2?^8 AGUICULTUR-VL MUSEUM 



Iti'^ true that pigeons, and those birrls that do not scratch, 

 do uo damage to grain when covered with earth ; but 

 the dii^Vr- lice between the two kinds of seeds is, that 

 gr:i;n does nnt force itself out of tne giousid with tlie 

 shoot it prcduces, whereas hcnij* S( ed ibices its-elf out 

 ■\vhen it vogelales. Then it is liuit the p;g(;f.ns make 

 great havock, and upon sight of the ^ecd, tear the plant 

 and make it wiihvM. 



The peasants eudeavnu!" to frigbt a\>ay tlic birds by 

 scare-crows ; they also set thoir chiidren to protect the 

 lumo. But tht^se firecuutifMis are not fulh' adetjuate ; 

 foi-the task is diilicult when tlie liclds are extensive, and 

 hunger stinuilates the pigeons. Indeed 1 h;ive seen 

 strong j>ei-ons and even dogs, fi'om excess of fatigue, 

 abandon their charge Fortunate!}' this care is not re- 

 quired any le!!gth of time. There is an end of it when 

 the foliage has multiplied. 



The tii'ids, Avhich until the springing I'p of the hemp, 

 require much care and labor, demand but little more un- 

 til harvest. It sutiices to maintain the suriounding 

 diti'hi's in order, and to keep off the c;;ttle. Yet in gu;at 

 droughts there are some industrious people who water 

 their fields, provided they are of small extent, and the wa- 

 ter is at hand, and that they cannot be overliowed, which 

 is, I believe, piactised in some parts. 



I have already said that accidents sometimes happen 

 to make the hemp field thin, and ir has been observed that 

 the hemp is then thick, fall of branches, and incapable of 

 yielding a good thread. In this case, to derive some- 

 thit)g fiom the (ieid, if seed only, which form the coarse- 

 ness of the hemp will be of better quality, the field should 

 be weeded to prevent the weeds from choaking the 

 hemp. 



Towards the beginning of August, the stalks which 

 do not bear seed, and which are improperly called fe- 

 male hemp, but which I call male, begin to turn yellow 

 at the top, and white at the bottom, which indicates 

 them fit to be pulled. At this time, women enter the 

 field and pull up ali the male staiks; of which they make 



