Miscellaneous. 



274 



[September, 1908. 



would be "happy and prosperous in husban- 

 dry and also gain honour if he plants paddy 

 within five days of the month of Ashar." 

 Neither can it be advised with certainty to 

 "plant as much pulses as one can from the 

 fourth of Bhadra to the fourth of Aswin" 

 Also there is much truth when "Khana 

 would advise a son of the peasant to sow 

 mustard seeds during the latter part of ho rat, 

 i.e., middle September to middle October). 

 Also "he who without transplanting chillie 

 seedlings in Bhadra, or Aswin spends his 

 time in sleep and in the Kartik and Agra- 

 foeeyan (i.e., the next two months) transplant 

 the old seedlings, will not have to fill his 

 stores of chillies, as those plants will die of 

 fungus diseases." 



Again, among the sayings on the propel 

 time of planting is one which advises a 

 husbandman to "plant turmeric in Baisdkh 

 or JaistJia, throwing away pieces and dice, 

 to hoe the soil in Ashar and Sraban and to 

 make it thorough in Bhadra. (otherwise) 

 says Earth, 'what yield can I give, if 

 planted on any other rule.' " Also, " if you 

 don't plant ()[, (AinorphopJialhif; companii- 

 latus) in Flagun, then there will be topsy- 

 turvy in the end," so also Fatal (Trichoma >t,- 

 thes disica, Roxb.) planted in Flagun gives 

 twice the crop." 



The sayings on the planting of bamboo ai'e 

 l ather interesting. Thus we have "O brother 

 cultivator plant bamboos eight cubits apart 

 at a depth of one cubit, and after planting 

 three hundred and sixty clumps of them, lie 

 ye peasant, on your bedstead." Presumably 

 one or two bamboos from each clump, would 

 enable him to provide for his daily necessa- 

 ries throughout the year. But the reckless 

 cutting of bamboos would destroy a clump, 

 so a man wishing to preserve his bamboos 

 must be "as stiff (sparing) as the twig of a 

 bamboo," for the coconuts of the spendthrift, 

 and the bamboos of the miser do not run 

 short throughout the year." Wholesale 

 destruction is also reprehensible in the case 

 of plantain, which is also a very important 

 plant, as its flower, leaves and even the 

 trunk are of everyday necessity in a house- 

 hold. The leaves serve the purpose of plates 

 and are largely utilised during feasts even 

 in the houses of the rich, while the flower 

 and the trunk are cooked up for meals. 

 Nevertheless, the "leaves must not be cut off 

 as soon as planted," for that would injure the 

 plant, and it is the peasant's interest to save a 

 valuable plant "that would provide him 

 with cloth and food." 



Ploughing is begun on auspicious days, and 

 the Hindu cultivator consults the village 

 astrologer before beginning to plough his 

 fields anew. Many stringent rules have 

 been laid down for it. Thus, "Hear cultiva- 

 tors, says Khana, when you go to your 

 fields with plough, seek out an auspicious 

 moment for that, also let not have any 

 untoward news on your way, next ascertain 



the directions and begin ploughing from the 

 east, then will your whole labours be ful- 

 filled without fail." The cultivator, also, 

 should not "take to his plough on the new 

 and the full moon, for then his misery would 

 last for ever, his bullocks will have gout, 

 and he will not have food in his house." 



That different crops would require different 

 degrees of preparation of the soil is laconi- 

 cally summarised in a single couplet. Thus 

 the radish requires a thoroughly prepared 

 soil, so "sixteen ploughings," are laid down 

 for it, and "half of that for cotton," a tap- 

 rooted plant. But paddy having crown - 

 roots, " half of that," i.e., four plough- 

 ings would suffice for it, while "the betel- 

 vine (would grow) without any ploughing." 

 Also "the soil for sugarcane should be 

 thoroughly pulverised," which requires a 

 great deal of labour, so ' ' let him who has 

 grandsons, great-grandsons cultivate sugai'- 

 cane." Again, the soil for Man (Arum 

 indicum) is prepared by a spade, while 

 ploughing is required for preparing a soil 

 for til (Sesamum indicum). 



That some plants would thrive in light, 

 while others would require shade, has not 

 also been lost sight of in these sayings. 

 Khana would say "Paddy in sunshine, and 

 betel-vine in shade (thrive) ; while " though 

 the 01 in shade would ich the moiith, it 

 would do no other harm." But it is to be 

 doubted whether "the potatoe would circle 

 round the plant (i.e., abound) if planted near 

 a bamboo clump." 



Next we come to the sayings on the soil. 

 Different crops require different soils, so we 

 have "sandy loam for aus paddy, and clayey 

 loam for jute." Again, says Khana, "Hear 

 me, O son of a peasant, plant Patal on the 

 sandy soil, for that will bring to your desire's 

 end." Also "if you plant Kaehu on the river 

 bank, it will grow three cubits deep under 

 ground." 



The rich soil of Lower Bengal, fertilised 

 for the most part by an annual deposit of silt, 

 requires very little of artificial manuring for 

 the staple crops ; besides in India, manuring 

 has not been systematised and its utility is 

 not so very well understood as in Europe and 

 America, so there are practically no sayings 

 on the manures for field crops. Nevertheless, 

 there is some very practical and sound advice 

 in these sayings; thus "if one scatters ashes 

 in a Kachu, field," Khana says, " there will be 

 no end of them" (i.e., it will give plenty of 

 yield). In the case of bamboo it is advised 

 "to loosen the soil in Flagun, to put (fresh) 

 earth (at the root) in Chaitra, for ' with such 

 treatment,' says bamboo, 'I grow soon.'" 

 Also "Hear ye! son of a cultivator! put the 

 husks of paddy under a clump of bamboo, for 

 if husks be put at the foot of a bamboo two 

 Knurs of land will be covered by the clump." 

 Water in which fishes have been washed is 

 said to be good for water-melon, while 

 "chillies thrive in paddy-lands." 



