled without any deterioration in vitality if it 
is harvested and stored according to methods outlined in the 
present paper. 
tThe Salt Water Limits of Wild Rice. Bulletin No. 72, Part II. 
Bureau of Plant Industry, United States Department of Agricull 
.ttire, 19 f 5 §,. 
