MANILLA. 
285 
and profit; of this they have several different varieties, which the 
natives distinguish by their size and the shape of the grain: the 
birnambang, lamuyo, malagequit, bontot-cabayo, dumali, quinanda, 
bolohan, and tangi. The three first are aquatic; the five latter upland 
varieties. They each have their peculiar uses. The dumali is the 
early variety; it ripens in three months from planting, from which 
circumstance it derives its name: it is raised exclusively on the up¬ 
lands. Although much esteemed, it is not extensively cultivated, as 
the birds and insects destroy a large part of the crop. 
The malagequit is very much prized, and used for making sweet 
and fancy dishes ; it becomes exceedingly glutinous, for which reason 
it is used in making whitewash, which it is said to cause to become 
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 wffiich is used as food for horses, and supposed to be a 
remedy and preventive against w T orms. 
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 
