DYAK GARDENS THEIR PRODUCE. 233 



husk, or padi state, it may be kept for years without 

 injury, and is in this respect supposed to be equal to 

 the production of India or America. 



Besides the farms above described, the Dyaks have 

 small gardens, usually the property of women, in which 

 they plant vegetables of different kinds, principally 

 the ' trong,' brenjal of the East, and egg-plant of 

 Europe, sugar-cane, plantains, yams, sweet potatoes, 

 chilies, &c. A few plants of tobacco are generally 

 found in their farms, the leaves of which they prepare 

 by drying for their own use. Sisawi, a kind of 

 mustard, and a species of millet, are also planted 

 amongst the padi in small quantities. The sugar-cane, 

 which grows very freely, is only esteemed for its 

 saccharine juice, which they extract like the Malays, 

 by chewing. Of the plantains they have several fine 

 varieties ; that most esteemed is the ' pisang amas,' or 

 golden plantain ; its fruit is small and not angular, the 

 bunch is, however, uncommonly large it is of a rich 

 golden yellow colour, and much finer flavour than 

 most of the other kinds. The ' pisang merah,' or red 

 plantain, called ' pisang udang/ or prawn plantain, by 

 the Malays, and ' pisang baddat,' are the next in esteem, 

 and resemble each other, except in colour, which in the 

 former is red, in the latter yellow, with green ends; 

 many others are very fine, but as the varieties are so 

 numerous it is unnecessary to particularize them : the 

 * pisang tandok,' or horn plantain, bears fruit of from 

 twelve to eighteen inches in length, and is a well- 



