

THE WHEATS OF BALUCHISTAN, KHORASAN 

 AND THE KUKRAM VALLEY. 



BY 



GABRIELLE L. C. HOWARD, M.A., 



Second Imperial Economic Botanist. 



THE WHEATS OF BALUCHISTAN. 

 I. INTRODUCTION. 



In 1909, the subject of the improvement of wheat cultivation in this 

 Agency was taken up in response to a request from the Revenue Commis- 

 sioner of Bahichistan. In order to obtain some knowledge of the varieties 

 of wheat grown, samples of ripe ears, together with details of the cultivation, 

 were sent from each District. These wheats present several inteiesting 

 features from the systematic standpoint, and from the point of view of the 

 distribution of varieties in India on account of the proximity of Baluchistan to 

 Central Asia — the source of so many immigrations into India and the probable 

 original home of the wheat plant of antiquity. A careful examination and 

 classification of the wheats of this region has therefore been made and this 

 forms the subject of the present paper. Some account of the cultivation has 

 also been included as the agricultural and climatic conditions of Baluchistan 

 are to some extent unique and are very different from those of India. 



The country of Baluchistan forms a transition between the plains of India 

 and the elevated plateaux and mountain systems of Central Asia. It includes 

 the plains of Nasirabad, Sibi and Kachhi (which resemble Sind in almost all 

 respects) and high valleys such as that of Quetta. five thousand feet above 

 the sea and the Toba plateau, the elevation of which is seven thousand feet. 

 The Agency includes Districts directly under British administration and also 

 territory which is under political control only, such as the States of Kalat 

 and Las Bela. The range in altitude and climatic conditions is very great. 



I 



