PANICUM 



MILIACEUM 



Ancient Grain. 



Bengal. 



Seasons. 



Tield. 



U. Prov. 



Two Varieties. 

 Bombay. 



Area. 



'Transplanted. 



Seasons. 



Tield. 

 Gujarat Form. 



Seasons. 

 Tield. 



JFood. 



country up to 10,000 feet on the Himalaya, but nowhere to any great 

 extent. Stein (Ancient Khotan, 376) says he found at the Niya site (3rd 

 century) some ancient straw among which the husk of this species had 

 been recognised by the authorities of Kew. 



Bengal. Roy (Crops of Beng., 1906, 58-60) states that this millet 

 does best on a heavy loam and luxuriates on newly formed char lands. 

 The land is ploughed after the 15th December, up to January or even 

 to 15th February, and harrowed two to four times after each ploughing. 

 By the time of the fifth or sixth ploughing the clods are broken with 

 the hammer and the seed sown broadcast about the 15th February, 

 at the rate of 5 seers to the acre, then ploughed in ; but to cover 

 the seed, the land is again harrowed. When the plants are 6 inches 

 high, the field is weeded if necessary. The crop is harvested about the 

 15th March to the 15th May. The average yield is about 24 maunds 

 per acre, valued at Rs. 48. 



United Provinces. It is grown as a hot-weather crop, irrigated from 

 wells. Sown in March at the rate of 10 Ib. to the acre, and ripens 

 towards the end of May. Yield, six to eight maunds of grain per acre. 

 In Bandelkhand there are two varieties, phikai and rali. The former is 

 sown a little earlier than the latter, and yields a heavier outturn. 



Bombay. The area under this crop and under P. militire are 

 returned together. They are generally distinguished by the names of 

 vari and sdva respectively. In 1905-6 they occupied 231,948 acres in 

 Bombay and 2,140 acres in Sind, and are said to take the sixth place 

 among the cereals of Bombay. Their cultivation is almost limited to the 

 Konkan and the Ghat parts of Nasik, Poona, Satara, Belgaum and Dhar- 

 war. In these districts -P. tniliacenni is a kJiarif crop, depending on 

 natural rainfall, and is never irrigated. According to Mollison, it is raised 

 like ndgli (Eleusine coracana) from robed seedlings transplanted. 

 When the seedlings are growing, the field is ploughed three or four times 

 during the first three weeks of the rains. About 1 IJb. of seed per guniha 

 (one-fortieth acre) is sown broadcast on the seed-bed. It is grown without 

 manure, and is commonly hand-weeded once in August. If transplanted 

 early in July, the late varieties of the crop ripen towards the end of October. 

 A full average crop on good varkas land (i.e. upland soils of the Konkan) 

 will yield 700 to 750 Ib. grain per acre, worth 40 to 45 Ib. per rupee. In 

 Gujarat the crop grown is known as cheno, and according to Mollison is 

 agriculturally very different from the crop of the Konkan and Ghat dis- 

 tricts. It is grown in garden lands as a hot- weather irrigated crop. When 

 ginger or other garden crop is removed in December-January, the land 

 is ploughed several times and beds formed for irrigation. The seed is 

 sown broadcast, 10 Ib. per acre, and lightly covered. Light irrigation 

 is given as required, and the crop is hand-weeded once. If sown at the 

 end of January it comes into flower in March and is fully ripe in April. 

 A good crop yields about 2 tons straw and 1,000 to 1,200 Ib. grain per 

 acre. 



Uses. The GRAIN is considered digestible and nutritious, and in many 

 places is eaten whole, being cooked like rice. In Bihar, when boiled 

 and parched, it is called marha, manhra or mar. Prepared with milk and 

 sugar it is a favourite food at marriage ceremonies. Near Simla it is 

 sometimes used as bread in the form of chapatties, called chinatti (pan- 

 cakes). Leather gives the following average analysis of three samples 



844 



