ABSTRACT
In Kiriwina the harvest is the most joyous and pictureque stage of garden-making. The actual digging out of the roots fascinates the natives in itself; and round this technical activity there cluster a number of enlivening customs and ceremonies which, while they take even more time perhaps and require more work than the mere lifting of the tubers out of the soil, add to the joy of the season. They give it the character of a delightful pastime, and thus greatly help the work. After all, harvesting is the end of all agriculture and, in the Trobriands as elsewhere, this aim is made prominent and important, and is drawn out by its festive setting.
