Vanaspati: Plants and Plant-Life as in Indian Treatises and Traditions c6.t5: 3. Selection of the Soil
Vanaspati: Plants and Plant-Life as in Indian Treatises and Traditions c6.t5
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3. Selection of the Soil
c6.t5.1
As the Soil of Bengal is unusually fertile, being fit for all kinds of crops, the maxims of Khanā which have almost solely Bengal in view are too few under this head.
c6.t5.2
“You worthy cultivator, your aim will be fulfilled if you grow Paṭól (Trichosanthes dioica) in the sandy alluvial soil.”
c6.t5.3
“The sandy soil is fit for the cultivation of *Aus* paddy and clayey soil for that of Jute.”
c6.t5.4
“If you grow Arum on the bank of a river it will grow to the height of three cubits, *i.e.*, it will flourish well.”
c6.t5.5
4. *Ploughing the Land for Crops.*
c6.t5.6
Elaborate attention is given to the methods of ploughing, thus:
c6.t5.7
“One should plough the soil sixteen times (*i.e.*, many times) for radishes; half the number of times for cotton; and half of that for paddy and none at all for betel.”
c6.t5.8
“One should cultivate the soil for radishes making it as soft as cotton, *i.e.*, to the extremity of softness and for sugar-cane plough it to the dust.”
c6.t5.9
“Khanā directs, O cultivators, begin the ploughing from the east and surely all your aims shall be fulfilled.”
c6.t5.10
“The man who sets his hands to the plough either on the days of the full moon or the new moon, will be fated to suffer sorrows throughout the whole life. His bullocks will suffer from gout (*i.e.*, remain inactive), and he will suffer from eternal lack of peace. He who violates this injunction of Khanā will do so at his peril.”
c6.t5.11
5. Sowing and Planting.
c6.t5.12
The treatment under this head is both exhaustive and elaborate.
c6.t5.13
“By sowing paddy in the month of Āshār one gets a full harvest, in Srāvan only leaves and no fruits, in Bhādra only husks and in Āświn nothing.”
c6.t5.14
“Sow paddy to your heart’s content throughout the whole of Srāvan and the first 12 days of Bhādra.”
c6.t5.15
“During the last four days of Bhādra and the first four days of Āświn sow Kalāi (Phaseolus var. radiatus) as much as you can (i.e., best time).”
c6.t5.16
“One should sow Peas after the first 19 days of Āświn and within the first 19 days of Kārtik.”
c6.t5.17
“Khanā directs, good cultivator, sow mustard towards the end of Autumn.”
c6.t5.18
“The cultivator who does not plant either in the month of Bhādra or Āświn and idles away his time and then too late in the month of Kārtik and Agrahāyan plants grown-up things in the field, is fated to see them perish from an attack of mildew and his barns empty.”
c6.t5.19
“Sow turmeric in Baiśākh and Jaiṣṭha, bidding adieu to your chess-playing, weed out your soil in Āshār and Srāvan so as to make it perfectly fit in Bhādra, otherwise no harvest will follow.”
c6.t5.20
“ This is the direction of Varāha's son Mihir : Excepting Chaitra and Baiśākh plant brinjals very cheerily throughout the other ten months. Apply ashes, if the plants are attacked by worms as the only remedy, pour water in case the ground is dry, and you will get fruits all the year round.
c6.t5.21
“ Plant betel in Śrāvaṇ and the produce will be too much to be chewed up even by Rāvaṇa.”
c6.t5.22
“ Paṭóls will doubly grow if planted in Fālgoon.
c6.t5.23
“ Plant plantains in holes one cubit deep each at intervals of 8 cubits, and do not cut off the leaves and it will yield you both bread and clothes.”
c6.t5.24
6. Reaping.
c6.t5.25
The following maxims selected from among the rest contain directions for reaping the harvest.
c6.t5.26
“ Corns ripen within 20 days after the first appearance of the ear, and one should cut and thresh the corn in 10 days more.”
c6.t5.27
“ The corn ripens 30 days after the first appearance of the spike, 20 days after the first appearance of flowers and 12 days after the ears are down after the appearance of a horse's head. Remember this, father-in-law ! while making, buying and selling corns.”
c6.t5.28
“During the last 8 days of *Fālgoon* and first 8 days of *Chaitra* one should reap the ripe sesamums.”
c6.t5.29
“Cut the hemp plant (for the fibre) as soon as it flowers; the jute when it is mature; and autumn paddy if reaped during the month of *Pous* proves profitable.”