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Rice

thus, and M'Culloch. His chief work is en-
titled Principles of Political Economy and
Taxation (1817). Ricardo is the chief repre-
sentative of the purely deductive method in
the science. His treatment of rent, profits,
and wages amounted to a revolution in po-
litical economy.

Rice (Oryza sativa), a cereal grass indigen-
ous to Asia, forming the staple food of more
than half the inhabitants of the globe. In
China nearly 5,000 years ago the sowing of
rice was an important religious ceremonial.

There are several members of the Oryza
family but the only one of any importance is
0. sativa, the common rice of commerce. The
Spaniards probably introduced it into South
America and it is said that it was cultivated
in Virginia as early as 1647. The rice plant

Rice
lt Bearded; 2, flower; 3, pistol; 4, caryopsfr.

is an annual varying in height from one to
5 or 6 ft., one variety, known as 'giant rice'
attaining a height of 12 or 15 ft There are
at least 5,000 varieties, nearly 1,000 of which
have been grown in the United States. It has
long tapering leaves and the flowers appear
as single-flowered spikelets in panicles 8 to
12 inches long. The grain consists of four
parts; the outer husk, usually golden in color,
the cuticle or inner skin, varying from a
creamy white to a mahogany red and con-
sisting of nitrogenous cells, the kernel or
actual rice grain, consisting of minute starch
cells, and the germ. Rice cultivation may be
broadly divided into two classes, upland or
dry cultivation, and lowland or wet cultiva-

tion. Both methods require a fairly high
temperature and a good supply of moisture.
The upland or dry method is similar to that
of other grains. By far the greater propor-
tion of rice is produced by the lowland
method. The varieties most abundantly cul-
tivated require a high summer temperature
and must be grown in fields capable of being
flooded at certain stages of their growth.
In the world's greatest rice-producing coun-
tries the harvesting is done by hand and by
native labor.

After the grain is dried sufficiently it is
threshed and stored ready for the mill. After
coming from the thresher it is known as
'paddy/ consisting of the grain proper, the
cuticle and the husk, which two last-named
are removed by milling. Finally it is polished
by friction and is then graded, barrelled and
ready for market.

Insect Pests and Diseases.—Chief among
the insect pests are the rice bug (Leptocorisa
acuta], which feeds on the rice panicles, or
heads, when formed; the stink bug (CEbalus
pugnax), which punctures the kernel in the
early stages so that it shrivels and becomes
valueless; the rice water weevil (Lissorhop-
trus simplex), which attacks the roots and
leaves of the growing plant; and the moth
(Chilo Plejadettus), whose larvae feed on the
stem of the rice. The disease or fungoid
growths to which rice is most liable are 'blast,'
which attacks it at the juncture of leaf blade
and sheath causing the plant to dry up and
a failure of the grains to fill; 'green smut' and
'black smut,' which attack the actual grains.
As a food rice is nutritious and easily digest-
ed. One hundred pounds of cleaned rice con-
tains 87.7 pounds of nutrients, consisting of
8 pounds of protein, 0.3 pounds fat, 79
pounds carbohydrates, and 0.4 pounds of ash.
The removal of the cuticle of rice in order
to procure the pure white article as we
usually see it, also removes part of the pro-
tein, fat and mineral matter and a large part
of the vitamin B., but, even so, polished rice
still remains valuable and nutritious. Brown
or unpolished rice can be obtained at the
better stores. Japanese beer (sake") and
Chinese 'shemshu' are distilled from rice and
in Japan the straw is made into hats, mats,
sandals, and screens.

Rice, Alexander Hamilton (1875- ),
American geographer and explorer, born in
Boston. He has devoted much time to scien-
tific exploration in tropical South America
and has mapped over 500,000 sq, m. of that