Walsh. — On the Cultivation and Treatment of the Kumara. 19 



When all was ready several of the leading women of the 

 hapu, taking each a basket of the seed, threw it right and 

 left over the ground as they walked up and down chanting a 

 waiata, the actual planting being done by the rest of the 

 party. The sets were placed one in each bill, about 2 in. or 

 3 in. below the surface, with the head slightly raised and 

 pointing towards the nortb, the approximate meridian being 

 marked by conspicuous hilltops or other natural objects. It 

 was believed that the sun, rising in summer in the south-east 

 and passing round by the north to the south-west, had the 

 effect of producing tubers on both sides of the plant. 



As the business drew T near completion the kaumatua, or 

 head chief, chanted a long piece, partly as a stimulus to the 

 workers and partly as a signal to the slaves to get ready the 

 evening meal ; and when the party left the field they were 

 relieved of the tapu by a further ceremony conducted by the 

 tohunga. 



The tapu, however, remained on the plantation during the 

 whole period of growth, during which, as before stated, it was 

 unlawful for any one not under tapu to enter it, while even a 

 tapu person was obliged to use the greatest circumspection. 

 It was unlawful to enter the cultivation either from the south, 

 the east, or the west. The south was the worst of all, as a 

 person coming from that quarter might bring in the cold 

 cutting wind that was so injurious to the kumara, while on the 

 east or west the xvairua (shadow) cast by the sun might spoil 

 the crop. From the north, however, a person, if properly tapu, 

 might enter, as it was thence that the warm breezes came 

 that gave health and vigour to the plants. 



Care of the Crop. 



The work of cleaning the growing crop was a comparatively 

 light one in the old days, as the host of troublesome weeds 

 that have accompanied European cultivation had not then 

 made their appearance. One weeding was considered suffi- 

 cient, and it was done in the dry summer weather by a party 

 made tapu for the occasion, and armed with small wooden 

 spades shaped something like a short paddle. Care, however, 

 had to be taken to prevent the vines from rooting on the 

 surface, as this was found to reduce the strength of the plant. 



The laborious work of fencing against cattle and pigs was 

 unnecessary before these animals were introduced by the early 

 navigators. Captain Cook, however, noticed that the planta- 

 tions were " fenced in, generally with reeds, which were placed 

 so closely together that there was scarcely room for even a 

 mouse to creep between." This was done to shelter the crop 

 from the strong winds which blew in the early summer ; and 

 in exposed situations additional breakwinds, formed of fern 



