In July, during the harvest season, men, women and children headed out to the fields early in the morning to reap. Organized into teams, the harvesters proceeded in an orderly fashion under the guidance of the foreman. The reaping was done by bending forward or kneeling, using the sickle to cut the stem almost level with the ground or at a maximum height of 10-20 cm. The ears of corn were gathered into bundles, and the harvest, scattered across the field to dry, was then grouped into piles or windrows and then tied to form sheaves. This type of reaping allowed almost all of the plant's stem to be recovered, useful as winter fodder, building material for roofs and huts and for the creation of household objects.