KASHMIR VALLEYS 115 



the fields, but some prefer to rear the young plants in 

 nurseries. When the plants begin to grow, then is the 

 time for the cultivator to show his skill, for this kushaba 

 is no ordinary weeding. With hands or feet, preferably 

 the former, each plant has to be felt, distinguished 

 from weeds or false rice, as the spurious varieties are 

 called, and packed as close together as possible. Some- 

 times the entire crop is uprooted and replanted, and 

 one man at least must be continually on the watch till 

 the plants are sufficiently strong to fight their own 

 battles, so fast-growing and choking are the weeds. No 

 one not trained to this species of mud larks from their 

 earliest days can hope to excel, and none need expect 

 to escape from lumbago, the sure result of standing for 

 hours in icy water and insufficient clothes. Three times 

 has this process of weeding and pulling up the crop to 

 be gone through, and a man had better not be beguiled 

 by the large returns of a successful rice harvest into 

 attempting to cultivate it unless possessed of a water- 

 proof skin, web feet, a double-hinged back, and perfect 

 sight and touch wherewith to detect the slightest 

 variation of leaf, the only outward difference in the 

 young plants between the good and the useless. 



Even when swamped with greatest care and scuffled 

 with skilful fingers, fatal disease often destroys the labour 

 of two spring months. " Rai " works great havoc, and 

 is as mysterious in its origin as peculiar in its cures. Of 

 these I had an example, for, as I was resting, hat in 

 hand, under a solitary chenaar that sentineled a great 

 terrace of fields, a native inquired if I were alone. 

 " No," I replied, not understanding the drift of his 

 question, and as one at home might answer, " I am 

 waiting for the policeman," and added, " My camp is just 



