11. Without tasting it, you can tell if a lemonade needs more sugar.
Seeds of calamansi (Citrus microcarpa) sink to the bottom of the glass before sugar is added to the lemonade. As we add sugar, the seeds float. It is because the buoyancy (specific gravity) of the lemonade is increased. Buoyancy is also explained by the fact that it is easier to swim in seawater than in the swimming pool.
By specific gravity of a liquid we mean the ratio of its density to that of water which is normally 1. This is determined by the use of hydrometer, the same instrument used in determining the concentration of alcohol, acids, oils and other liquids. The idea of buoyancy that led to our present knowledge of specific gravity came from the first true experimentalist, Archimedes during the golden age of Greek civilization. A story about his discovery was a hilarious one. All of a sudden he emerged from the bathtub and went through the streets shouting, “Eureka! Eureka
12. Beware of bats. Bats swoop on unwary people walking in the field or on the street. Old folks warn us not to go out at dusk or at night - and never alone.
Bats, the only true flying mammals are perhaps the most misunderstood creatures because of their ugly looks and enigmatic life embellished with superstitious beliefs and associated with fiction stories like Dracula, a bloodthirsty count-vampire in a world of the undead. Movies, cartoons, and children’s stories have projected a bad image of bats, giving us the impression they are enemies of mankind.
The truth is that bats are harmless creatures, except for three known species called vampire bats that feed on the blood of animals. Seventy percent of the one thousand known species of bats live on insects as their daily diet. One bat can devour 1000 mosquitoes in just one hour. Insectivorous bats (curanatnit Ilk.) swoop down on flying insects in the dark which they detect by means of echolocation that works on radar principle, making it appear that they are attacking people when they get too close to them.
The bigger species of bat, 2 to 5 times larger than the insectivorous species feed on ripe fruits like banana, guyabano, mango, chico
13. The old faithful rice mill kiskisan lives!
It is enduring, and endearing as well, to millions of rice farmers, entrepreneurs and consumers all over the world, this universal machine that replaced hand pounding of rice. Kiskisan continues to dominate local rice milling in spite of its low recovery which is about 50 percent, as compared with modern rice mills which deliver as high as 68 percent rice. But why is this late 18th century machine still popular?
It is because the kiskisan is simple and practical to operate. It leaves no waste, unlike the cono or the rubber roller mills which separate the rice hull or chaff (ipa) which constitutes 25 percent of paddy rice or palay. The kiskisan automatically separates the milled rice from the by-product which is a composite mix of finely ground bran, rice germ (embryo), hull (ipa) and binlid or brokens – indeed a complete animal feed ideal for village use.
This is not the case with modern mills. The rice hull is thrown away, so with partly filled and immature grains. The binlid is separated and the bran comes in two grades, requiring a complex operation and higher cost of milling. Besides, these mills rarely operate on small scale. The kiskisan does. Just feed into the hopper, say one-half cavan (25 kg) of palay, and pronto, you get your milled rice in half an hour. You may leave behind the by-product as milling fee.
Visit a kiskisan. It is the throbbing commercial part of the village - a mini-mall, barangay style, that is. It is an institution of sort. Surrounding the mill site is a parking area of jeeps and tricycle, a flea market (talipapa), barbershop, variety or sari-sari store, and drugstore (botica). It is a meeting place (kita kits sa kiskisan, in modern parlance), where you pick up news and share stories. It is a center you sell, buy or exchange (barter) products and services. You find your everyday needs, including the naturally rich kiskisan darak for your backyard chicken and pigs.
14. The Bahay Kubo is an enduring symbol of food self-sufficiency, indigenous biodiversity, simplicity and quaintness of living and natural beauty.
Bahay Kubo (My Nipa Hut) is one of the most loved traditional songs. Our generation learned it in the elementary by heart. Ironically not so many kids today are familiar with it. It is good to rediscover the beauty and lesson of the song.
Bahay kubo, hahit munti, ang halaman doon ay sari-sari. Singkamas at talong, sigidillas at mani, sitao, batao, patani. Kondol, patola, upo, kalabasa, at sa ka mayroon pa, labanos, mustasa. Sibuyas, kamatis, bawang at luya, at ang paligidligid ay linga.
These are main features of the song.
- · There are eighteen (18) plants, which are indigenous, mostly native varieties. (biodiversity)
- · Many of the plants have medicinal values and are effective home remedies for common ailments (luya, sibuyas, bawang).
- · The four kinds of vegetables are represented: leafy (mustasa), fruit (kamatis, talong, kalabasa), root (labanos, singkamas), seed (linga, patani, mani).
- · Spices and condiments are included in the list (linga, luya, bawang)
- · The plants have different planting and harvesting schedules, thus enhancing whole year round supply of vegetables, and the use of resources and family labor.
- · The plants have different growing types or habits which means they occupy specific places and have space allocations. (viny, herb, bush).
- · Nutrition-wise they provide the basic requirements for growing up and good health.
- · The ambiance projected by the scene is green, tranquil, clean, shady and cool (environment-friendly).
- · The garden exudes a feeling of self-sufficiency and offers a potential for livelihood.
- · Simplicity is the key to a contented life (with least energy consumption, and amenities).
- · Such a scene expands the imagination to include a backyard fishpond, chicken coop, orchard trees and ornamental plants, among others – all of these contribute to the enrichment of the Bahay Kubo, without modifying its basic concept and structure.
- · Although the song does not describe the nipa hut per se, the ambiance it creates produces a vivid imagery that compensate of its lack.
Folk wisdom tells us how good it is to live simply and naturally, eat properly, stay young, healthy and active, save and earn money, depend less on energy and imported goods, and enjoy being at home with the family. Bahay Kubo takes us closer to nature, to appreciate our culture, and leads us to the inner calling for peace, quiet and joy.
15. Farmers in earlier times relied mainly on compost as fertilizer. It is safe, and easy and cheap to produce. Chemical fertilizers are a recent invention.
Composting is a traditional farm practice, and was perfected long time ago. There are three components to produce ideal compost: animal manure (and chicken droppings), crop residues (hay and stalks, weeds, fruit peelings, etc), and loamy soil. All you need to do is to make several layers of these materials one on top of another, either in the form of a pile (preferably in the rainy season), or in a shallow pit (for the dry season), of any dimension that is suitable. Install some bamboo tubes to serve as posts and “breathers” to allow air circulation in the pile or pit. The breathers work like chimney. Punch the nodes to make a continuous tube, and make several holes staggered along its length. Moisten the pile as needed. Too much water is not advisable.
Composting also uses seaweeds (like Sargassum) that litter coastlines; scums and algae growing on lakes and rivers; rinds and peelings of cacao, coffee, pineapple, and the like; corn cobs and husk, rice stalk and rice hull ash in rice and corn lands. Then we have a lot of coconut husk and leaves, and copra meal wastes in coconut areas; guano (bat droppings) in caves; and a long list of materials from wastes in fishery, slaughterhouses, food manufacturing. Lest we forget, we are turning out every day tons and tons of biodegradable materials from our homes and factories.
What really is the secret of compost in enriching the soil? Here are the benefits.
- · It contains both major and minor elements (chemical fertilizers are specific only to the elements they supply).
- · The release of nutrients is slow but continuous, allowing both crop and soil to adjust properly.
- · The organic content of compost improves tilth (ease in cultivation), as well as the physical structure of the soil.
- · Compost enhances favorable microbiological condition of the soil. Fifth, it improves retention of soil moisture.
- · It makes working on the soil a lot easier because of its porous nature.
- · It stabilizes soil acidity (pH).
- · It is not only a good source of income; it is a dollar saver.
- · Composting, sanitation and beautification complement one another.
16. Try these old folks’ ways of dealing with insect pests.
· Lantana (Lantana camara) is planted along field borders and fences repel insects from destroying field crops.
- · Makabuhay (Tinospora rumphii) chopped and scattered in the rice field controls golden kuhol and insect pest.
- · Ground seed cotyledon of botong (Barringtona asiatica) is fish poison. It is applied in fishponds to rid the remaining fish and other predators before stocking with fingerlings.
- · The sap of tubang bakod (Jatropha curcas) controls the vector or Schistozomiasis – a snail (Oncomelana quadrasi)
- · Eucalyptus trees around the house keep off flies and mosquitoes. The menthol oil freshens the air.
- · Garlic and onions inter planted with garden crops reduce incidence of pests.
- · Teabag of black pepper is safer than naphthalene balls in protecting clothes and books, including the felt linings of piano.
- · Clay from anthill (punso) is used to seal earthen jars. The clay is actually the excrement of termites, thus keeping them away from the stored goods.
17. Try also these old folks’ ways of dealing with destructive animals.
· To prevent goats from biting the trunk of trees, make a slurry of white latex paint mixed with goats’ urine and feces, and paint it all around the trunk around one and one-half meters high.
· Goats are often left stray in the village. To be sure they don’t get through fences in the neighborhood, they are restrained by a triangular hame made of bamboo worn around the neck that is conveniently attached or removed. However, the whereabouts of the animals must be monitored because the hame may get entangled with wire or get stuck in the fence itself.
· Place piece of wood (2” x 2”) that directly inclines on top of an empty barrel. Hang at the end a bait, say a piece of meat or cheese. This will attract the rats and may fall into the barrel. To get rid of the trapped rats use boiling water.
· Monitor lizards (bayawak) are caught by an ingenious local invention. A sturdy and flexible bamboo is forcibly bent across the path of this predator. When it attacks the live chick used as a bait, the trigger mechanism releases the bamboo’s full force that can break the back of the lizard.
· Fowls are trapped in bamboo baskets tilted open on one side by a post. On entering, the post collapses trapping the fowls inside the basket. NOTE: This technique may not work after some time; the fowls may soon learn to evade the trap. (Pavlov’s conditioning)
19. How do you catch a monkey?
Bore a small hole into a young coconut (buko), about an inch in diameter, or just enough for the monkey to insert its hands with outstretched fingers. Hang the nut among the trees where monkeys abound. A monkey comes around, inserts its hand into the nut and gathers the meat. True to the characteristic of a monkey it will not open its fist in order to escape. Now it is the trapper’s move. This is one for the fable
18. Oil from plants lighted the homes of our ancestors.
Other than the coconut which is the main source of oil in the Philippines
Another main source of oil is lumbang (Aleurites moluccana). Its seeds yield 62 percent lamp and industrial oil. Quite unfamiliar to many is hanga (Pittosporum resineferum) , a small tree whose mature berries directly burn with bluish flame. It is plentiful in the highlands, such as in Benguet. One can visit the collection of hanga trees at the DENR field station in Loakan, near the Baguio
Among the alternative sources of oil which are being investigated in the light of spiraling oil price, are the following species of Family Euphorbiaceae, to which the rubber tree belongs.
· Soro-soro (Euphorbia neriifolia),
· Gatas-gatas (E. pilulifera),
· Consuelda (E. tirucalli),
· Physic nut (Jatropha curcas),
· Castor-oil plant or tangantangan (Ricinus communis)
20. Ethnic music makes a wholesome life; it is therapy.
Have you ever noticed village folks singing or humming as they attend to their chores? They have songs when rowing the boat, songs when planting, songs of praise at sunrise, songs while walking up and down the trail, etc. Seldom is there an activity without music. Even the sounds of nature to them are music.
According to researcher Leonora Nacorda Collantes, of the UST graduate school, music influences the limbic system, called the “seat of emotions” and causes emotional response and mood change. Musical rhythms synchronize body rhythms, mediate within the sphere of the autonomous nervous and endocrine systems, and change the heart and respiratory rate. Music reduces anxiety and pain, induces relaxation, thus promoting the overall sense of well being of the individual.
Music is closely associated with everyday life among village folks more than it is to us living in the city. The natives find content and relaxation beside a waterfall, on the riverbank, under the trees, in fact there is to them music in silence under the stars, on the meadow, at sunset, at dawn. Breeze, crickets, running water, make a repetitious melody that induces sleep. Humming indicates that one likes his or her work, and can go on for hours without getting tired at it. Boat songs make rowing synchronized. Planting songs make the deities of the field happy, so they believe; and songs at harvest are thanksgiving. Indeed the natives are a happy lot. ~
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