304 MANILLA. 



of a brilliant white, and to withstand the weather. This variety is 

 not, however, believed to be wholesome. There is also a variety of 

 this last species which is used as food for horses, and supposed to be 

 a remedy and preventive against worms. 



The rice grounds or fields are laid out in squares, and surrounded 

 by embankments, to retain the water of the rains or streams. After 

 the rains have fallen in sufficient quantities to saturate the ground, 

 a seed-bed is generally planted in one corner of the field, in which the 

 rice is sown broadcast, about the month of June. The heavy rains 

 take place in August, when the fields are ploughed, and are soon filled 

 with water. The young plants are about this time taken from the 

 seed-bed, their tops and roots trimmed, and then planted in the field 

 by making holes in the ground with the fingers and placing four or 

 five sprouts in each of them ; in this tedious labour the poor women 

 are employed, whilst the males are lounging in their houses or in 

 the shade of the trees. 



The harvest for the aquatic rice begins in December. It is reaped 

 with small sickles, peculiar to the country, called yatap ; to the back 

 of these a small stick is fastened, by which they are held, and the 

 stalk is forced upon it and cut. The spikes of rice are cut with this 

 implement, one by one. In this operation, men, women, and children 

 all take part. 



The upland rice requires much more care and labour in its cultiva- 

 tion. The land must be ploughed three or four times, and all the 

 turf and lumps well broken up by the harrow. 



During its growth it requires to be weeded two or three times, to 

 keep the weeds from choking the crop. The seed is sown broadcast 

 in May. This kind of rice is harvested in November, and to collect 

 the crop is still more tedious than in the other case, for it is always 

 gathered earlier, and never reaped, in consequence of the grain not 

 adhering to the ear. If it were gathered in any other way, the loss 

 by transportation on the backs of buffaloes and horses, without any 

 covering to the sheaf, would be so great as to dissipate a great portion 

 of the crop. 



It appears almost incredible that any people can remain in igno- 

 rance of a way of preventing so extravagant and oppressive a mode 

 of harvesting. The government has been requested to prohibit it on 

 account of the great expense it gives rise to; but whether any steps 

 have ever been taken in the matter, I did not learn. It is said that 

 not unfrequently a third part of the crop is lost, in consequence of the 



