January i, 1892.I 
THE TROPICJM. A'QFHtmi.TUniST. 
4?i 
heavy storms (117) do occur. Later cu it is not so 
uncommon and the peoularitics (ll‘J) ascribed to its 
falling at diHercnt times between the middle of March 
and the heginning of May are not easily understco.L 
That rain during the latter part of April should be 
so unfortunate (No. Itib and 121) is not explicable, 
especially when the fall of rain rather earlier (No. 118) 
and rather later (No. 123) is so highly prized. The 
usual extreme heat cxpcriuncol in May and in June, 
if no rain falls, is noticed. Special attoution is ra'lod 
to the value and importance attached to the June 
rains, although, us No. 12(> .shows, the usual fall in 
that month is light. The munijart 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 
nut come in Mrugasira it is ardently looked for in 
Arudra. In the latter period, the fall should bo 
heavy— not drizz'ing— No. 136, and fears for the future 
will disappear. Following this, a spell of drier 
weather with light showers is expected (Nos. 137 — 
142), from the beginning of July to the middle, of 
August, during which the early sowings maybe pushed 
forward. 
We quote a few speoimena of the proverbs: — 
Bain in Mrugasira will make even an old bullock 
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 bard. 
If there be no rain iu Cbitta, even an ant will suffer 
from heat. 
The influenoea believed to bo exeroiaed over the 
weat^r by oertain ataraor their ooujunotion, and by 
certain natural phenomena, is ahown in the next aeries 
of proverbs, from whioh we quote the following ; — 
The labours of a grumbler aud thunder before rain will 
end in nothing. 
It lightning li ishca in the west, even a pig would not 
approach the water-course. 
If the fowl epreads out its wings, it ia a sign of 
heavy rain. 
There will be rain in three hours, if a frog croaks 
In an open place. 
If the gryilus croaks from a broken tr leaky pot, 
ram is sure to fall. 
If sheep dock together, there will be heavy rain. 
A cobweb iu a paddy-dold portends heavy rain. 
The appearance of dragon-flies ia the sign of good 
rainfall. 
If ants ascend trees, fields will yield in abundance. 
The next soriea of proverbs refers to plants supposed 
to afford indioations of the weather. We quote as 
follows : — 
Mangoes for a good season, t.amarinds for a bad 
one. 
Mangoes foretell famine, rose apples a good season. 
When tho mango yields pleutifnliy, people auffar very 
much from small-pox. 
Then come some proverbs relating to the nature of 
soils. The last of these ia the following enrious 
one 
a fowl’s foot bears ten millioi 
The soil under 
oolonrs. 
Mr. .^DBon explains this as follows 
in NO. 3J J, tue idea conveyed is that every inch o 
soil vatiee in colour: colour is, therefore, but a poo 
guide to olasainoatiou. 
The next series of proverbs relates to tillugea an 
general management. From Mr. Benson's remark 
on these we quote tho following ; 
No, 275 refers lo the necessity for ploughing vor 
frequently, as, according to the uativo system, on 
furrow will not tun immediately over another oxo.-f 
after crossing and rccrossiug aevotal times. Tho sue 
ceedmg sayings all refer to tho necoasily for thoioug 
tillage, and No, 2^ alludea to tho advautages c 
deep ploughing. No. 281 is very interesting, an 
refers to the three main-stays of tho South India 
farmer, In No, 2841 tlie softness of the wood, whio 
soon makoa margoaa wood wear out and tho plong 
made of it become useless, is alluded to, and, i 
No. 285, the nooesBlty for having a good leader to 
siting of ploughs. 
Tho magili crops system, referred to in Nos. 288 arid 
289, may be compared lo the autumn plongbing of 
English farming, as the chief fealnre of it is the break* 
lug up of laud immediately after harvest. Tho egili 
crops, referred to in Nos. 290 aud 291, are crops 
that ace restorative (or enriching) from the treatment 
they receive. The Malas and MAJigas, or tho Pariahs, 
are regarded as the lowest and least competent 
membeiB of the community, as being oxoessively 
stupid ; cf. Nos. 279, 288, 291 aud 355, 
Nos, 292 — 297 allude to Ihe essential characters of 
after cultivation and weeding. In No. 293, the paiftsai 
is a harrowing, performel usually three days after 
towing, to break np and loosen the suifaoo soil so as 
to hasten sprontiug. The same operation ia referred 
to iu No. 249, which shows that it must not be delayed. 
Garika, the Gyuodoa daotylon, is a common weed and 
if not thoroughly rooted out, soon overrun the land 
which then becomes useless fur cultivation, No. 297. 
The value of mauure is clearljr shown in Nos, 298 
— 301, and the manuer in which it should be used iu 
No. 302. Befersneo to No. 280 should again bo made 
here. A cow trained in the native way will seldom 
give any milk unless her calf bo present. No. 303 hss 
its parallel in— “The feet of the sheep are golden,'’ 
and shows the valne attached sheep-folding. In 804, the 
pcaotice of the shepherds hiring out their sheep to 
manure the land of tho actual cultivators is alluded to. 
The following are some of the proverbs alluded to; — 
If lacd ia ia good tiltb, it will yield even to a 
Pariah. 
Good tillage pcevonfs disease ; 
Leaf manure givea luxuriance ; 
Cattle manure iucresses the yield. 
Ouo hoeing is equal to ten jiloughings. 
A field without manure is as naeloss as a cow with- 
out her calf. 
If there be enough manure, even an idiot will be 
a saocessful farmer. 
Apply cattle manure to dry laud aud leaf manure 
to wot (paddy) land. 
If yon mauure your field with the earth thrown up 
by wbiteauts, it will be productive. 
The next series of proverbs relates to crops and ocop- 
ping. From Mr, Benson’s remarks we quote as 
follows ; — 
The judicious adaption of crop to soil (Nu. 309) is 
well understood by the ryot, as also is tho use of 
good s-ied. No. 311 refers lotbc practice of spruutiag 
paddy before sowing. Tho necessity for sowing at 
the proper time (Nos. 312-316) is strongly iasisledon. 
The beucfiteof early sowing ate also decisively puiuted 
out, as well os the entire dependonoe of the farmer 
on tho rains. No. 320; tho kint is tho land tax. 
T he practioe of thin sowing, alluded to in Nos. 322-328 
is very generally followed on dry land. Tho effect 
of thick sowing produoing straw and thin sowing grain 
is well pointed out in Nos. 325-27. Transplanting 
(No. 329) is chiefly confined to paddy and to garden 
crops, aud with the former is by no mcaos universally 
followed. 
No. 333 alludea to the injury that may be done by 
[lart of the crop being nnripo aud so causing fermen- 
tation iu the sheaf. 
No. 835 insists on the advantages of having rain 
at any cost, whilst No. 330 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. 
Bain before the seed sprouts ia as painful to see as 
the face of au enemy. 
I’addy forma the subject of the next senes of pro. 
verba. Mr. Benson says ; — 
Nos. 865 to 389 relate solely to this crop and bring 
out the main points rogordiug the treatment of it 
pretty fully. I'addy does not like a poor soil, No. 365 ; 
it requires care and attention. No. 360; and land 
when being prepared for it should be thoroughly 
levelled. No. 369; and properly weeded, No. 370. 
The crop requires a large amount of water, Noi, 375 
