Crotalaria. DIADELPHIA DECANDRIA. 261 
This very useful species of Crotalaria is extensively culti- 
vated by the natives in most parts of India, In the Northern 
Circars the seed is sown towards the close of the rains, in 
October or November ; a strong clayey soil suits it best, the 
farmers say ; about 120 Ibs. of seed to the acre, is the usual 
allowance. It requires no further care than being covered 
with the soil, which is done with the common Hindoo harrow, 
viz, a bush or two, which two bullocks, or buffaloes drag 
over the field. In February or March, soon after the flowers. 
drop, and before the seed is ripe, it is pulled up by the roots, 
like hemp in Europe; half dried in the sun; then tied up in 
bundles, and committed to the water, where it is steeped, &c. 
The rest of the process being exactly similar to that of com- 
mon hemp. Those plants that are left standing for seed, yield 
bark of an inferior, though stronger quality, so that the time 
of pulling must be attended to. Of this the natives make 
their cordage, twine, fishing nets, gunny, viz. a strong coarse 
kind of sack-cloth, &c. , 
This plant, and it is the only one, is also cultivated by the 
natives of some parts of the Northern Circars to feed their 
milch-cows with, during the dry season. I have found that 
it is very nourishing, and causes them to give more milk than 
most other food: it only bears two or three — pine 
that the plants perish. 
The following is an account of the cultivation of the ice 
plant (Crotalaria juncea of Lineeus) and preparation of the — 
fibres of its bark, called Sun by the people of Bengal. 
It isa tall annual, and very generally cultivated all over the 
southern parts of Asia for the fibres of its bark, which may 
be called the hemp of those countries where it is cultivated, 
A very full and particular account of the various methods 
of cultivation, &c. wil! be found in Wissett’s Book on the Cud- 
tivation and Preparation of Hemp and Sun, published in 
London in 1804; and some remarks by myself in the 22nd 
and 24th volumes of the Transactions of the Society for the 
Encouragement of Arts, &c. 1 will however give a brief state- 
