January i, 189^.1 THE TRDPICAI. AtSHltJtH-TOmST, 4^1 
heavy storms (117) do occur. Later on it is not so 
uucommon and the peoularities (119) ascribed to its 
falling at different times between the middle of March 
and the beginning of May are not easily nnderstcol. 
That rain during the latter part of April should be 
so unfortunate (No. 120 and 121) is not explicable, 
especially when the fsll of rain rather earlier (No. 118) 
and rather later (No. 123) is so highly prized. The 
usual extreme boat experienced in Blay and in June, 
if no rain falls, ia noticed. Special attention is called 
to the value and importsnoe attached to the June 
rains, although, as No. 126 shows, the usual fall in 
that month is light. The muwjari crop alluded to in 
No. 130 is the early crop. A special value is attached 
to a good opening of the season, and if the rain does 
not come iu Mrugnsira it is ardently looked for in 
Arudra. In the latter period, the fall should bo 
heavy — not drizzling — No. 136, and f ears for the future 
will disappear. Following this, a spell of drier 
weather with hght showers is expected (Noi. 137 — 
142), from the beginning of July to the middle of 
August, during which the early sowings maybe pushed 
forward. 
We quote a few specimens of the proverbs: — 
Baiu in Mrugasira will make even an old bullook 
bellow. 
If rain fails after thunder in Uttara, if the king acts 
unjustly, and if the white-ant gets wings, the sequel will 
be very hard. 
If there be no rain in Chitta, even an ant will su£fer 
from beat. 
The influenoea believed to be exercised over the 
weather by certain stars or their ooujunotion, and by 
certain natural phenomena, is shown in the next series 
of proverbs, from which we quote the following : — 
The labours of a grumbler and thunder before rain will 
end in nothing. 
If lightning tliehes iu the west, even a pig would not 
approach the water-course. 
If the fowl spreads out its wings, it is a sign of 
heavy rain. 
There will be rain iu three hours, if a frog croaks 
iu an upeu place. 
If the yri/lliis croaks from a broken or leaky pot, 
rain is sure to fall. 
If sheep flock together, there will be heavy rain. 
A cobweb iu a paddy-field portends heavy rain. 
The appearance of dragoa-flies is the sign of good 
rainfall. 
If ants ascend trees, fields will yield in abundance. 
The next series of proverbs refers to plants supposed 
to afford indications of the weather. We quote as 
follows : — 
Mangoes for a good season, tamarinds for a bad 
one. 
Maogcea foretell famine, ro3e apples a good season. 
When the mango yields plentifully, people sufTor very 
much from small-pox. 
Then come some proverbs relating to the nature of 
soils. The last o£ these is the following curious 
one : — 
The soil under a fowl's foot bears ten million 
oolonrs. 
Mr. Benson explains this as follows : — 
In No. 271, the idea conveyed is that every inch of 
soil varies in colour : colour is, therefore, but a poor 
guide to classification. 
The next series of proverbs relates to tilluges and 
general management. From Mr. Benson's remarks 
on these we quote the following ; — 
No. 275 refers to the necessity for ploughing very 
frequently, ;is, according to the native sjatom, one 
furrow will not run immediately over another except 
after crossing and recrossing tevetal times. The suc- 
ceeding sayings all refer to the ueceseity for thorough 
tillage, and No. 280 alludes to the advautages of 
deep ploughing. No. 281 is very interesting, and 
refers to the three main-stays of the South Indian 
farmer, In No. 284, the softness o£ the wood, which 
Boon makes margosa wood wear out and the plough 
made of it become useless, is alluded to, and, in 
No. 285, the nooessity for having a good leader to a 
atriug of plougha. 
The magili crops system, referred to in Nos. 288 and 
289, may be compared to the autumn ploughing of 
Enghsh farming, as the chief feature of it is the break- 
ing up of land immediately after harvest. The egili 
crops, referred to in Nos. 290 and 291, are crops 
that are restorative (or enriching) (rom the treatment 
they receive. The Malas and Madigas, or the Pariahs, 
are regarded os the lowest and least competent 
members of the community, as being excessively 
stupid ; of. Nos. 279, 288, 291 and 355. 
Nos. 292—297 allude to the essential characters of 
after cultivation and weeding. In No. 293, the paiiisal 
is a harrowing, performcl usually three days after 
towing, to break up and loosen the surface soil so as 
to hasten sprouting. The same operation is referred 
to in No. 249, which shows that it must not be delayed. 
Garika, the Cyuodon daotylon, is a common weed and 
if not thoroughly rooted out, soon overrun the land 
which then becomes useless for cultivation. No. 297. 
The value of manure ia clearljr shown in Nos; 298 
— 301, and the manner in which it should be used in 
No. 302. Reference to No. 280 should again be made 
here. A cow trained in the native way will seldom 
give any milk unless her calf be present. No. 303 has 
its parallel in — " The feet of the sheep are golden," 
and shows the value attached sheep-folding. In 804, the 
practice of the shepherds hiring oat their sheep to 
manure the land of the actual cultivators ia alluded to. 
The following are some of the proverbs alluded to; — 
If labd is in good tilth, it will yield even to a 
Pariah. 
Good tillage prevents disease ; 
Leaf manure gives luxuriance ; 
Cattle manure increases the yield. 
One hoeing is equal to ten ploughinga. 
A field without manure is as useless as a cow with- 
out her calf. 
If there be enough manure, even an idiot will be 
a successful farmer. 
Apply cattle manure to dry land and leaf manure 
to wet (paddj) land. 
If you manure your field with the earth thrown up 
by whiteants, it will be productive. 
The next series of proverbs relates to crops and crop- 
ping. From Mr. Benson's remarks we quote as 
follows : — 
The judicious adaption of crop to soil (No, 309) is 
well understood by the ryot, as also is the use of 
good S3ed. No. 311 refers to the practice ol sprouting 
paddy before sowing. The necessity for sowing at 
the proper time (Nos. 312-316) ia strongly insisted on. 
The benefits of early sowing are also decisively pointed 
out, as well as the entire dependence of the farmer 
on the rains. No. 320; the hist is the land tax, 
T he practice of thin sowing, alluded to in Nos. 322-328 
is very generally followed on dry land. The effect 
of thick sowiug producing straw and thin sowing grain 
ia well pointed out in Nos. 325-27. Transplanting 
(No. 329) ia chiefly confined to paddy and to garden 
crops, and with the former is by no means universally 
followed. 
No. 383 alludes to the injury that may be done by 
part of the crop being unrip j and so causing fermen- 
tation in the sheaf. 
No. 335 insists on the advintages of having rain 
9t any cost, whilst No. 336 refers to the injury it 
sometimes does if it comes immediately after sowing. 
As specimens of these proverbs we quote the fol- 
lowing : — 
Even in dreams, the seed should be sown in proper 
season. 
A thin crop yields well, a thick one looks well, 
liain before the seed sprouts is as painful to see aa 
the face of an enemy. 
Paddy forms the subject of the next series of pro- 
verbs. Mr. Benson says : — 
No3, 365 to 389 relate solely to this crop and bring 
out the main points regarding the treatment of it 
pretty fully. Paddy doss not like a poor soil. No. 3C5 ; 
it requires care and attention, No. 366 ; and laud 
when being prepared for it should be thoroughly 
levelled, No. 369; and properly weeded, No. 370. 
The crop requires a large amount of water, Nos, 3(o 
