Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1920-02-11
WILD RICE CAN BE
MADE VAL LIABLE CROP

Bismarck, n. Neither the plow
the shovel or the hoe is essential to
ono OF the most important food crops
IN America today, according to I)r
Melvin H. Gilmore. curator of Tho
North Dakota Historical! Society, en-
phaSlzing the potential value Of wild
rice or mock oats
DR.. Gilmore is engaged in an inves
ligatiCn Of North American IosSibili
ties in cultivation Of native plants
one Of his recent announcements rCla
tive to the food value Of the water
lily, genus "Nelumbo Utica common
~ known as the American lotus. has
resulted in varied inquiries from he
commercial world. Among the more
recent was Il letter from an official OF
the Mississippi Valley National Parh
Association, which owns land in north
ern Iowa dotted with lily ponds.
Responding to letters on the sub
ject. DR.. Gilmore calls attention 20 tho
adartability Of water lily acreage tC
the development of wild rice.
wild rice will flourish in am
sweet water, water not alkaline the
investigator states. ct abOunds If
fresh water from a few inches to sew
eral feet deep. In its native state il
sOWs itself and has thus become album
dant in sections throughout the cont
nent, particularly in the northern lake
region. Although it is on the market
to some extent. it is receiving by M
means the attention it deserves from
the American people as a whole.
Tho Indians considered wild rice
a food factor so vital that it wa,
worth lighting for The ChippeWaS
pushed the Dakotas out of the Mime
sofa lake region in order to procure
the rice fields. the incident markin.
one CT the first instances in which &
tribe used firearms to overcome thf
spears, bows and arrows and toma
hawks Of an opponent
DR.. Gilmore reports findings which
indicate the Indians used wild ricf
much as other small grains are now
used 1t should not be confused Wit
the common variety OF rice, he says
because ii is an entirely different
genus. 1t has much the appearance
Of oats and was known to the early
French settlers as "folle avoine" OF
fool oats" The Indians had various
names for it, the ChippeWas calling i
''manomin,' from which later came
the designation Of the menomini o,
wild rice tribe.
"Manomin' has played an impor
tant part geographically in the cen
tral west, the curator notes. He cites
the names of numerous geographic
units derived from various appella
tons for the product. Among these
are the names OF such cities and lakes
in Wisconsin and Minnesota as Me
nominee, Las DIES Fole ANOine anC
Rice Lake.
Better harvesting is at present (
prime requirement to increase ant
improve the crop, DR.. Gilmore says
The Indians Went about the water
ways in canoes or roWboatS to knock
OFF and collect the grains. Modern
harveStCrS travel about the ponds ant
lakes in launches and a motor-pro
PEELED fan or paddle drives the rice
into the boat
BY increasing the wild rice supply
he notes that the flesh supply also
would be increased, since the product
is 4 iayOrite food Of water fowl He
states the biological survey at Wash
ington Is actively interested in aug
menting the area devoted to CROWNS
OF wild rice, because Of its value as
rood tor ducks and water fowl gener
ally