Page:Gazetteer of the province of Oudh ... (IA cu31924073057352).pdf/94

86 PAR Agricultural operations.-- From the time the spring crops are cut in March and April until the commencement of the rains (about the end of June) is the idle season of the year, and it is during this interval that disputes arising out of the arrangements to be made for the ensuing agȚi- cultural year so often terminate in riots. With the first signs of rain, however, the cultivator, if not evicted, has something else to think about, and ploughing and sowing the early kharíf seed entirely engages his time and attention. It may not be uninteresting to record here in a calendar form the different agricultural operations of each month of the faslí year, which commences about the same time as the monsoon. June-July (Asárh).- Ploughing in preparation both for rabi and kharif harvests, sowing kuári dhắn, makra, maize, sánwán, kákun, urd, juár rámdána, patwa, sanai, kodo, jarhan rice, múng, til, cotton (manwa and radhia), arhar, lobia, and bhatoi ; driving the hinga to break up the clods and cover in the seed; herding sheep and cattle in the fields for the pur- pose of manuring and enriching the soil. July-August (Sowan).--Weeding and earthing up kuari dbán, makra, maize, sáliwan, kákun, juír, and kodo. Ploughing for the rabi. At the end of the month transplanting jarhan rice after fresh ploughing and level- ing with the hinga. Herding sleep and cattle as above. August-September (Bhídon). — Ploughing for the rabi. A second weed- ing of the crops mentioned under the last month. Reaping and carrying the bliadain or bhádon harvest. Herding sheep and cattle as above. Transplanting jarhan, sowing urd, mothi, bájra, and arhar, September-October (Kuár).—Reaping, carrying, and threshing the kuári harvest. Ploughing and leveling with hínga lands for rabi. Rotting the sanai stalks by immersion in water to obtain the fibre. Sowing the follow- ing rabi seeds viz., gram, peas, barre, or kusam, linseed, and sehuán. Herding sheep and cattle as before ; gathering cotton (kapás). October-November (Kártik).—Manuring for the better rabi crops, sewing peas, gram, wheat, barley, másúr, barre, linseed, sarson, mustard, sehuán, poppy, and tobacco, and then lereling and covering in with hínga. Mak- ing irrigation beds or squares with pharwa, November December (Aghan).-Reaping, carrying, and threshing the agahni harvest. Chopping up the cane, and carrying it to the mill. First watering of the rabi crops ; weoding and loosening soil around the poppy, December-January (Pús) - Manufacture of gur. Second watering of rabi crops. Weeding and loosening soil round the poppy. Pruning the tobacco plants in order to cause them to throw out leaves from the base of the main stemu, January February (Mágh).--Manufacture of gur. Third watering of the rabi. Flooding and preparing land for reception of cane. Early sowing of the latter and irrigating about a week afterwards. Herding sheep and cattle as in Asárh, Šáwan, &c. Flooding and preparing fields for