Pueblo chieftain., 1921-11-04
RICE DOPE

! ing us what we demand. If the peo-
| pie could be made to understand the
value of whole grains, and to like
| them, that a demand could be Great
ed. they would be supplied by the
trade This is already taking place
to some extent in the case of rice.
which is an instructive example in
many ways.
WHAT RICE IS
| The whole rice grain contains pro-
F., tein fat, starch, sugar. mineral mat
| ter. fiber and one of the most import
ant of the vitamines. BY removing
! the bran coat and the germ in milling.
+, part of the protein, fat and mineral
matter, and practically ali of the vi
| taminess are lost What remains is
mostly starch. Experiments in the
! tropics have shown that persons fed
almost wholly on polished rice con-
tract the dread disease known beri-
| bcri The publication of this fact has
caused some people TO fear polished
rice as food. AS n matter of fact.
polished rice is an excellent food to
furnish the starchy element in mix
| ed diet 1t is no more dangerous 10
| eat than wheat flour. as long as other
| foods are eaten with II. The point ia
simply that brown roce, from which
only the husk has been removed.
| leaving the germ with its vitamine
content. the mineral substances and
| the fat. is n vastly more valuable food
than polished riSc. 1t would tend to
supplement many OF the characteristic
| deficiencies Of our diet. 1t would be 4
great thing, therefore. If the use OF
brown rice could be made popular.
| The trade seems to be ready to
supply any demand there may he
, There are three grocery stores at
least in Washington where brown rice
I may be bought from fall until spring.
| 1t is not kept in the summer, because,
as one grocer put it. it becomes "weev-
| lily" 1t can be bought in this city.
however. at least eight months In the
year. Doubtless II can be bought at
large grocery stores in other cities.
In smaller places it il not obtainable
simply because there is little or no
demand for IT.
| WILD RICE NOW SOLD
1t is a surprise TO find that the re-
tail stores here also have for sale
the wild rice OF North America. This
\ is grain. somewhat distantiy related
10 the true rice. which grows in many
OF our swamps and marshes. 1t is the
favorite food OF wild fowl. 1t was
staple OF the American Indians, who
used to paddle through the marshes in
| their canoes and shatter the grain
into the boat with their paddles. Some
| Of the pioneers used II. too. 1t IL a
tasty and nutritious grain. Many per-
! sons living in this country could
gather an abundant supply of thi.
.
knew 1t when they saw IL. 1t Is said
| that the cultivation OF the wild rice
Is almost impossible because OK the
ease with which 1t skaters.
! The growing OF rice has had an in
teresting history in this country. Al
! though rice has been grown in the
| tropics since before written history
began. IL did not reach this country
until about 100. "A bag OF rice was
| then brought TO Charleston. 8. c on
a ship, and the cultivation of II began
| In small way. IL soon became the
staple crop of tnat region and was
grown -h the tidal marshes by the
use p much hand labor. for machine
cry could not be used in the deep mud.
| Rice growing was very profitable. but
only because of the presence OF slave
labor. Tho industry had the honor OF
supporting the most aristocratfc So
eiety which America has ever known
that of South Carolina before the war
The owners Of the great rice planta-
tons Of that state were the cream of
the old southern society. and most OF
the legend and story about old planta-
ton days i based upon them.
1his regime collapsed completely
when the civil War took its slaves
away from 1t. The rice fields rovert-
turo was at very low ebh in this coun-
try. Then IT ncghn again farther west,
where II was grown by different meth
ods. permitting OF the use of mschin-
cry. This western rice farming Is An
Industry OF recent growth. California
marketed its first rice crop in 1912.
The leading rice producing states now
IN the order OF their Importance arc
louisiana. Texas. Arkansas and Cali
fornia, Spme rice is raised in Mis-
sisssppi. Florida, Alabama and Mis-
souri,
The rice produced In these state.
ir more than enough to supply all the
needs OF this country. and more rice
could he raised. Tho general use of
rice, especially in its unpublished form.
Would give the nation one more great
food crop OF tho highest value.