DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.2375#0081
'wimm
72
A JOURNEY FROM MADRAS THROUGH
CH^frTE11 districts the Malayar pay annually a small sum to government for
each hill.
The following is the manner in which this sort of cultivation,
called Cumri, is performed. In the beginning of the dry season,
the Malayar cuts down all the trees and bushes from a certain space
of ground, and before the rains set in he burns them. The ground
is then dug with a sharp Bamboo, and sown with Shamay (Panicum
miliare), Ragy (Cynosurus Corocanus), rice, and various cucurbita-
ceous plants. The grains are sown separately; but seeds of the
cucurbitaceous fruits are mixed with all the farinaceous crops.
With the Ragy are also mixed the seed of Hibary (Cytisus Cajan),
and of Abary (Dolichos Lablab). Next year another piece of ground
must be cleared, the former not being lit for cultivation in less than
twelve years. In Tulava, this is the only kind of cultivation of dry
grains, although much of the ground seems fit for the purpose ; but
the natives have a notion, that no high ground can produce any
thing unless a great deal of timber has been burned on it.
They therefore consider the greater part of the country as totally
useless, except for pasture or hay, and very little of it produces the
proper grass. One kind of grass only that is produced in Tulava is
eatable; and when I proposed to the natives to destroy the bad
kinds, and sow the seed of the good, they were filled with asto-
nishment at what they considered as the extravagance of the pro-
ject. Where the hills are not too steep for the plough, I am per-
suaded that this might be done to great advantage; and the quantity
of live stock and manure might be thus quadrupled. The hay at
present is very bad, and sapless; for the grass, in its natural state,
withers from maturity, before the rainy season is over; and before
that period the hay could not be preserved. This, however, might
be easily remedied, by cutting the grass while young, and allowing
a second crop to come up, so as to be in juice at the commencement
of the fair weather. The first crop would make good manure. This
project the natives consider as equally extravagant with the former;
Hills of Tu-
lava consi-
dered as
useless.
Hay.
72
A JOURNEY FROM MADRAS THROUGH
CH^frTE11 districts the Malayar pay annually a small sum to government for
each hill.
The following is the manner in which this sort of cultivation,
called Cumri, is performed. In the beginning of the dry season,
the Malayar cuts down all the trees and bushes from a certain space
of ground, and before the rains set in he burns them. The ground
is then dug with a sharp Bamboo, and sown with Shamay (Panicum
miliare), Ragy (Cynosurus Corocanus), rice, and various cucurbita-
ceous plants. The grains are sown separately; but seeds of the
cucurbitaceous fruits are mixed with all the farinaceous crops.
With the Ragy are also mixed the seed of Hibary (Cytisus Cajan),
and of Abary (Dolichos Lablab). Next year another piece of ground
must be cleared, the former not being lit for cultivation in less than
twelve years. In Tulava, this is the only kind of cultivation of dry
grains, although much of the ground seems fit for the purpose ; but
the natives have a notion, that no high ground can produce any
thing unless a great deal of timber has been burned on it.
They therefore consider the greater part of the country as totally
useless, except for pasture or hay, and very little of it produces the
proper grass. One kind of grass only that is produced in Tulava is
eatable; and when I proposed to the natives to destroy the bad
kinds, and sow the seed of the good, they were filled with asto-
nishment at what they considered as the extravagance of the pro-
ject. Where the hills are not too steep for the plough, I am per-
suaded that this might be done to great advantage; and the quantity
of live stock and manure might be thus quadrupled. The hay at
present is very bad, and sapless; for the grass, in its natural state,
withers from maturity, before the rainy season is over; and before
that period the hay could not be preserved. This, however, might
be easily remedied, by cutting the grass while young, and allowing
a second crop to come up, so as to be in juice at the commencement
of the fair weather. The first crop would make good manure. This
project the natives consider as equally extravagant with the former;
Hills of Tu-
lava consi-
dered as
useless.
Hay.