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Store Houses.

Store houses for root crops were unnecessary. The taro can be grown for twelve months of the year, whilst both kumara and the breadfruit had three crops in the year. The kumara will not keep for long, and the excess of bread-fruit was dealt with in large ovens for kuru hopiko or pits for mahi, as described later. Thus in Aitutaki, there was no problem in making provision for storing the year's supply of root crops in special buildings or pits.

Though the building of special store houses is denied, some were set apart for storing goods and received names from the goods stored. Thus in the well-known legend of Varo-kura, the hero of the tale made provision in the land of Itikau against the coming of his son by building special houses that are mentioned as hare tokere, hare kahara, hare pahu and hare taonga. The tokere is a small hollowed-out wooden instrument beaten with sticks to give time to the dances. The kahara is a larger instrument of a similar nature, the pahu a drum and taonga includes goods of value.