RICE. 105 
known in Europe, though of late years it has been 
cultivated with success in Tuscany. Its grains are 
whiter, finer, and more palatable than those of the 
marsh rice. 
After the harvesting of rice, the next process is to 
free the grains from the husk in which they are en- 
veloped. There are several ways of doing this. In 
some places they are pounded in large mortars, and 
afterwards winnowed. In others large cylindrical pes- 
tles are lifted by a wheel worked by oxen ; and between 
these one person sits and pushes forward the rice to 
be beaten, whilst another carries it off to be winnowed, 
and supplies fresh parcels. The inhabitants of several 
parts of the East throw it into hot water, by which the 
grains are slightly swelled, and thus burst through the 
husk. In the island of Ceylon, and in some parts of 
America, a hollow place, about a foot in depth, and 
nine or ten yards in diameter, is dug in the ground. 
This is filled with corn, which is trodden by oxen 
driven round it until the grain is cleared. The Sacred 
and other writings inform us that this was the mode 
which the ancients adopted with other species of grain* 
In Spain, when the rice is ripe, it is gathered into 
sheaves, and put into a mill, where the lower grinding 
stone is covered with cork; and, by this means, the 
grain is separated from the husk, without being 
bruised. 
Rice is said to have been lately cultivated, with suc- 
cess, in some parts of Scotland ; and it is not impro- 
bable, that, by degrees, this species of grain may be 
naturalized to our climate. 
No kind of grain is so generally adopted for food in 
hot climates as this. The inhabitants of many parts of 
the East subsist almost wholly upon it ; and large 
quantities are annually imported into Europe, where 
it is highly esteemed for puddings and numerous culi- 
nary preparations. It is considered very nutritive, but 
it should not be eaten in too large quantities by lan- 
guid or debilitated persons. In a scarcity of other 
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