Rules for planting various Crops
The following rules have an evident bearing upon the subject of vegetable
animism. They were collected at Langat, in Selangor:—
The time to plant Sugar-cane is at noon: this will make it sweeter, by drying up
the juice and leaving the saccharine matter. If you plant it in the early morning
its joints will be too long, if in the middle of the day they will be short.
Plant Maize with a full stomach, and let your dibble be thick, as this will swell
the maize ear.
For Plantains (or Bananas) you must dig a big hole, and the evening is the time
to plant them. The evening is the quicker, and if planted after the evening meal
they fill out better.
Plant Sweet Potatoes on a starry night to ensure their filling out properly (by
getting plenty of eyes?)
Plant Cucumbers and Gourds on a dark moonless night, to prevent them from
being seen and devoured by fire-flies (api-api).
Plant Cocoa-nuts when the stomach is overburdened with food (kalau kita ’nak
sangat berak); run quickly and throw the cocoa-nut into the hole prepared for it
without straightening the arm; if you straighten it the fruit-stalk will break. Plant