No. 29. — 1884.] PADDY CULTIVATION CUSTOMS. 



321 



month — are given for each month, during which a particular 

 agricultural operation is carried on, thus : — 



1. — The 'ploughing festival (E'rmankalam) may be begun (1), 

 on Thursday, the 7th day of the month Chittirai* at 15| nalikais\ 

 after dark when the stars Suvati and VelliJ are at the zenith in 

 the sign Makaram ;§ (2) on Thursday, the 21st of the same month 

 at 7 o'clock in the morning, when the human shadow is ten feet 

 long, in Mitunam. ; (3) the same day, 13 nalikais after dark, when 

 the moon is setting, in Makaram. 



2. — Preparation of the Field. — There are seventeen occasions — 

 viz., four in April,|| three in May, four in J une, three in July, 

 and four in August, on which the fields may be manured and 

 ridges made, &c. The days are Mondays and Thursdays, except 

 that there is one Wednesday in May and three in June, and one 

 Friday in August. The favourable hour is, at night six times, in 

 theforenoou five times, twice in the afternoon, twice at sunset, once 

 at noon, and once at dawn. 



* That is, April 11th to May 11th (31 days in the Tamil month), 

 f Ndlikai — Sinhalese peya == 24 minutes. 

 % Venus. 



§ The Tamil names of the signs of the zodiac are — 



1 Medam 



Aries 



7 Tulam 



= Libra 



2 Idapam 



= Taurus 



8 Viruchchikam 



= Scorpio 



3 Mitunam 



== Gemini 



9 Tanusu 



= Sagittarius 



4 Karkkadakam 



= Cancer 



10 Makaram 



== Capricornus 



5 Chinkam 



= Leo 



11 Kumpam 



— Aquarius 



6 Kanni 



= Virgo 



12 Mmam 



= Pisces 



|j Though I use the English names of the months, it must be under- 

 stood that the months intended begin on the 11th or 12th of the English 

 month, or thereabouts ; thus, in 1884-85, 



April means April 1 1 th to May 1 1 th. 



May do. May 12th to June 12th. 



June do. June 13th to July 14th. 



July do. July 14th to August 14th. 



August do. August 15th to September 14th. 



September do. September 15th to October 14th. 



October do. October 15th to November 13th. 



November do. November 14th to December 13 th. 



December do. December 14th to January 11th. 



January do. January 12th to February 10th. 



February do. February 11th to March 11th. 



March do. March 11th to April 11th. 



