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Show THE GREATEST OF ALL. CHAINS Not over one person in a million could correctly answer the query, "Which of all the grains iB the most largely produced?" The response invariably would be, "Wheat." It is not surprising that such a general misapprehension should exist in tbo mind of any person, except as one might have cause lo investigate or study up the subject. Wheat in thia country is, in comparison with any or all other food growths combined, we might say, the only all-important product. Ita position ua a necessity in the fiat ot the family food has naturally caused its first and best heir, bread, lo bo called, in popular parlance, par-lance, "the etafi of lile." Poor indeed is he who cannot, morning, noon and nigh1,, havo at least hia fill of bread. So it is that we judged things by our immediate surroundings. And yet, such a conclusion is far from correc'.. The response to the prayer, "Give ua this day our daily bread," is not an abundant harvest of wh::at, but ol rice, so far as the needs of tbe largest numbers of people are concerned. The annual product of tbe Caro-linas Caro-linas and Louisiana averages 80,000,-OuO 80,000,-OuO ponuds. Our design in present- j i ig tho amount raised in this country is for the sake of comparison, and that the reader may more quickly perceive tho magnitude of tho growth abroad. In the Oriental countries rice is extolled as superior to all other species of food, and as an article oi first necessity. So completely ia its presence deemed requisite at all meals that the term "lap" boiled rice, enters into every compound that impliea the ceremony of eating. . 'Tche-fan," to eat rice, signifies a ' meal generally; "teao-fan," morning rice, means breakfast; and by "ouan-fau," "ouan-fau," evening rice, supper is implied. Every substitute for this favorite food ' is considen d meager and indicative of ; the greatest wretchedness. Having shown the important position tho ar- . title occupies, we have only lo remind the reader of the vast populations in China, the Fast lndiesaud the islands adjacent, which, according to the latent estimates, exceed SOO,OUO,000. jj With more than hall of this number -it constitutes their only article of diet. The total product of the east last year waa a little over 250.000.0u0.000 ol l ,j" pounds, which amount is over 3,000 J times the quantity grown in the ? United States. This amount is nearly - all consumed within their own terri j lories. The proportion slhpDed to j Europe and South America, though i large, is, as compared to the huge . product, but a small item, being kse than 1 per cent. In this connection we present a brief account of the East Indian mode of cultivating and preparing their rice. The mountain grain cultivated cul-tivated in Cochin-China and amongst tho Himalaya chain is by some called dry rice, but even this ia not raised without the aid of heavy periodic peri-odic raina. Every quality iB properly an aquatic crop, and a brook or river ride is, as a rule, selected as tho site (or plartiug. Rice grounds consist of neatly enclosed spaces, the clay banks 9urrouudiDg them seldom exceeding two feet in height. The primary operation of tillage, ploughing, ig pertormcd with a very primitive tm-plenifmt tm-plenifmt that consists of a heara, handle and couiler, the mou'd-buard v.ing beyond their rural knowledge. The bullalo, or water ox, is then ulled iu to draw the three-barred Liarrow, with wooden teeth, over the -urface, alter which the earth is ieerued suGicien'y pu:vprized to received tie teed. Having been steepc-d in a liquid prep.,ra- l tion, to acce'erste germinal. on . and avert the attacks of inserts, tbe,'fi i eee J is sown very thickly, and almost i immediately aiterwird covered with ' a thin heet of water. In a few days the ohoots overtop the water, which is ! the signal far transplanting, This c u ria's in plucking up the plants by tiit) rro's, cutling t IT the UiS of the bii.de-, and setting each ru;t separately. separ-ately. Eeb rice field beio p.rti-' liouLd into many uuum enclodurts, it is nut attended nith iuconveuiencc to c.ifidr.ct a livulet into any particular plantation, through an opening in tue clay ride that surrouuiis it. More frequently, however, the labor of the P'jas uit provides it. CDaiu pumps ure in cuinni:n use a (.cries of 11 it boards cxieily fiUed lo the rhanu I , through which it is tu Ik- force:!- The.-c aro worked by a fo.it uiili U proportionate propor-tionate dimensions. W,th the vaat majority moil primitive methods are etill adhered to. In one ol theeo plans two Dim eland opposite each other on prop cling b-iuks of a stream, holding ropes securely attached to a bucket, which is filled by relaxing , and raised by tightening the cords Then, by a ekilliul j'Tk, they empty the contents into a reservoir, or throw it in the direct'on of the conduit cut fort:. e irrigation of some one field. Another c.mlnvanco for the same 'purpone consists of a long pole, Bome- what like an old-lashioued well sweep, j but made to turn ou a pivot across an upright post. A bucket attached to the shorter arm of this lever is easily lowered into the water, and, when filled, is raised and discharged iuto tha retcr-vrir. retcr-vrir. Irrigation bavmg performed its anticipated work, the rice! grows rapid-y. The culm ranges Ircm one lo sir feet; it ia annual, erejt, simple, round and jointed. The! It'iives arti large, linn and pointed, I iiriring Irom very lurg, cylindrical and finoly striated sheaths. The ; flowers are disposed in a large and beautiful panuicle, resembling that of the oat. As the crop npproaches maturity sluioio are closed and tho witer with held. In May or June the first crop j is generally cut, and before tho harvesting har-vesting is wholly completed preparations prepara-tions are begun (or a now or second .sowing, by pulling up the Btubble, collecting it into small heaps, the ashes ol which, af.er burning, are pcattered over the surface. The second sec-ond crop attains maturity in October jand November. Ita stubble is turned under with tbe plow. The cutting of j the crop is done with a sickle, after which tho bundltd grain is romoved to the Ibrohmg Apparatus iu frames suspended at the extremities of a bamboo p:)lo The edge of a plaufe, tbo margin of a I large tub, with a screen drawn up behind are them, are the moBt popular threshing machines employed I in the empire, but fl.iils are used on ' the larger larms.or where there is any considerable quantity to be freed from i the Btalk. Within tbe past few years several sev-eral large milla have been constructed in the east, but tho dressing for home I consumption is generally accomplished by a machine consisting of a single lever, pestlo and mortar, worked by a foot- board. HO, EVERYBODY 1 Bring your Harper's Bos'.hly, Weekly, ami Bazara to tho Kxbaij) Bindery. First-oiass work at low rates. ro |