Chap. XXVII. FOOD OF THE NATIVES. 475 



then pulled up, steeped for some days in water, and tlie bark 

 stripped off. 



In the Mubbee, or cold season crop, the sowing takes place 

 in October and November, and the harvests in February. At 

 this time wheat is sown in rich black or loamy soil, well ma- 

 nured; gram (Cicer arietinum) in the best black soil; and 

 flax, generally raised on the edge of wheat-fields, in strips of 

 four rows. The laud is only ploughed once in two years, to 

 the depth of a span. 



As the Indians of Peru live chiefly on roots, so the natives 

 of the parts of India which I visited find their chief sus- 

 tenance in numerous kinds of millets and pulses. Eice is 

 certainly their favourite food ; but, from the expenses attend- 

 ing the necessary irrigation, it is dearer and not so easily 

 attainable as the other cereals, and the great mass of the 

 people live on dry grains and pulses. All these cereals con- 

 tain less nourishing matter than wheat, being comparatively 

 poor in nitrogen, but this deficiency is made up by the pulses 

 which are generally eaten with them. It is a most remark- 

 able fact that the natives habitually combine these two 

 different kinds of food, in their dishes, in about the same 

 proportions as science has found to be necessary in order that 

 the mixture may contain the same proportion of carbonous to 

 nitrogenous matter as is found in wheat.^ 



7 Dr. Forbes Watsou has made | Neilgherry hills, which is the Italiau 

 some very interesting calculations on ] millet. The seeds are used for cakes 

 the amount of pulses ricli in nitrogen, j and porridge. In the Deccan it is 

 which must be added to rice and [ only cultivated in small quantities for 

 other cereals comparatively poor iu ■ the ryot's own use, and seldom for 

 that constituent, iu order that the i market. The grain is veiy small. 



mixture may contain the same pro- 

 portion of carbonous to nitrogenous 

 matter as is found in wheat, namely 

 six to one. (See Table, next page.) 



2. Fanlcum Miliureutu, called vara- 

 goo on the Puluey hills, and warree 

 in the Deccan : a small millet, gene- 

 rally sown broadcast on the sides of 



The cereals which I saw growing j liills. In the Neilgherries it is used 

 in the peninsula of India, besides rice, as an otfering to the gods, mixed with 



maize, wheat, and barley, were : — 



1. Setaria Italica, called tennay in 

 Tamil, and samee by the tribes on the 



honey, antl wrappeil in plantain-leaves. 

 3. Panicum pilosum, or badlee, will 

 grow iu the worst soil, but is not 



