The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1910-02-12
Planting of Wild Rice
Will Recall the Duck
BY Tip Wright.

Where are the myriads of wild
duck which Is or 20 years ago
darkened the sky in migratory
flight?
Tens of thousands have gone to
the bag of the market hunter-the
fellow who slaughters birds at
rest from a sneak boat; other
thousands have gone to the sports
man'sman's 12-gauge-sportsman
If he followed the code in getting
his bag.
But great as has been the
slaughter, it has not thinned the
flocks sufficiently to account for
the disappearance of the lordly
canvasback, the toothsome NAL
lard, or that aerial lightning ex-
press, the blue wing teal.
In many sections that mud wal
lowing water hog, the carp, has
done maee to chase away the duck
than all the powder that has been
burned.
The greatest crime on the cal
endar against American sportsmen
was tina introduction of the carp
into our fresh water bodies. /
think this pest was introduced at
the time of the worlds fair, in
1893. They may have made their
appearance prior to this, but my
information is that some weisen-
heimer thought it fine to show the
carp, with other things, when We
were honoring Chris Columb.
All I have to say with respect
to this individual is that l don t
wish him any more harm than to
be turned loose in a camp of
duck hunters and fishermen some
dismal afternoon. If you ever
cast a fly or artificial bait, or
|crouched in blind you know
what this implies.
All the way from the breeding
ground, in the north, to the waters
in the south, the way of old was
dotted with wild rice, and the duck
fled as they flew, with never a
thought of hunger. But then
came the carp, and bingo went the
rice, and with it the duck.
The carp, wailowing in the mud,
devours the wild rice roots, until
today wherever the carp roots not
a spear of wild rice grows.
Efforts to propagate rice are be-
ing made by sportsmen in locali-
ties where the carp is not
1t is to these men l give this
information on growing rice, for i
know it will be appreciated.
Wild rice will grow in fresh
water south of SIS degrees north
latitude. The difficulty to over
come is poor termination. If per-
mitted to dry, the seed will not
terminate.
1t is best to SOW in the spring.
Mud bottom is necessary and the
water must not flow too swiftly,
nor must it be stagnant.
Seed must be gathered as soon
as mature and shipped in burlap
sacks to cold storage rooms. The
shortest possible time must elapse
between harvesting the seed and
storing 1t.
When received at the storage
plant, while fresh and before fer
mentation, 1t must be put into
buckets, open barrels or watts,
covered with fresh water and i'm
mediately placed in cold storage.
Light, immature seed, straw, bro
ken sticks, etc. should be removed
by floating in water preparatory to
storing. The temperature should
be just above freezing-what stor-
age men call the Chill room"
The seed must not be allowed to
dry in hte spring. before plant
ing. When planting, spread the
seed on water that is from one to
three feet Dope, near the shore.
II conditions are right a SPLEEN
did crop of wild rice, which will in
crease annually, should result.
One planting is sufficient, and
once the rice appears, 1t won't be
long before the duck finds and
seeks 1t every fall.