(1) _Wat ju ai thung jingthung ne bet symbai ha uba sniew kti_.

Do not allow plants to be planted or seeds to be sown by one who has
a bad hand.

As elsewhere, there is a belief amongst the Khasis that some people's
touch as regards agriculture is unlucky.

(2) _Thung dieng ne bet symbai haba ngen bnai, ym haba shai u bnai_.

Plant trees or sow seeds not when the moon is waxing, but when it is
on the wane.

(3) _Wei la saw bha ka bneng sepngi jan miet phin sa ioh jingrang
lashai_.

A red sky in the west in the evening is the sign of fine weather
to-morrow.

Cf. our English proverb "a red sky in the morning is a shepherd's
warning, a red sky at night is a shepherd's delight."


Crops.

The varieties of rice found in the Khasi Hills are divided into two
main classes, one grown as a dry crop on high lands, and the other
raised in valleys and hollows which are artificially irrigated from
hill streams. The lowland rice is more productive than that grown