S94 



On the Statist u'n of Ditkhuji. 



[Ai'Kir. 



voice, and I have froquently seen quite a youih managing alone very 

 cleverly bis plough and four bullocks. 



In the Desh, in manuring land, (he cart called Jatuf or Javj-eea, is 

 nsed ; it consists simply of ihc connnon cart with a quite flat basket tied 

 on the top of it, made by the Koonbees from the twigs of the Neer- 

 goondee, (FiVtfjr ^n/o/iaj or of the twigs of the Tooree, (c/y^/^ws cajan). 

 The manure generally consists of the sw eepings of tlieir houses, which^ 

 from being usually cow-dunged every day and daily swept, are not trifl- 

 ing, and from thea^hes also from their hearths. 



Crops are carted to the Kulleh, or farm-yard, from the fields by the 

 Garra. This consists of an upper horizontal rude frame-work supported 

 on a thick axle-tree, and is removeable at pleasure.. The wheels are of 

 solid wood, small, placed under the frame-work, are not suflliciently far 

 apart, and consequently subject the cart to upset, which is but too fre- 

 quent an occurrence. Wooden pegs and thongs keep the whole vehicle 

 together, and there is no more iron about the cart than the tire round 

 the wheels and the hollow cylinders within the naves. This vehicle^ 

 considering the circumstances of the Koonbees, is expensive, costing 

 from eighty to one hundred rupees, and it is only the most substantial 

 among them who have carts. Having cai ted their grjiin, the Koonbees 

 remove it to the Kulleh, or farm-yard. 



Farm-yar L — The grain is slacked round a spot in the open air in a 

 corner of rneof their fields. This spot is cir.'ular, and has been pre- 

 pared by beating and cow-dunging ; a pole, caU( d Tcivrah, is fixed in 

 the centre of it. In the reedy grains the heads are broken olTby wo- 

 men, and strewed round the pole* to the depth of 5 or 6 inches. In the 

 ligneous pulses, the extreme twigs, bearing the legumes, are broken off 

 and strewed round the pole ; and in the herbaceous leguminous pulses 

 and straw-culm grains, the whole plant is put on the floor : six, or eight, 

 or more bullocks (1 saw sixteen at Munch ur) are tied side by side, half 

 on one side of the pole and half on the other ; they are muzzled and 

 driven round the pole, treading outthe grain. This process usually oc- 

 cupies two men, and it is called the Mullnee. It is neither ineffi -ient, 

 nor dilatory. It would appear to be of great antitjUity, and widely 

 practised: in Deuteronomy, xxv. 4- we read, Thou shall not muzzle 

 the OS when he treadeth out ihe com." 



Whinou'ing. — We are now brought to the winnowing the grain. This 

 is done in the Kulleh ; and when there are sufficient members in the 

 family of the farmer after the first treading, the process is carried on si- 

 muitciGeously ^-vith the Mullnee. The proce?<? is very simple, but cer- 



