Towards the end of October, and in November, their ploughs are much engaged in sowing their winter (or rubbee) crops of wheat, barley, grain, &c.; and at this period they make arrangements with the shepherds who have large flocks of sheep, to fold them upon the fields at night, for which they pay so much per beegah in grain.

During the latter part of November, and early in December, the fields are again ploughed well, and all grass, weeds, &c., removed with the hoe; then the surface of the field is made as smooth as possible by putting the hengah (a piece of wood eight to ten feet in length, and five to six inches in breadth, and three or four inches in thickness, drawn by two pairs of bullocks, and the man standing upon the wood to give it weight), over several times for three or four days in succession.  This makes the surface of the field very even and somewhat hard, which prevents the sun and dry west wind from abstracting the moisture, which is of great importance at this period of the season, for, should there be no rain, there would not be sufficient moisture at the time of planting the cane to cause vegetation.

In this state the land remains till the time of planting the cane cuttings, which is generally the 1st to the 15th of February; but should there have been a fall of rain in the mean time, or excess of moisture appear, the field is again ploughed, and the hengah put over as before.

A day or two previous to planting the cane, the field is ploughed and the hengah lightly put over.”—­(Trans.  Agri-Hort.  Soc. vi. 4, 5.)

Sets.—­When the canes are cut at harvest time, twelve or eighteen inches of their tops are usually taken off, and stored, to be employed for sets.  Each top has several joints, from each of which a shoot rises, but seldom more than one or two arrive at a proper growth.

When first cut from the stem, the tops intended for plants are tied in bundles of forty or fifty each, and are carefully kept moist.  In a few days they put forth new leaves:  they are then cleared of the old leaves, and separately dipped into a mixture of cow-dung, pressed mustard seed, and water.  A dry spot is prepared, and rich loose mould and a small quantity of pressed mustard-seed; the plants are separately placed therein, a small quantity of earth strewed amongst them, and then covered with leaves and grass to preserve them from heat.  Ten or twelve days afterwards they are planted in the fields.

In Burdwan, the tops, before they are planted, are cut into pieces from four to six inches long, so that there are not more than four knots in each.  Two or three of these plant tops are put together in the ground, and a beegah requires from 7,500 to 10,240 plants.

In Rungpore and Dinajpoor, about 9,000 plants are required for a beegah, each being about a foot in length.

In Beerbhoom, 3,000 plants are said to be requisite for a beegah, each cane top being about fifteen inches long.