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Harvesting-. Harvesting is all done by hand labour, 
the crop being cut either by sickle or 
by using a peculiar crescent shaped knife with which 
each ear is cut separately. 
Threshing. This depends on the method of har- 
vesting. If a sickle has been used the 
padi is tied in bundles and beaten against a ladder 
placed in a large open tub. If the crop has been 
cut ear by ear, then threshing is generally done by 
treading the heaps of ears with the feet. Very 
occasionally, the heaps of ears are beaten with 
sticks, but this is a slower method. 
Winnowing. Winnowing is most frequently done by 
using the natural breeze which blows 
fairly steadily during the day in normal harvest 
weather. Otherwise, simple wooden hand-winnowing 
machines are utilised; or, where these are not in 
vogue, the Malay women use shallow circular baskets 
and depend on their own dexterity to separate the 
grain from the chaff and straw by gravitation. 
Crops. Seasonal variation naturally has a 
very marked effect on the crop from 
year to year, and the yields differ enormously from 
district to district in the same season. The follow- 
ing table shows the average annual crops for the 
last 10 years: — 
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