Dung Dipper

Saegatong is a container used for carrying and scattering feces and urine when fertilizing fields. In spring, urine and feces were poured into a manure tub or a urine barrel, and carried to the fields. Farmers poured the excrement into saegatong, distributing it on rice paddies or vegetable plots. To make saegatong, a long and thick log was carved into the shape of a cattle-feed dipper. A shallow spout was made on one side of the rim so as to let the manure flow down, while the opposite side of the rim was slightly raised. A handle made with a Y-shaped branch was nailed down or tied down with straw ropes or wires, to extend from the spout to the raised end. Some saegatong were made with a gourd dipper, instead of a log. Farmers held the handle as if holding a kettle, and tilted saegatong to let the manure stream down through the spout.