Tools & tillage: a journal on the history of the implements of cultivation and other agricultural processes (4.1980/1983)

tral Luzon in a magnificent Atlas, including de-
scriptions of the pattern of land-use in relation to
the natural and physical environment.
The first chapter describes the Geographical
Setting, the second Land and Society and the
third the Agricultural Year. The terrace-forma-
tions are illustrated with excellent photographs of
their construction and use as well as with draw-
ings in perspective. The structures are analysed,
as are the soils and methods of irrigation and
planting of rice seedlings. The next part is con-
cerned with grain production, with swiddens,
and with complementary shifting cultivation.
Burned clearings on hillsides, too steep or un-
suited for irrigated terracing, are cropped for
about three years and then fallowed for two or
three times that period. Sweet potato is a princi-
pal root-crop. The harvesting process is described
for rice as well as for grain and tubers, and in the
last chapter is given an interpretation of the over-
whelming abundance of information provided
from the previous descriptions.
The map-section is in five sections: I. Introduc-
tion (parallel to chapter 1 mentioned above); II.
Details of the Survey Area; III. The regional
composition: Pu’itan, Kinnakin and Baymnan;
IV. District Agricultural Composition, especially
concerning the Baymnan Pond Fields; V. A His-
torical Section, consisting also of maps which
have been published over the years some of which
are found in manuscripts. Most maps are beauti-
fully printed in colours, furnished with small
survey maps and elaborate texts and statistical
tables. In between are full-side photographs.
There is an excellent Index as well as references to
relevant literature.
The Ifugao Atlas is a splendid example of the
advantages of long-term concentration on a
medium sized area, penetrating the environment
and the material culture in comparison with the
social organisation and linguistic aspects. Profes-
sor Conklin has produced a work which will be
difficult to surpass.

DAVID TRESEMER: The Scythe Book with
drawings by Tara Devereaux, By Hand & Foot,
Ltd., Battleboro, Vermont, 1981. 120 pp. Price:
US $ 6.95.
This is an enthusiastic appreciation of the scythe
as a tool of efficiency, and a detailed description
of its different parts and their proper function.
The author also briefly describes its sharpening,
and mowing techniques for different crops as well
as the sowing, threshing and winnowing proces-
ses. The illustrations are clear and instructive.
The book is also a contribution to experimental
archaeology. The author performed time-trials of
harvesting oats and barley based on plot sizes of
50 m2 in order to compare his findings with those
of the present reviewer, published in „Ancient
Harvesting Implements” (National Museum,
Copenhagen 1943). He found that while I har-
vested a plot of 50 m2 in c.30 minutes using a
modern balanced sickle, he could harvest the
same area in 23, 27 and 38 minutes with a modern
sickle with serrated edge. His stands were, how-
ever, too thick, and clover and herbs were sown
as an undergrowth.
With a modern scythe, furnished with an Au-
strian” hammered blade, he could mow 50 m2 of
barley in 6-9 minutes, i.e. an average of 500-670
m2 an hour or 5000-6700 m2 in a 10 hours’ day.
This may be compared with some figures collo-
cated in table 12 of my Draved report (Copenha-
gen 1979). Figures from Britain according to Col-
lins are: Harvesting wheat a day’s work incl.
binding 4500 m2; or of barley and oats 8100 m2.
Figures from Scotland according to Fenton are:
Wheat in an 11 hour’s day 4000-4100 m2, barley
7900 m2 and oats 8000-10000 m2.
If Mr. Tresmer was properly trained he could
well compete with these figures, mowing 7300-
7400 m2 in an eleven hour day, even if his crop
had a thick bottom-vegetation. His book deserves
a more serious study than can be properly indi-
cated in this short review.

Axel Steensberg

Axel Steensberg