10 



In places where there are forests, these are completely 

 cleared, avoiding, however, the destruction the wood by fire 

 so as to pi-event burning the vegetable-mould at the same 

 time. Some people burn the wood as much as possible and 

 mix the ash with the soil ; others again — although 

 rarely — leave part of the forest, pull down the rest, clean 

 the ground and then set the plants, so securing them a 

 little shade. 



Those who destroy the forest entirely do not neglect 

 to leave some rows of trees on the windward side, in order 

 to protect the young trees. 



The level grounds are cleared of all sorts of wild 

 grass, and sometimes they are then tilled by means of the 

 „patjol", seldom with the plough. 



On the slopes, clearing is only done by the hand or 

 by means of the „arit" (a kind of bent knife), as the patjol 

 makes the mould too loose, so that, in the time of heavy 

 rains, it would be washed down to the plains. To prevent 

 the latter inconvenience terraces are formed; these can 

 be tilled with the patjol without harm. 



In no lands whatever is „alang-alang" (a kind of 

 long grass) allowed to remain; this injurious weed must 

 be uprooted, dried and destroyed by fire. 



Generally, in Java, holes are made before putting the 

 plants into the ground. To this eud, in the cleaned ground 

 holes are made of 2 feet diametre and 2 feet depth, which 

 are left open to the air for two months, after which period 



