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on mats or plantain leaves, which are also kept wet, and in this way it sprouts in two or three days. This sprouting seed is then spread out (raleuë or larcuë) on a comparatively dry piece of the swampy ground, which is called lheuë lareuë or spreading nursery. To promote quick growth, a little water is occasionally let into the nursery, and as soon as the plants are big enough they are planted out in the swamp.
Ladangs.Ladangs (hill plantations) are opened in the forests of the highlands and especially of the East and West Coasts, in order to make the ground suitable for pepper-planting by a years rice-cultivation. Besides padi and pepper, sugarcane, champli (chilis), onions, etc. are planted in these ladangs. The padi-planting is here done by means of dibbling (tajō, teumajō)[1]. The trees are first felled and burned, and all roots so big as to cause obstruction are cleared out in a rough and ready manner. Then, as soon as the ground has been somewhat softened by the first rains, deep dibble-holes are made, some seed is thrown into each of them, and the padi is thinned out later if it grows too thick.
Enemies of the rice.A watch is kept all day long against various kinds of rice-birds (tulō, miriëʾ). Scarecrows rudely representing the human form (ureuëng-ureuëng or penyakōt)[2] are hung up in the fields, or a cord is stretched and dry plantain leaves (ōn krusōng) hung on it and kept in motion by constant pulls.
Other enemies of the ripening rice are the field mouse (tikōih) and the foul-smelling insect called geusòng (- walang sangit). Charms written on paper (ajeumat) are used as a defence against both the above; the papers are inserted in a hollow bamboo (bulōh), which is fixed in the middle of the umòng. The prayers employed for these charms are called tangkay tikōih and tangkay geusòng.
Before the war, wild pig were rarely to be seen in the lowlands, owing to the absence of cover. In the highlands on the other hand, a
- ↑ The Malays plant hill-padi in the same way. The process of dibbling is called by them tugal (Translator).
- ↑ The commonest form of scarecrow used by the Malays is composed of two sticks fastened crosswise, the longer or upright one being driven into the ground. On this cross some tattered clothes are hung and an old hat placed on top; the whole when seen at a distance rudely resembles a man with his arms extended. Another device is two hollow bambus or better still, two empty kerosine tins hung together on a post. A cord fastened to one of these and leading to the hut where the watcher sits, enables him to rattle them together, and the birds are scared away by the noise. (Translator).
