Banking, a tedious task, involved raising the earth at the foot of the plants every two weeks or so. The ridges were usually eight to nine inches high to create mulch which kept the soil open and moist. However, the land also had to be properly drained by digging a network of canals and drainage ditches. A second banking was made when the plants were a month old. The lower leaves were removed and buried at the foot of the plant. As the leaves developed, each worker had to check the plants in his care for caterpillars and worms that would cause harm to the wrapper leaf.
