uttings which are set in mud-beds until
ready to be transferred to the mountain-side clearings. These lands
are prepared in the same manner as the upland rice fields already
described. The men dig shallow holes and set each plant upright,
while the women follow, filling the hole with water and then pressing
earth in with fingers or toes.

In addition to these food crops, considerable plantings of cotton or
_kapas_ (_Gossypium_ sp.) and tobacco or _taba-o_ (_Nicotiana tabacum_)
are raised in the clearings. The former is planted on the hillsides,
where it matures in three or four months. The plant seldom reaches
a height of two feet, and the bolls are small, doubtless due to lack
of care and suitable fertilization. [223]

Tobacco seeds are sprouted in beds similar to those used for the rice,
and the same magical device is used to insure a lusty growth. The young
plants are carefully watered and shaded until they reach a height of
five or six inches. They are then transplanted to hillside clearings,
or to unused rice fields, where they are set out about three to a
foot. This transfer generally takes place near the beginning of
the dry season, so that the crop will be sure to mature without
the damaging effect of water on the leaves. The plants while lusty
do not attain the size of those grown in the valley regions of the
interior. As soon as the leaves begin to turn a dark yellow, they are
cut off and are strung on slender bamboo sticks (Plate LX), which are
then hung up in the house. When nearly dry, they are laid in piles,
and are occasionally turned to prevent rust or mildew from forming.

A small amount of indigo, _tayum_ (_Indigofera tinctoria_) is raised,
generally in open spots near the villages. The plants receive little
or no attention, yet still attain a height of about three feet. The
leaves and branches are placed in water for a few days, and are then
boiled, together with a little lime, the resultant liquor being used
as a dye for cotton thread.

No product receives more attention in the lore of the Tinguian than the
climbing vine known as _lawed_ (_Piper sp_.). [224] It was formerly
in universal use in connection with the chewing of betel-nut. To-day
betel-nut is less common in this region, but this leaf and the
areca-nut still play an important part in all ceremonies. According
to tradition, it was possible in the old times to tell the fate of
an absent friend by noting the condition of a _lawed_ vine pl