1829. SOIL—CORN—POTATOES. 287 
The large ends are then forced down, the ground turned up, 
and the lumas pushed forward again, while the woman uses 
her stick to turn the clods over, to the right and left, alter- 
nately. These clods are afterwards broken up by a wooden 
tool, in the shape of a pick-axe, called ‘ hualate,’ made of the 
wood named meli. Rude as this process is, the operation is 
rapidly performed, and I have seen a field, ploughed in this 
way, that would not do much discredit to an expert plough- 
man with a European plough. 
The soil is a rich, sandy loam, of a dark red colour ; and 
although rarely, if ever manured, produces fair average crops. 
According to the usual allowance of 175lbs for a fanega of 
wheat,* the weight of a bushel would not be more than 514lbs., 
which shews that the grain is but poor. Wheat is sown in the 
month of April, and cut in the same month of the following 
year ; but from the humidity of the climate, and constant rain, 
particularly at that season (the commencement of winter), it is 
frequently reaped before it is ripe, and almost always gathered 
in wet. Every subsequent sunny day is taken advantage of, to 
dry the grain, but a part must be spoiled by mildew. The 
evaporation, however, is so great, that merely moving it about, 
and keeping it thinly strewed in granaries, will effect much. 
It is trodden out by oxen, and to clean it, the grain is thrown 
up in the wind by means of broad wooden shovels, and effec- 
tually separated from the chaff. This rude winnowing takes 
place frequently in the principal streets of San Carlos, and 
even at the mole, where one would suppose that a great deal 
must be lost; but from the adroitness of the operation, it is 
not only well cleaned, but suffers no diminution. 
Potatoes are planted in September, October, and November, 
and are fit to dig up in May. 
Of the proceeds of harvest, one-tenth is paid as a tribute, or 
* The fanega weighs 175lbs. and contains twelve almudes, which 
being cubic measures of eight inches and a half, contain each 614-125 
cubic inches; therefore a fanega contains 7369-5 cubic inches, and as an 
English bushel contains 2150-4 cubic inches ee = 51 §, lbs. the 
weight of a bushel. 
