222 



was five kucJia mands and twenty-one vooroos, or fifteen- 

 fold ; but then it must be remembered that the harvest 

 of 1864 was a very exceptionally fine one. 



Diseases of Wheat. 



The chief disease to which wheat is subject is the 

 gkerooa, a mildew which first attacks the stalk and leaf, 

 turning it yellow and speckled, so that it leaves a yellow 

 stain on the clothes of any one passing through the 

 field, and then affects the ear, shrivelling it up. Some 

 of the grains are merely rudimentary, and blow away 

 with the chaff in winnowing, and all have a wrinkled, 

 withered look. I have heard it said that these grains 

 have not lost vital power, and are as good for seed as 

 any other grains ; but the universal native impression is 

 that they are worthless for seed. From the smallness 

 of the grain the disease is called jirrie, the grains being 

 almost as small as those of Jeera (cummin). The great 

 and famous year when the wheat was entirely destroyed 

 by this disease was 1831, and the country has had par- 

 tial visitations of it since. High-lying thin fields appear 

 to be safe from it ; it attacks low situations and fields 

 where the wheat has come up very thick. The native 

 idea is that it is caused by the heat thrown back by 

 clouds in the end of January, and they say it is born 

 on the Bussunt PuncJimi ; if within ten days from that 

 time there are no clouds, the wheat is safe. Another 

 disease is the black smut, or karie; it attacks single 

 ears, is not contagious, and is supposed to be a sign 

 of richness in the soil, and never does extensive injury. 

 Withering (pomulfana) can hardly be called a disease, 

 as it arises solely from dryness. Every stool is generally 

 seen surrounded by dead stalk and leaves, which it has 



