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The first task in the actual cultivation of wet-rice in Palokhi is the planting of rice seed in nurseries. This is done in dry-bed nurseries and it is a practice which is by no means unusual in Northern Thailand as it is also done by some Northern Thai (Davis [1984:151]), Lua’ and Karen (Kunstadter [1978:93]; see also Moerman [1968:53] and Iwata and Matsuoka [1967:310]). The planting of rice seed in this manner is called by the Palokhi Karen, tho ta ka, a combination of the Karen for swidden planting, tho hy’, and the Northern Thai term for rice nursery, taa kaa. The Palokhi term is apt indeed, for the technique of planting wet-rice seed is similar to that of planting rice in swiddens. The nursery is a small plot of land close to the wet-rice field which is cleared of vegetation and burnt, after which the seed is planted by dibbling. The work is done by individual households, often with a husband and wife working together. Unlike swiddening, however, there are no rituals associated with the planting of wet-rice seed in dry-bed nurseries.