RICE CULTURE IN CALIFORNIA 6 
Table 1. — Acreage, acre yield, production, and farm value of rice in California 
from 1912 to 1924, inclusive 
[Bushels of 45 pounds] 
Year 
1912.. 
1913... 
1914.. 
1915- 
1916... 
1917.. 
1918- 
Acreage 
Per 
acre 
Production 
(bushels) Farm 
value. De- 
cember 1 
1,400 
6,100 
15,000 
34,000 
55, 300 
80, 000 
106. 220 
50.0 
48.0 
53.3 
66.7 
59.0 
70.0 
66.0 
Total 
70, 000 
293, 000 
800, 000 
2, 268, 000 
3, 263, 000 
5, 600, 000 
7,011,000 
$64, 000 
293, 000 
800,000 
2,041,000 
2, 545, 000 
9, 800, 000 
13,321,000 
Year 
Acreage 
1919 
142,000 . 
1920 
162,000 
1921 _ 
135, 000 
1922 
140,000 
1923 
106,000 
1924« 
88,000 
Production 
(bushels) 
Per 
acre 
Total 
Farm 
value, De- 
cember 1 
55.5 
60.0 
54.0 
55.0 
51.6 
50.0 
7,881,000 
9, 720, 000 
7, 290, 000 
7,700,000 
5, 470, 000 
4,497,000 
$21,042,000 
11,761,000 
8, 384, 000 
8, 470, 000 
6, 126, 000 
7, 465, 000 
i Preliminary estimate 
This bulletin describes the nature of the environmental conditions at 
the Biggs Rice Field Station, gives the results of experiments on water- 
grass control and rate of seeding, shows the effect of continuous crop- 
ping to rice, and discusses the varietal experiments conducted during 
the past few years. 
ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS > 
SOIL 
The soil at the Biggs Rice Field Station is Stockton clay adobe, 
dark gray to black in color. This soil is very sticky and waxy when 
wet and holds water well, but cracks badly when thoroughly dry and 
is very difficult to work when either too wet or too dry. 
The soil at the station is representative of a large part of the rice- 
growing area in California, and the results obtained thereon are 
applicable in a general way to other sections of the Sacramento Val- 
ley in which rice is grown. 
TEMPERATURE 
The Sacramento Valley is subject to wide ranges of temperature. 
The winters are comparatively cool, with some freezing weather. 
The springs are warm and the summers are hot, though the summer 
nights are usually comparatively cool. A daily range in tempera- 
ture of 40° F. is very common. These wide ranges in temperature 
between day and night affect the development of the rice crop, and 
only the hardier types of rice do well under such conditions. The 
fall is usually warm but seldom hot. 
Table 2 presents data showing the maximum, minimum, and the 
extreme daily range in temperature, by months, from April 1 to 
October 31 during the 12-year period from 1913 to 1924, inclusive. 
June, July, August, and September are the hottest months, with 
maximum temperatures of 96° F. or higher each year. The highest 
temperature recorded during this 12-year period was 112° F. in Au- 
gust, 1913. April and October are the coolest months for which 
data are recorded in the table. The lowest temperature recorded in 
April was 28° F. in 1917 and 1921; the lowest temperature recorded 
in October was 33° F. in 1919. 
i Jones, J. W. Rice experiments at the B ggs Rico Field Station in California U. S. Dipt. .Agr. Bu 1 
1155, 59 p., illus. 1923 
