RICE EXPERIMENTS IN CALIFORNIA. 47 
SPAGN'UOLO. 
Many so-called Italian rice varieties have been tested at the Biggs 
Rice Field Station, and some have been grown commercially. On 
new land these Italian rices yield fairly well but lodge and shatter 
quite badly. On rice stubble they do not yield well. A very small 
acreage was sown to these varieties in California in 1920 and 1921. 
These rices mature early, but owing to low yields, shattering, and lodg- 
ing have never been very popular in California. Spagnuolo, one of the 
leading Italian varieties, was obtained from Italy in 1909 through 
Dr. Haven Metcalf and was among the varieties grown that year 
on the Crane ranch near Biggs. It has a long beard and matures 
in about 135 davs from the first irrigation. 
EARLY PROLIFIC. 
Early Prolific is one of the varieties originated by Sol Wright, 
of Crowley, La. It is a medium-grain rice, very much like his famous 
Blue Rose. Early Prolific has not been extensively grown in Cali- 
fornia, though a small acreage of it is sown each year. In favorable 
rice years Early Prolific yields well, but in cool years and under 
unfavorable weather conditions it does not develop normally. It 
heads and ripens late, produces low yields, and the grain is of poor 
quality in California. 
EDITH. 
Edith is another variety originated by Sol Wright at Crowley, La. 
It is a long-grain rice, very much like Honduras in growth and appear- 
ance. In favorable rice years Edith has produced good yields in 
California, but under unfavorable conditions it does not develop 
normally. It heads and matures late and produces rice of inferior 
quality. Only a very small acreage of this variety is sown in 
California. 
CONTROL OF WEEDS. 
The California rice industry has been remarkably free from insects 
that affect the growing crop, but since its beginning has been con- 
fronted with serious weed pests. In rice fields conditions are ideal 
for the growth and development of plants that inhabit wet places. 
These plants, being vigorous and hardy, reproduce rapidly and if 
not promptly controlled spread very quickly. Weeds in rice fields 
increase the cost of production, decrease yields, and reduce the market 
Value of the crop. Every effort should be made to keep weeds under 
control by preventing them from maturing seed either in the fields 
or along the fences, roads, and ditches. 
The worst weeds in the California rice fields are: Barnyard g] 
{EchinocMoa crusgalli) and varieties, locally known as water g] 
scale-grass (Leptochloa fascicularis\ locally known as ray-grass; cat- 
tails (Typha latifolia), commonly called tules; spike rush [Eleocharis 
palustris), locally known as wire-grass: sedges, or umbrella plants 
(Cyperus erytJirorMzos, C. vireus, and C. diandrus); canary g 
(Phalaris paradoxa); crabgrass (SyntJierisma sanguinalis) ; joint-grass 
(Paspahurt distichum) ; red-stem (Ammannia coccinea)] red rice 
(Oryza rujipogon) : and cheat (Bromus sec<ili/< 
