
a i Caen By Clyde B. 7 
(Prom article in "The Game Breeder” Magazine. ) 
The old tame rice plantations along the South Carolina coast 
nake ideal places for game preserves. The old rise fields that were 
former gy flooded and used for tame rice growing, provide satisfactory 
condi ions for growing duck foods. Ducks, geese and other waterfowl 
can ve made to abound on these fields, while the uplands will support 
quail, turkeys, deer and other upland game. Zizania aquatica which 
is known in South Carolina as "Duck Oates”, and in the North aa "Wild 
Rice” grows on many of these old rice fields, especially along the 
Black River, west of Georgetown, South Carolina, Pickerel Plant 
(Pontederia cordata), Wild Duck Millet (Echinochloa crug-zalli) and 
certain plants of the water lily femily are other duck foods that 
grow successfully on o14 rice fields’ along the Black, Santee and 
Cooper Rivers. — 
Wild Rice, or "Duck Oats", planted in spring wil promic® @ crop 
of splendid duck food and cover the following fall. 
“Many of these old rice fields wers flooded by tide water. Banke 
were thrown around the fielde. Water gates were placed in these 
banks. When these gates were left open, or if the banka were broke. 
down in spots, the water flowed in and flooded the fields at high tide. 
and flowed out and drained then at low tide. 
“uck Oats" or Wild Rice does well on the old rice fields that 
are alternately flooded and drained by tides either through breaks in 
the banks or through leaving the gates open providing the water does 
“got Become salty to taste.” Ou the upper reaches of the rivers where 
the water does not become salty to taste, nothing is necessary excep” 
to sow the fields. In the lower parte of the river where the water 
is usually fresh but may become salty to taste at times, the fields 
should be flooded once every ten days. when fresh water is available 
Te banke and gates should be kept in good repair so that the salt 
water can be simt out during periods when the water becomes salty to 
taste in the river, and allowed to run into the fields only when it is 
not salty to taste. 
As an old South Carolina rice planter told me, it is necessary to 
change the water on tame rice fields, or the rice would become sick 
and die. The same change is needed to grow "duck oats" or Wild Rice 
and gome other plants on the menu of the wild duck, Sometimes fresh 
water may be supplied either from a reservoir or a flowing well to 
create the needed change of water. 
Where the water in the fields becomes sligntly salty to the taste, 
duck food plants such as Sago Pond Plant, Muskgraes, Widgeon Crass 
and Wild Celery should be used as they will stand a slight amount of 
salt water. Where the water is strongly salty to taste throughout the 
entire year, Bel Grass, (Zostera) is practically the only important 
duck food that can be grown. It is also attractive to geese and brant 
Food is the secret of attracting more wild ducks! These are some 
of the seerets of growing duck foods in the old Carolina rice fields. 
