CULTIVATION AND TRADE OF OATS 



AVERRHOA 



BILIMBI 



, and moreover its liability to fall from the ears on its ripening, in- 

 ,ces its Ix-iiiij harvested when still green. In India, accordingly, it is 

 lusively for feeding horses. If harvested late, the grains are shed 

 h<^ straw loses much in feeding value. The crop is, however, of con- 

 dcnible value since the straw is recognised as being very much more 

 nutritious than that of either rice or wheat. 



Cultivation This is similar to that of barley. Duthie and Fuller Cultiva- 

 v that with a copious supply of water, oats will give as many as three tion. 

 t tings of green fodder, and thereafter make sufficient growth to bear a 

 thin crop of grain. A large proportion of the Hissar oats area is treated 

 in that fashion as a green fodder crop. An acre, Mr. Mukerji says, should Yield. 

 yield 20 maunds of grain and 30 of straw. Mr. Mollison observes that 

 the finest quality of grain is produced on the lower slopes of the Himalaya. 

 The crop is grown to a considerable extent in Delhi, Hissar and Meerut 

 t list nuts and to a less extent in Poona, Ahmednagar, Satara and Ahme- 

 dabad. All the acclimatised forms grown on the plains of India produce 

 long thin grain with much husk, and the weight per bushel does not 

 usually exceed 35 to 37 Ib. 



In the plains oats are sown in September to October, or as soon as the seasons. 

 rains have subsided. Mollison, for example, says of Bombay that oats 

 are only grown as a robi season crop, and always under irrigation. They 

 w best on well-drained friable soils of a fair depth. Very light sand 

 d dense clay are not suitable. In fact, adds Mollison, " oats are 

 wn on the same kinds of soil and under the same conditions as irrigated 

 heat and barley." The seed should be broadcasted, and about 100 Ib. 

 the acre will be required. The crop comes to maturity in 3 to 4 months. 

 e grain can be threshed out on a board or trampled underfoot by bul- crashed. 

 ks. Mr. Mollison says that a fair outturn on good soil would be 1,800 

 2,200 Ib. grain and 25 cwt. straw per acre. Oats as given to horses 

 India are invariably crushed and mixed with other food substances. 

 Cf. Butler, Formaline Treat, of Oat Smut, in Agri. Journ. Ind., 1906, i., 

 it. iii., 257-9.] 



Trade. The imports are small and come for the most part in ships Trade. 

 t bring horses. Oatmeal is also to a certain extent imported under 

 e heading of " provisions," but as it is not separately declared, no 

 rticulars can be furnished. But the exports are more considerable than 

 ould at first sight be anticipated. During the past 20 years or so they 

 ve fluctuated from 50,000 to 80,000 cwt., valued at from 1 to 4 lakhs 

 rupees. In 1906-7 the actual figures were 55,518 cwt., valued at 

 . 2,26,022. The traffic is not, however, progressive. It goes very nearly 

 tirely from Bengal and to Mauritius. 



AVERRHOA BILIMBI, Linn.: Fl. Br. Ind., i., 439; Gamble, D.E.P., 

 Man. Ind. Timbs., 119 ; Pharmacog. Ind., i., 248 ; Cooke, Fl. Pres. Bomb., i., 359-60. 

 i., 168; Duthie, Fl. Upper Gang. Plain, i., 132; GERANIACE.E. The Bilimbi 

 bilimbi, blimbi, belambu, pulich-chakkay, pulusu-kdvd-lu, vilimbi, hainojom, carambola. 

 kala-zoun-si, etc. A. Carambola, Linn. ; the karmaranga, khamrak, 

 kamarangd, kamrangd, tamarak, kamarakha, tamarta, etc. This and the 

 preceding are commonly cultivated in gardens. 



These small trees, called, according to Garcia de Orta, 1563 (Coll., xii.), balimba 

 in Malaya and carambolas in Malabar, are fairly extensively grown for the sake of 

 their fruits. It is customary to read of their having been introduced by the 



97 7 



