Observations on Methods of Growing Rice in Japan, Korea, China, Java, and the Philippine Islands

Excerpts from the Introduction: The first commercial rice crop was grown in California in 1912. The high prices paid for rice during the World War resulted in a rapid expansion of the California rice industry, and in 1920 162,000 acres were sown. The acreage in rice decreased during the depression following the World War to less than 100,000 acres, but in 1926 about 155,000 acres were sown. Climatic conditions in California are well suited for the production of the short-grain Japan rices. The medium-grain and long-grain rices, however, do not produce dependable crops. Short-grain rices are, therefore, grown almost exclusively in California. Since Japanese rices have been found to be best adapted, to California conditions it is natural to turn to Japan for other varieties for trial. In 1925 the United States Department of Agriculture, therefore, decided to send a man to Japan and other oriental countries to make a collection of rice varieties for testing in California and to secure information on the methods employed in rice improvement work and other means of increasing yields and improving the quality of the rice crop. The writer was selected to make this trip and was authorized to visit Japan, Korea, China, Java, and the Philippine Islands. I sailed from San Francisco on September 1, 1925, for Japan, and after collecting rice varieties in various parts of Japan went to Korea, from Korea to China, from China to Java, and from Java to the Philippine Islands. In the pages that follow the methods used in growing rice in the countries visited are given. In preparing this paper material from the Year Book of Japan, the Year Book of China, and the Hand Book of the Netherland East Indies has been used in various places. Statistical reports for the various countries have also been freely used.