occupy land adapted to rice,
it is chiefly limited to the gardens. It has large fleshy roots
which are used like those of the _camote_, while the leaves and
young shoots are also cooked and eaten. Other tubers known as _obi_
(_Dioscorea sp_.), _gakad_ (_Dioscorea divaricata_ Blanco), _annaeg_
(_Dioscorea fasciculata_), and _kamas_ (_Pachyrhizus angulatus_
D.C.) are raised to a limited extent in the gardens.

Corn, _mais, bukel_, and red corn, _gasilan_ (_Zea mays_ L.) seems
to have been introduced into Abra in comparatively late times, for
despite the fact that it is one of the most important crops, it has
neither gathered to itself ceremonial procedure, nor has it acquired a
place in the folk-lore. A considerable amount is raised in the village
gardens, but generally it is planted by dibbling in the high land. When
ripe, the ears are broken from the stalk, the husks are turned back,
and several are tied together. These bunches are then placed over
horizontal poles, raised several feet from the ground (Plate LVIII),
and after being thoroughly dried, are hung from the house rafters. The
common method of grinding is to place the corn on a large stone,
over which a smaller stone is rocked until a fine flour is produced
(Plate LIX). Stone disk grinders, imported from the coast, are also
in use. These consist of grooved stones, the upper of which revolves
on the lower. Grain is fed into an opening at the top as needed. Dried
corn, popped in the embers of a fire, is much relished by the children.

Several varieties of squash, [222] and beans, as well as peanuts
(_mani_) are among the common products of the garden. The former are
trained to run over a low trellis or frame to prevent injury to the
blossoms from a driving rain. Both blossoms and the mature vegetables
are used as food.

Among the minor products are ginger, _laya_ (_Zingiber officinale_
Rosc.) and a small melon, locally known as _melod_, which is used
as a sweetening. Sugar cane, _onas_ (_Saccharum_), is raised in
considerable quantity, and is used in making an intoxicating drink
known as _basi_. It is also eaten raw in place of a sweetmeat, but
is never converted into sugar. Nowadays the juice is extracted by
passing the cane between two cylinders of wood with intermeshing
teeth. Motive power is furnished by a carabao attached to a long
sweep. This is doubtless a recent introduction, but it has entirely
superseded any older method.

The cane is raised from c