40 THE WHEATS OF BALUCHISTAN 



X. Soof ghanani, red wheat. This variety is grown both on irrigated 

 and unirrigated laud. The ears are bearded, the chati smooth and white 

 and the grain red (var. eri/(hrospermum Kcke. Class XLII). Two wheats were 

 present in small quantities as impurities, a bearded wheat with red, lelted 

 glumes and white grain (var. (urcicuin Kcke. Class XV) and a bearded wheal 

 with smooth, red chali and red grain {vht. ferruyineum Al. Class XXXII). 



BOLAN PASS. 



This Distriet includes the Bolan Pass proper and the lands occupied by 

 the Mushkaf-Bolan and Quetta-Nushki Railways. It forms a long, narrow 

 strip of country GO miles long with a change in altitude from 163 feet at the 

 southern end (Rindli) to 5,793 feet at the upper end (Dhast). The District is 

 mountainous with long, narrow valleys and of the 900 square miles only a 

 very small portion is cultivable. 



The climate varies with the altitude ; the summer is extremely hot in the 

 lower parts of the Pass and the winter very severe above Mach. A strong 

 north wind blows constantly but is strongest in January, February and March 

 causing damage to the wheat crop. The average raii\fall in the upper part 

 of the valley is 7'(j4 inches which falls mainly between December and March ; 

 at Panerband, on the other hand, most of the rain falls in the summer months 

 and the average annual rainfall is 1 inches. The cultivated area lies mainly 

 in the lower two-tiiirds of the valley, in the valleys and fiats between the 

 mountains, and the rainfall at Panir represents that of these areas. 



The inigated laud lies chietiy round l»iiidli. Kirta, Kuiul.alam, i3ibi 

 Nani, Pishi and in the bed of the river between Mach and Kolpur while the 

 dry crop lands are principally at Takaii, Toba, I^merband, Sahibdad Thai, 

 Chirak and Zanuui. The Bolan River with its springs and the Mach hill 

 tfnrt'iU ail' the main sources of water. The irrigated area at Kirta is about 

 3,130 acres, at Kindli '21 acres ami at. .Mach 7 acres while the (by cro]) area 

 is ab(mt 800 acres. 



The spring harvest on irrigated land which constitutes at alxuit 58 

 per cent, of the whole cultivation c(»nsists mainly of wheat. No records of 

 the outturn are available, 'i'iie dry ciop laud is genertdly uiuU^r wheat if 

 the rainfall is sullicient. The time of sowing varies with the altitude. 0\\ 

 irrigated land the seed is sown luoadcast between October and December. 

 It is either sown in the dry lainl and then watered or the land is watered 

 tirst and then sown. If possil)le. it, is watered agahi as soon as it has 



