No. 26. — 1883.] PADDY CULTIVATION CUSTOMS. 



47 



A few days prior to manuring, the fields are trampled by 

 men to crush the larger clods (keta pdganavd ) ; after the 

 bone manure has been sprinkled about, it is trodden into 

 the mud (mada kakul gdnavd), often by boys. The liadda 

 (space within four dams) is then levelled and divided into 

 small beds (pdtti) by a mamoty. 



Sowing. 



When a favourable hour has been ascertained, as before, 

 the cultivator, taking a handful of seed paddy, strews it 

 over a corner of the liadda he has raised with mud, and 

 in the centre of which he plants a habarala plant or an 

 arecanut flower with as many nuts on it as possible.* The 

 rest of the field is then sown with germinated paddy mixed 

 with bone dust, f For some days after the seed has been 

 sown, and until the paddy plants have attained a height of 

 3 to 4 inches, the field is bailed nearly dry of water every 

 morning ; subsequently a few inches of water are allowed 

 to remain, the openings through the dam being stopped with 

 mud. 



To prevent the young plants suffering from the ravages of 

 insect pests, such as getapanuvo, kokkannavo, and godavellu, 

 charmed sand or ashes are thrown over the field at different 

 stages of the growth of the grain. 



This ceremony is performed by a Kattddirdld at dusk. 

 Taking the sand to the field and removing his waistcloth 

 (which he wraps round his head), he proceeds to scatter the 



* Note 3. 



f Seed paddy is prepared in the following manner:— The paddy- 

 is put into an earthen or wooden vessel, full of water, and allowed to 

 soak for 90 peyas (36 hours). It is then taken out, strained, and spread 

 upon a mat covered with plantain and arecanut leaves. More leaves of 

 the same plants and another mat are placed over the paddy and kept 

 down by weights for 150 peyas (2| days). The seeds which adhere 

 together are finally separated from each other by gently rubbing between 

 the palms. 



Another way is to keep a bag of paddy in water for 90 peyas, after 

 which it is taken out and covered with leaves of the burulla, habarala, 

 and wereniya during the day, and put in water again at nights until the 

 paddy germinates. — See, too, Knox, p. 10. 



