The sheaves are left to dry for a day in the sun and then gathered into
garbs. These are piled on a dry field into a circular heap some three feet high,
and broad enough for a herd of buffaloes to tramp round upon and tread the
grain off the ear, to which it is attached by ^ blender petiole. Another way is
to pile the garbs in a high crescent-shaped heap, round the central space of
which four to six head of cattle are made to travel abreast and tread the garbs
which are cast down from above. The grain keeps best in the husk and is
stored in bins of bamboo wattle smeared with clay {sabaji, Nos. 119, 120).
The covering of the rice-grain is a strong adherent husk like that of barley,
but mostly without any beard. Rice in the husk is called Saba (Engl, paddy).
116. CUTTING THE CROP IN THE GREAT PLAIN.
>^



CLEANING THE GRAIN 55

Under the coarse yellow husk is a shell of bran, and beneath that a delicate
white pellicle. The two outer coverings have to be removed and the inner one
preserved. " Cargo rice," which forms the bulk of the mill produce, is three
parts rice, simply husked, and one part paddy. The mixture bears the transport




118. TREADING OUT THE GRAIN.
better than white rice. Burmans clean the rice according to daily need.
