Varieties.
There are a great many varieties of rice, mainly the result of the different climates, soils and methods of cultivation under which rice has been produced through long periods of years. For prac tical purposes these numerous varieties may be reduced to a few. The three types mainly culti vated in the United States are the Carolina, the Honduras and the Japan. The famous Gold Seed rice of the Carolinas ranks among the best Hoes of the world for size, richness of kernel, and large yield. The so-called Honduras rice, mainly im ported from Mexico, is similar in form of grain and in habits of growth to the Carolina. Of the many varieties of Japan rice, all have the short, fat type of berry, but differ in habits of growth, length of head, date of maturity, strength of straw and other qualities. The Japanese appear to have bred and selected intelligently for certain charac teristics that would meet local requirements. Some are storm-resistant, some mature early, some have a straw very valuable for hats, and other varie ties are excellent for paper. Thus some valuable characteristics have been made dominant in each variety. All of the leading varieties excel in yield and milling qualities. It is not uncommon for the famous Kiushu rice (Japan) to mill 90 to 95 per cent of head rice ; 40 per cent is a good average for Honduras and 60 for Carolina.
Red rice (Oryza rqflpogon), so called because the grains are red or streaked with red, is a sep arate species, hardy, of early maturity and great vigor. In foreign countries it is not considered very objectionable, and in some countries, as Porto Rico, where the rice is slightly colored for common use with some harmless vegetable dye, the matter of the color of the grains has no com mercial importance. In the United States, how ever, the demand is for white rice and wherever the red rice invades a field the grade is lowered. Red rice can be eradicated by going through the fields and pulling all the stools of that variety, by. late coring-plowing or by rotation of crops.
IVild rice.—The wild rice of North America (Zi
zanee aquatica) differs widely from true rice. It abounds in places of shallow water, in marshy places and along the borders of lakes. The grain is about one-half inch long, slender, farinaceous. It shatters easily when ripe. Some tribes of Indians use it extensively for food. Chicago furnishes a market for it at a high price, where it is regarded as a great delicacy. It is not cultivated.
Oriental rice-culture.
In oriental countries the method of production usually followed is to plant in carefully prepared seed-beds, where, after the rice has germinated and is three inches tall, the soil is daily saturated with water till the plants have reached a height of six to eight inches, when they are ready for trans planting to the field. Two objects are attained by this method of growing the rice plants in beds and transplanting them to the fields. A more uniform stand and a larger yield are secured and later planting in the field is permitted, thus allowing time to harvest the winter crop to which the field was devoted. Transplanting is done by running a spade about two inches under the surface, which prunes the roots slightly and renders the plants easily pulled up by the tops. They are then pulled, tied in bundles of five or six, and carried to the field for setting. Previous to this the field is watered by rainfall or artificial irrigation, then spaded or plowed and further worked until the soil is a mass of fine, thick mud, four to six inches deep and covered with an inch or more of water. In this the field hands stand and set the plants in rows eight inches apart by six inches in the rows.
After setting, the field is kept flooded with water till the plants are about twelve to fifteen inches tall. The water is then drawn off, the rice is hoed, and by some growers slightly root-pruned. It is then reflooded and the water allowed to remain till about ten days before the grain is fully ripe. This period is gradually indicated by the head bending over from the weight of the grain.