BUCKWHEAT AND ITS ALLIES. 117 



under the same names " kotu," " bro," etc. None of the 

 buckwheats are considered equal to the millets even in the 

 hills ; in the plains they are regarded as heating and unpalatable. 

 They make a bitter, poor, and hard bread. The species are 

 all cultivated to a great height, even up to 14,000 feet in 

 Ladak ; the crop is an autumnal one. 



An imperfect chemical analysis of the fruits or unhusked 

 seeds of the present species shows it to resemble very closely 

 the common kind cultivated in Europe, the albuminoids being 

 io - 9 per cent., the oil 2 '4, and the ash 7 ; the percentages of 

 albuminoids and oil would be considerably raised by the removal 

 of the husk. 



The buckwheats are amongst the foods which may be law- 

 fully eaten on the Hindu fast days. 



