RICE EXPERIMENTS IN CALIFORNIA. ( 
The cotton trials during 1918 and 1919 were disappointing in yield, 
but gave considerable information on the possibilities of cotton for 
use in rotation with rice. 
The yellowing of the cotton plants both years was undoubtedly 
due to the high water table. This resulted in a stunted growth, 
weakened plants, and low yields. The writer has observed much 
better cotton on the same soil type where drainage was better and 
there were no adjoining rice fields. 
HEMP. 
In 1920 a small fallow plat was planted to hemp. The stand ob- 
tained was thin, and growth was very irregular during the season. 
In September some of the plants were 7 feet high, while adjoining 
plants were 8 to 12 inches high. The writer is unable to account 
for this remarkable variation in growth. It was observed during 
the summer that many of the young plants died. Some of these 
were examined and the taproot just below the surface of the ground 
found to be much enlarged, resembling flax canker. These plants 
may have been diseased. 
SUMMARY OF EXPERIMENTS WITH OTHER CROPS. 
Beans, corn, grain sorghums, and cotton at the Biggs Rice Field 
Station have not given satisfactory yields. The most evident reason 
for the poor growth of these crops is a high water table when grown 
adjoining submerged rice land. Wheat or barley appear to be the 
best crops to rotate with rice; in other words, the crops that were 
known to be adapted to the land before rice growing began should 
be grown. After growing rice, the land should be fallowed one sum- 
mer before it is sown to wheat or barley. 
SUMMARY. 
Half a century ago attempts were made to grow rice in California 
but they were not successful. The rice industry- in that State first 
assumed commercial importance in 1912, when 1,400 acres were 
sown in the Sacramento Valley, near Biggs. 
In 1912 the Biggs Rice Field Station was established. The sta- 
tion is located 4^ miles northwest of Biggs. 
The elevation of the station is 98 feet. The soil is Stockton clay 
adobe, typical of a large area on which rice is grown in the Sacramento 
Valley. 
The summer months are hot and the winter months cool with 
occasional freezes. The months of June, July, and August are 
usually hot, with maximum temperatures ranging from 99° to 112° F. 
A daily range in temperature of 40 degrees is not uncommon during 
the growing season. 
The average annual precipitation at the Biggs Rice Field Station 
from 1913 to 1921 was 21.67 inches. December, January, and 
February are the three months of greatest precipitation. 
In general, this section has but little wind, though strong winds 
sometimes blow from the north or from the south. 
The average evaporation from April to October for the years 
1914. 1915', and 1921, was 42.794 inches. The average evaporation 
