VIII. ECONOMIC LIFE 



Rice Culture. — The most important crop raised by the Tinguian 

 is fice, and to its cultivation he devotes a considerable portion of his 

 time. Two distinct methods of growing are now found throughout 

 the district — the mountain or upland fields, in which the rice is raised 

 without irrigation; and the rice terraces with irrigation 1 (Plate 

 XLVIII). To prepare the first type of field, a piece of forest land 

 is chosen if possible, or lacking this, a plot covered with second 

 growth is selected. The purpose in using timber land is to escape 

 the cogon grass (Imperata koenigii), which quickly invades all open 



fig. 14. 

 Grass knife; Root adze; Rice Cutter. 



fields, and flourishes until the trees again shut out the sunlight. The 

 trees and underbrush are cut down during the dry season, so that they 

 may be ready for burning before the arrival of the first rains. Should 

 no timber land be available, an open piece will be selected, and after 

 the grass is burned, the soil will be partially cleared of its stubborn 

 roots by means of a large knife or adze-like instrument known as 

 paliek (Fig. 14, No. 2). 



'The mountain rice is known as langpadan, the lowland rice as pagF.y 

 (Ilocano palay). 



387 



