6 Remarks on Agriculture 



water called Mahipal-dighi, about six coss from 

 Dinajpii7\ 



To remove earth from one place to another, a yoke 

 of bamboo is furnished witli two appendages, called 

 Bharaa, somewhat resembling a coarse sieve, the 

 outside composed of split bamboos wattled or ttvisted 

 over each other, and the middle part of twine, woven 

 somewhat like the bottom of a sieve. These vessels are 

 about a foot and a half in diameter; when loaded 

 with earth, or any other substance, they are carried 

 with the yoke. The yoke lies across one shoulder, 

 one weight hanging before and the other behind, 

 and is occasionally shifted from one shoulder to the 

 other. 



The Kodali, or digging-hoe is, in this district, set 

 much more towards the earth than in the southern 

 ]pB.Yts of Bengal, forming an angle' of about six de- 

 grees with the handle, whereas about Calcutta the 

 angle is not more than thirty degrees. This instru- 

 ment is used to dig the earth, or to grub up roots, and 

 destroy the coarse grass, when land is to be first broken 

 up. The Kodali is a very useful instrument, answer- 

 ing the purpose of both spade and hoe. 



The last instrument of husbandry which I shall 

 mention is the Kastya or Indian sickle. The blade 

 is curved, and edge-toothed like a sickle, but it is 

 much smaller and more rude than the Europeaii one. 

 The length of the blade is about eight or ten inches, 

 and its greatest width one and a half. It is fixed in 

 a rude handle; and is used to cut corn, grass, or 

 even brushwood upon occasion, being to the Hindu 

 a very useful instrument, although a European la- 



