1 56 TREATMENT OF DIFFERENT SOILS. 
where, as it flourishes in almost any place where 
they choose to plant it. Their kumera-grounds are 
kept very neat, and free from weeds : the land is 
prepared with a small^tick, and pulverised between 
the hands ; the ground is then made up into hil- 
locks, about the size of small mole-hills, in the 
middle of which the seed is placed. The soil to 
which this vegetable is partial, is light and sandy : 
wliere this is not the nature of the soil, the natives 
make it light, by carrying the sand from the 
banks of the rivers ; liaving found, by experience, 
that sand or small gravel is the best meliorator 
of a clayey soil, as it destroys its cohesive quali- 
ties, and prevents its returning to its original 
state of tenacity, keeping it always porous, and 
consequently causing it to imbibe more readily, 
and in larger quantities, the light showers of rain 
with which they are visited in the summer, or the 
lieavy dews or watery vapours which nightly 
visit them throughout the year. This people have 
also found, by experience, that burning their 
superabundant vegetable matter, and spreading 
it over the land, improves their crops, not only 
in quality, but in quantity ; and this more parti- 
cularly in argillaceous soils, which abound in all 
hilly parts of the country ; the siliceous or sandy 
soils being confined to the banks of rivers, or to 
the sea-coast. Similar plans are pursued with the 
English potato : and the winter-potato is always 
planted in new ground, upon which nothing has 
ever before been planted. This ground is chosen 
