Geography Reference
In-Depth Information
(38) Farm implements: (1) straw hat and raincoat (2) frame for carrying loads on back (3)
pattens for walking in rice-fields (4) tobacco-cutting block (5) spade-ploughs, pushed with
foot (6) heckling frame (7) bamboo tubes for insertion into rice-bales to sample contents
(8) food boxes (9) mattocks and sickles (10) water-bottle (11) bird-scarer (12) screen for
sieving grain. The other tools are easily identifiable.
The care of the silkworms took up a great deal of time and energy on the part of the
women whose duty this normally was. It is typical of the thrift of the farmers that hardly
anyofthesilkwasdiscarded—even ill-shaped ordiseased cocoonscouldbeusedforsome
purpose, even though the thread could not be cleanly reeled off.
All the occupations that have been described so far were concentrated in the summer
months. Except in cases where a back season crop was grown, there was no agricultural
activityfromNovembertoApril.Therewere,ofcourse,manyotherthingstobedone,such
as the collection of fuel, in the form of dried leaves and wood, and of fodder for any beasts
that were kept, as well as the usual winter chores of making and mending tools and equip-
ment. Spinning and weaving were the chief productive activities, along with certain other
handicrafts, and some brewing of
sake,
the alcoholic liquor prepared from rice and drunk
on festive occasions.
