308 



JOUKNAL, E.A.S. (CEYLON). [Vol. VIII. 



men then plough three elliptical farrows, either to show 

 how the work is to be done, or perhaps in order to test the 

 implements. All those who are present then congratulate 

 the field-owner, and they signify their approval of the 

 work, and their participation in it, by touching the plough- 

 handle.* 



This preliminary ceremony having been performed, the 

 cultivators are ready to plough at any time when there is a 

 fall of rain. So scrupulous are some of them, that when, 

 as sometimes happens, rain falls early in the (Tamil) year, 

 and before the yokiug ceremony has been performed, they 

 would rather forego the chance of ploughing altogether, 

 than commence it without having observed the proper 

 preliminaries. 



It is considered an advantage if the oxen used in 

 ploughing are mdman and marumakan — i. e., "uncle" and 

 " nephew " — and if, as is usually the case, there are two 

 ploughs at work in one field, f the men in charge of them 

 should also be uncle and nephew. 



It may interest the present Director of Public Instruc- 

 tion to learn that in constructing the plough the following 

 rules as to materials should be observed, if possible :— 



Pdlai padavdl 



undso ui—(snir<sfr 

 airsBsr QairQp&lidjririL! 



PanMrdy meli 

 Kdrai Koluchchirdy 

 Karunkdli erkkdl 

 Punnaip putu nukam 

 Putup puddu dtti ndr 

 Pannai Kiddittadi. 



* See C. A. S. Journal, 1883, p. 55, note on "the practice of touching 

 objects to baffle the evil chance." 



■\ The fact that two ploughs are generally used at the same time 

 in a field (sometimes there are as many as five or six), both going over 

 the same ground, is an answer to the objection sometimes made to the 

 introduction of ploughs of a better pattern, viz., that they require more 

 men to work them than do the native ploughs. It is true that a Jaffna 

 plough only requires one man to work it, but then there is usually another 

 plough following it ; and though this second plough does not make the 

 same furrow as the first, it does work that would have been done by the 

 first plough were the latter of an improved pattern. 



