56 Dr Christie on the Agriculture, <§*c. of the 



parts of India *. The advantage of the first method is, that it 

 affords time for a crop of diflPerent kinds of pulse to be taken 

 from the ground before the rice is planted. 



14. Ervum lens, Lin ; Mussoor, Duk. — This is cultivated 

 only in small quantity, and principally in the western part of 

 the district. 



III. Articles of cultivation, which are sown towards the end 

 of the rains in September and October. — These are ready for 

 reaping at the end of four or five months. Except at the com- 

 mencement of this season, the moisture which these crops re- 

 ceive is principally derived from the dews, which are deposited 

 in considerable abundance during these months. 



1. Andropogon Sorghum (variety), Flor. Ind. ; Holcus Sor- 

 ghum, Lin. ; White Jtiwary. " It differs," says Marshall, 

 " from the red jooaree in the case of the seed being white, 

 which in the other is brownish ; in the stalk not growing to half 

 the height, and containing much more of the saccharine prin- 

 ciple." It is cultivated on the regur soil. 



2. Cicer arietinum, Lin. ; Chinna, Duk. Bengal Gram, or 

 Chick Pea. This is cultivated on good regur land all over the 

 district, except in the most westerly parts. It is generally em- 

 ployed as food for horses. In many places, also, the natives use 

 it as a common article of diet. An acid exudes from all parts 

 of the plant, and is often collected in the following manner by 

 the Ryuts. The dew which is deposited on the plant over 

 night, is found in the morning to be strongly impregnated with 

 the acid. Long pieces of cloth are then dragged over the plants 

 until they become quite wet with the acid liquor, which is then 

 wrung out ; and this process is renewed until the whole field 

 has been gone over in the same manner. The liquor is of a 

 brown colour, is slightly acid, contains a large quantity of sac- 

 charine matter, which gives it a sweet taste, and when allowed 

 to evaporate very slowly, the acid is deposited in cubical crys- 

 tals. It is sometimes used by the natives in their curries, in- 

 stead of vinegar ; and is also employed by the native doctors in 

 medicine. 



• Vide Buchanan's Journey through Mysore, Canara, &c. vol. i. p. 84. 



