Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1917-08-03

late the poor potato has become as
scarce as attractive heiresses and they
are as eagerly sought after. Many a
dlsconSOlate lover has found that an
other sister of the starch family is
possessed of attractions second only to
her expensive sister, and today the
eating of rice is becoming general
throughout the country.
1t isn't bad habit 70 acquire, either,
this eating of rice. Rice is nutritious
and palatable and digests well. 1t can
be cooked quickly, without the neces-
sity of troublesome preparation and
without waste. 1t is almost a perfect
substitute for potatoes, and 1t forms
the basis for the food supply of over
two-thirds of the peoples of the world.
In fact, practically every other coun-
try In the world consumes more rice
than the United States, on the basis
of population, and its enforced use
here, due to war conditions, ought to
prove benefit to our people. Rice
has been grown in this country for
more than two hundred years, the
growing areas being restricted, how
ever, to several of the Southern states.
Within the last few years California
has entered the field as rice pro-
Queer, and the development of the crop
in that state has been remarkable
From $500 acres planted in California
in 1913, the acreage has grown TO co.
600 acres in 1916, with a crop valued
81 over four million dollars The 1917
planting will exceed 100000 acres The
total devoted to rice culture In the
United States is about 100000 acres,
and the 1916 crop amounted to 49,
1900 bushels. This is less than half
the quantity consumed in this cOun-
try however, as great quantities are
Imported from the Oriental countries.
Japan, great rice producer, las more
than two thousand varieties of rice,
but there are only three or four va
rieties grown in this country.
Rice, like oranges and lemons, re-
qulres certain favorable conditions for
its growth. The climate must be
warm. with plenty of sunshine and
hot days. The land must be practi-
cally level with plenty of water avail
able. The top soil should be under
laid with a subsoil that is impervious
to water. The sIbsoil should lie near
the surface, for a deep soil requires
more water and more time for it's sub
mergence than a shallow one. Good
drainage is necessary to get the land
in condition quickly for harvesting
and to prevent the crops from becom-
ing waterlogged. Like all cereal crops,
rice should be harvested quickly after
1t reaches maturity. One of the great
difficulties which the Southern growers
had to contend with was their inability
to get on to the land quickly to har-
vest the crops after the water had
been drained off. In California the
growers have solved this problem by
using small but powerful ball-tread
tractors that run on their own endless
track. and are capable of pulling the
harvesting machinery through mud
that would mfre horses These trac-
tors, by reason Of their adaptability to
changing conditions, are also used for
almost any kind of work on the ranch,
They will do the blowing and checking
or the land, will haul supplies to and
from markets. will pump water from
the irrigation bitches, or the motor viii
turn a feed mill or churn the butter
for the housewife.
In rice culture the size of the field
depends largely upon local conditions.
Where the land is very level, a field
may range from sixty to eighty acres.
While In other localities the fell can
not be larger than one or two acres.
In Oriental countries, where all the
labor Is done by hand, the fields ,er-
age half an acre In area AS water is
required to stand at uniform depth
over the growing rice it must neces-