Page 83 - Arabian Studies (I)

The Cultivation of Cereals in Mediaeval Yemen 69

called kaid (pi., kuyud). Grohmann, Siidarabien ... ii, 15, gives as names for
silos or stores, haqb, in Khawlan tann, and in Dhamar kejt, probably kaid supra.
Cf. C. dc Landberg, Etudes sur les dia/ectes... , I,Hadramout, Leiden, 1901,87,
for a description of the construction of a rnadfan.
131. Large heads of grain kept for seed arc laid on cold earth or ash (,ramad),
but if grain is stored hot this brings the white ant.
132. This word is uncertain and the readings various. From Hajjah Robert
Wilson however reports a well known millet grown in the Tihamah called
bujaidah, and this might be the correct form of the name.
133. For the different reckoning of the rising of these stars in the Ta‘izz
almanac see note 123.
134. In Wadi JTzan shabb is sown, according to the local star calendar, in
al-Dhira' (from May 30th) in the mountains, and from the first star of KharTf,
al-Nathrah (12 June), which is the beginning of the agricultural year there.
135. MM., 21a.
136. For bukr see ‘Star calendars’, 450, Maktari, 156, Gloss, dat., 191. F. M.
Hunter, C. W. Scaly, J. W. B. Merewether, Account of the Arab tribes in the
vicinity of Aden, Bombay, 1909, 4, say of Lahej that it has two agricultural
seasons in the year ‘saif or summer and ‘bukur’ or winter. Millet is the principal
cereal cultivated, the white species being sown in saif and the red in bukur; it is
usual to have two harvests of each and occasionally three. The First crop which is
called ab is the finest, the second is called laqb (he writes akb), and the third
4aqb al-'aqb. The Kaqb al-'aqb of the saif is frequently seen growing alongside the
ab of the bukur. But however the season may be a land tax of 1 dollars per
dimd/damd (acre) is collected in four instalments, and in addition tithes are
levied on produce under the name of firqah (written firka). There are also dues
on water. Cf. Landberg, Etudes ... II, Datfnah, Leiden, 1905, 232-3. Fatat
al-Jazirah, 16 Sept. 1945 reports recent floods in Lahej and its AmTr as saying
‘we’ll plant bukr of millet, then sesame (gilgil/juljuldn) and habhab-melons and
Bairn millet, cropping after three months.’
137. Cf. SharjT, op. cit., 179, ‘a name for that part of Tihamah near the
mountain’, pi., hawazz. In Rasulid times the two Hazzahs of ZabTd had a special
official appointed to them with supporting staff.
138. The abbreviated version of the Bughyah (supra) says, it is called
al—Haddar (?) and it is called al-Tamrl because it is planted at the days of the
palms.’ He may mean at the time of the date-crop. The reading al-Haddar is not
entirely certain.
139. MM., 21a. I noted Zi‘ir in SubaihT territory in 1940. It is also known in
JTzan. Zi‘ir is planted especially in Saif (13 March—) and called Saiff, but it may
be sown at any suitable time.
140. The Cairo Ms. inserts: ‘and a third follows it’ called khilf In Jizan this
is pronounced khalf. For ‘aqb see note 138. Ba Makhramah, Fatawa, 258a, is set
a question about ‘aqb of Saif millet and bukr which happen to be growing side
by side. Should the owner of the ‘aqb be compelled to remove his crop since it
harms the bukr millet? The answer was no!
141. In W. JTzan in 1971 I learned the term al-JinnTyah is still in
use — because the crop is strange and unexpected — like a JinnT!
142. MM. 21b.