September, 1908.] 



273 



Miscellaneous. 



Again, small millets are helped by a shower 

 in late February or early March, and we 

 have "if it rains in Falgun (middle February 

 to middle March) Chena and Kaon (small 

 millets) grow twice." 



Drought in late May and early June assists 

 the young seedlings of paddy to grow instead 

 of being swamped by rain, but during next 

 two months, i.e., the rainy season, we must 

 have rain for them, as also for sowing late 

 paddy in the high lands ; this is expressed in 

 the familiar sayings :— " (If there be) any 

 drought in Jaistha (middle May to middle 

 June) and shower in Ashar (middle June to 

 middle July) the earth cannot bear the 

 burden of crops." 



During the rainy season, an easterly wind 

 woidd sometimes disperse a gathering cloud, 

 and without rain there is very little prospect 

 of a good harvest, so "if there be easterly 

 wind in Ashar and Srabcui (the rainy season)," 

 the cultivator is advised to "hang up his 

 plough and go to commerce." 



Rain is very much appreciated by the 

 peasants in Kartic (middle October to middle 

 November), and is known in these parts as 

 Kalian. It helps the ears to come out, and 

 is very necessary for the development of the 

 corn, and "Khana says that a little rain in 

 Kartic (gives) twice paddy." 



Now, having completed the cycle of sayings 

 on the effect of rainfall throughout the 

 various months of the year, we shall give 

 some of the sayings on the signs of rain. 

 How far they are predictive I have not been 

 able to test, and I give them for what they 

 are worth. But in some of them at least, 

 there is some truth as in the fact that "when 

 the frog croaks incessantly, know it will rain 

 soon," but with this is coupled the rather 

 incredible saying in which "Khana says that 

 if it blows north-east on the first day of the 

 year, there will be (ample) rain." 



The ninth day of the new moon in Ashar 

 (i.e., late June) is regarded as a very signi- 

 ficant day by the cultivators, and rain or 

 drought on this day is believed to give the 

 forecast for the year. Says Khana, "Father- 

 in-law, what's the need of calculating, for 

 if on the ninth day of the new moon in 

 Ashar, it rains heavily, herons will walk 

 over midocean (meaning there will be 

 drought), if on the other hand there be a few 

 drops of rain, fishes will abound even in 

 the mountain (i.e., there will be heavy rain 

 throughout the year), also if it drizzles the 

 earth will shake under the burden of crops, 

 but if the sun (after the day's labour) takes 

 his throne smiling (i.e., if there be a cloudless 

 afternoon) the cattle of cultivators will be 

 sold in fairs" (meaning a very bad year for 

 them). The rainbow is also supposed to give 

 indications for the year, and we have "if 

 there be rainbow on the west (sky) there 

 will be drought throughtout the year, while 



35 



if there be a rainbow on the east there will 

 be storm and rain," 



A writer in an Indian agricultural paper 

 vouches for the accuracy of the saying 

 that "if the days be cloudy and the 

 nights starry, these are the signs of drought," 

 also that, "the easterly wind in Bhadra 

 and Aswin (middle August to middle October) 

 brings a downpour," so the cultivator 

 is advised to "go home after cutting through 

 the ail" (to prevent the field from being 

 flooded and the standing crop being injured). 

 The halo round the sun or the moon is also 

 supposed to be an indication of rain, and we 

 have that "if the halo be distant, rain is 

 imminent, while if the halo be nearer, it 

 means flood." 



I now conclude these sayings on the signs 

 of rain, with the one which foretells 

 "drought or excessive rain in a month 

 having five Sundays." There are others on 

 the subject which seem to be even more 

 vague and arbitrary than even some of the 

 preceding ones. 



Paddy being the staple crop, receives the 

 greatest attention in these sayings, and so 

 we have the favourable circumstances for a 

 good harvest summed up in a single couplet 

 thus: — "If (the fields) are full (of water) in 

 Cancer* and dry up in Leo, also if they are 

 filled to their ears in Virgo, and if it rains 

 without wind in Libra, then where will ye 

 keep your paddy?" (so abundant will be the 

 harvest). 



The lowlands, specially in Eastern Bengal, 

 are inundated by the overflowing of rivers 

 during the rainy season. The early inunda- 

 tion is also a very vital factor to agriculture, 

 as it leaves behind a deposit of silt. A high 

 and sudden rise of water will destroy the 

 standing crops, while a low and slow rise 

 is beneficial for the development of the 

 plants. And so "the first rise of water in 

 Baisakh makes the aus paddy grow twice." 

 The indications of inundation seem rather 

 queer, thus "if it is warm in Pous, cold in 

 Baisakh, the pits will be filled in by the 

 first part of Ash ay, and Khana says, " O my 

 husband, there will be no water in Sraban 

 and Bhadra." Also, "if during mid Ashar 

 southerly wind blows, there will be flood 

 during the year." But the queerest of all is 

 that which would foretell a good harvest 

 of paddy from a good harvest of mango, and 

 also ii flood from a good season of tamarind. 



Conditions of soil and of climate differ 

 very much with different places, yet the 

 above may be taken to represent fairly the 

 circumstances for a good harvest in a 

 normal year. But it would be absurd to lay 

 down for the whole of Lower Bengal and for 

 high and low lands as well that a cultivator 



* In the Hindu astrology, months often go by the 

 name ol the signs of the Zodiac, 



