The large ends are then forced down, the ground turned up,
and the lumas pushed forward again, while the woman uses
her stick to turn the clods over, to the right and left, alternately.
These clods are afterwards broken up by a wooden
tool, in the shape of a pick-axe, called ‘ hualate,’ made of the
wood named meli. Rude as this process is, the operation is
rapidly performed, and 1 have seen a field, ploughed in this
way, that would not do much discredit to an expert ploughman
with a European plough.
The soil is a rich, sandy loam, of a dark red colour; and
although rarely, if ever manured, produces fair average crops.
According to the usual allowance of ITSlbs for a fanega o f
wheat,* the weight of a bushel would not be more than 51)lbs.,
which shews that the grain is but poor. AVheat is sown in the
month of April, and cut in the same month of the following
year ; but from the humidity of the climate, and constant rain,
particularly at that season (the commencement of winter), it is
frequently reaped before it is ripe, and almost always gathered
in wet. Every subsequent sunny day is taken advantage of, to
dry the grain, but a part must be spoiled by mildew. The
evaporation, however, is so great, that merely moving it about,
and keeping it thinly strewed in granaries, will effect much.
It is trodden out by oxen, and to clean it, the grain is thrown
up in the wind by means of broad wooden shovels, and effectually
separated from the chaff. This rude winnowing takes
place frequently in the principal streets of San Carlos, and
even at the mole, where one would suppose that a great deal
must be lo st; hut from the adroitness of the operation, it is-
not only well cleaned, but suffers no diminution.
Potatoes are planted in September, October, and November,
and are fit to dig up in May.
Of the proceeds of harvest, one-tenth is paid as a tribute, or
• The faneg-a weighs 175 lbs. and contains tAvelve almudes, which
being- cubic measures of eight inches and a half, contain each 614vl25>
cubic in ch e s ; therefore a fanega contains 7369*5 cubic inches, and as an
English bushel contains 2150*4 cubic inches = 51 lbs. the
weight of a bushel.