312 TRAVELS THROUGH 

 grown : the middle of June they hand-hoe 

 the whole ground very carefully. By the 

 defcription they give- of this operation, in 

 killing all weeds, ami loofening every part 

 of the land, drawing down fome earth to 

 every plant, it would in England be a very 

 expenfive work, -perhaps a dozen or fifteen 

 {hillings an acre 3 but here they perform it 

 for about as. and fometimes even for is. ^d. 

 About the end of July another hand-hoeing 

 is given, which draws down more earth, 

 fo as to fill the furrow up, earing the plants 

 at the fame time. About the middle of 

 Auguft they have a ftrange cuftom of drip- 

 ping the leaves off every plant, and the 

 blighted : ears at the fame time : both are 

 given to -cattle of all forts, who thrive re- 

 markably on them. The practice is cer- 

 tainly-injudicious, and the value of them 

 for cattle at the dry feafon of the year, when 

 grafs'is very fcarce, is the reafon they do it; 

 at leafl this muft probably have been the 

 original reafon, and the want of the leaves 

 for food has continued the practice. The 

 end of September the corn is fit for har- 

 vefting j the mode of doing it is neither by 

 reaping nor mowing, but women gather the 



ears 



