200 



hoeings, reserved for a nursery, with a sonall ridge on all four sides 

 to retain the water which was poured over it from a water-hole 

 near-bye. One coolie was then put to tread the earth to a soft 

 mud consistency, whicli was then levelled and smoothed. A quan- 

 tity of 4 ounces of paddy, water-tested, which is equivalent to 75 

 pounds for one acre, was sown on the surface. 



Tlie paddy, so-called " hill paddy," used for seed, was un- 

 fortunately a very mixed lot containing many difPerent varieties 

 from the purjjle red " pulut rice " to various shades of brown and 

 3'ellow, with black awns, or yellow awns, or no awiis at all. One 

 variety showed two well defined longitudinal brown stripes on a 

 yellow husk. iSome showed later a tall habit of growth with droo])- 

 ing ears, others grew shorter stems with ears almost erect. 



As, however, there was no time to ascertain by selection the 

 respective qualities of each individual variety, the seed was sown 

 as it was received. 



Transplanting began in the middle of August, when the seed- 

 lings were about 12 incbes high. This was done after the nursery 

 had been thoroughly watered, so that, the soil being wet and loose, 

 the seedlings could l)e taken up with a ball of earth round their 

 roots. The planting was done by women on lines one foot apart 

 with ten inches' space on the lines, more or less regularly. In- 

 structions Avere given to plant only one seedling per hole, and this. 

 was adhered to as much as possible. 



So far, the method applied liad been tliat usually followed l\v 

 natives in planting wet rice, under irrigation, except that the plant- 

 ing of wet rice is done when the fields are already unrler water, 

 wliich was not the case here. 



From the time of transplanting, the young ])lants were left to 

 shift for themselves under tlie ordinary conditions wliich obtain for 

 " hill" or " dry paddy," that is to say they received only the water 

 from rains and no furtlier labour was spent on them except a weed- 

 ing ])efore the flowering, and also tliat of scaring birds away, whicli 

 wa.s performed by a boy. 



It may l)e here stated tliat the term " dnj jinddi/ " is open to 

 misconception, for although hill ]:>addy can l)e grown without irri- 

 gation, it, nevertheless, requires a considerable amount of rain at 

 somewhat frequent intervals. Where such conditions do not pre- 

 vail, where rains are not fairly dependable, tbe crop of so-called 

 '■ (]ri/ jjdddii " has but ])oor ])rospects. 



On the loth Dec-emlier, about 4 months after transiilanting. 

 the cutting of the croi> began at the ripest end of the field, the 

 work henceforth was all done by Tamil women, who show quite 

 a liking for it, and a marked expertness. 



The harvesting was done by cutting the ])anicles with their 

 stem down to the top leaf, the straw being left standing. Each 

 woman having secured a handful of panicles tied it with the to|) 

 leaf anil laid the sheaf downi 1o proceed further, 



