[Their first Ploughing.] They Plough twice before they sow.  But before they begin the first time, they let in Water upon their Land, to make it more soft and pliable for the Plough.  After it is once Ploughed, they make up their [Their Banks, and use of them.] Banks.  For if otherwise they should let it alone till after the second Ploughing, it would be mere Mud, and not hard enough to use for Banking.  Now these Banks are greatly necessary, not only for Paths for the People to go upon through the Fields, who otherwise must go in the Mud, it may be knee deep; but chiefly to keep in and contain their Water, which by the help of these Banks they overflow their Grounds with.  These Banks they make as smooth with the backside of their Houghs, as a Bricklayer can smooth a Wall with his Trowel.  For in this they are very neat.  These Banks are usually not above a Foot over.

[Their second Ploughing.] After the Land is thus Ploughed and the Banks finished, it is laid under water again for some time, till they go to Ploughing the second time.  Now it is exceeding muddy, so that the trampling of the Cattel that draws the Plough, does as much good as the Plough; for the more muddy the better.  Sometimes they use no Plough this second time, but only drive their Cattel over to make the Ground the muddier.

[How they prepare their Seed-Corn.] Their Lands being thus ordered, they still keep them overflowed with Water, that the Weeds and Grass may rot.  Then they take their Corn and lay it a soak in Water a whole night, and the next day take it out, and lay it in a heap, and cover it with green leaves, and so let it lye some five or six days to make it grow. [And their Land after it is Ploughed.] Then they take and wet it again, and lay it in a heap covered over with leaves as before, and so it grows and shoots out with Blades and Roots.  In the mean time while this is thus a growing, they prepare their Ground for sowing; which is thus:  They have a Board about four foot long, which they drag over their Land by a yoke of Buffaloes, not flat ways, but upon the edge of it.  The use of which is, that it jumbles the Earth and Weeds together, and also levels and makes the Grounds smooth and even, that so the Water (for the ground is all this while under water) may stand equal in all places.  And wheresoever there is any little hummock standing out of the Water, which they may easily see by their eye, with the help of this Board they break and lay even.  And so it stands overflown while their Seed is growing, and become fit to sow, which usually is eight days after they lay it in soak.

When the Seed is ready to sow, they drain out all the Water, and with little Boards of about a foot and a half long, fastned upon long Poles, they trim the Land over again, laying it very smooth, making small Furrows all along, that in case Rain or other Waters should come in, it might drain away; for more Water now would endanger rotting the Corn. [Their manner of sowing.] And then they sow their Corn, which they do with very exact evenness, strewing it with their hands, just as we strew Salt upon Meat.