80 THE WATER-SUPPLY 



water is brought to every rice-plot, are now being repaired in all 

 directions. The chief supply of water is from the springs found 

 at the head of almost every valley, which is carefully led by 

 channels cut and embanked round the curves of the hillsides, 

 being often taken thus for a considerable distance from its source. 

 Eventually this little canal resolves itself into a small stream 

 traversing the valley, from which smaller channels convey the 

 water to every field, so as to moisten the clods after they have 

 been dug over. 



The water-supply for the great Betsimitatatra plain is 

 derived from the Ikopa river and its many tributaries. Canals 

 tap these rivers at various points, in order to irrigate the fields 

 at lower levels farther down their course. A large quantity of 

 water is thus diverted from the rivers during September and 

 October, so that the smaller streams are almost dry, and even 

 the Ikopa and its affluents, good-sized rivers at other times of 

 the year, then become shallow and easily fordable. 



Before the end of October a large extent of the great plain, 

 especially to the north and north-west, is completely planted 

 with rice ; and a green level, looking like one vast lawn, stretches 

 away for many miles in this direction, without any break or 

 visible divisions. This green is the vary aloha, or "former 

 rice," the first crop, which will become ripe in the month of 

 January, or early in February. Smaller expanses of bright 

 green appear in other directions also, especially along the 

 courses of the rivers, but a considerable extent of the plain 

 directly to the west of the capital is still russet-brown in colour, 

 and will not be planted until a month or two later. From this 

 will come the later rice-crop, the (vary] vaky ambiaty, which is 

 planted in November or December and becomes fit for cutting 

 about April. This latter crop is so called because the flowering 

 of the ambiaty (Vernonia appendiculata) shrub, about November, 

 gives notice to the people that planting-time has come. This 

 shrub is very conspicuous about this time of the year from its 

 masses of white slightly tinged with purple flowers. 



The ketsa grounds are covered before sowing with a layer of 

 wood and straw ashes, so that they have quite a black appear- 

 ance. Before this, however, the clods have been broken up and 

 worked by the spade into a soft mud, with an inch or two of 

 water over all, and on this the grain is sown broadcast, springing 



