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Oryza. HEXANDRIA DIGYNIA. | 203 
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air. The soil is generally of great depth, many feet pure 
mould without the least mixture of'sand, small stones, 
&c. Itis of a darker colour than garden mould in general. 
During the dry hot’ seasons these fields retain the water 
long upon the surface, allowing but little ‘to” escape 
through, so that most of the waste is by immediate eva- 
poration. a 
The Hindoo farmers divide the numerous varieties 
into two orders ; the first they call the Poonas, or the 
early sorts ; the second the Pedda, and Worloo, or Ped- 
da Panta, which means the late or great crop. 
1S 4, 
Division First, : 
Teling. Poonas. Sungskrit, Asoo, Beng. were 
The varieties of this order are generally, if the weather 
admits,sown thick in June, or early in July, on such small 
well laboured spots as are a little above the level of the 
common rice lands, for fear of their being too long inun- 
dated by heavy rains ; at the same time it is necessary that 
those spots should be so situated, as to admit of be- 
ing watered, in case of too dry weather: In about furty 
days, if the season has been favorable, the young plants 
will have attainegl to the: height of from nine to eighteen 
inches ; by this time fields are flooded, ‘slightly plough- 
ed, and made level by dragging by a pair of bullocks, or 
buffaloes, a long flat piece of wood. The fields being now 
in the state of very soft mud ; the plants are taken up and 
Wansplanted by the hand. It is astonishing to see how 
Soon a few labourers, men, women, and children, will 
plant a field, nothing more is now requisite to bring the 
etop to maturity, than keeping the fields constantly wet, 
More or less flooded, according to the sort of rice up- 
°n it, for some sorts require very little water, while others 
“manne: a great deal. .When nearly ripe, the water is. 
Off some days before they cut- down: he grain, 
Zz3 
