46G 



MANUAL OF THE NILAQIRI DISTi;TrT, 



■mustard. 



— ker^. 



—poppy. 



CH. XXVII. by Badagas is but five to one, or, say, to two bushels of seed ten 

 Agriculture, bushels crop, or about one-fourth of what the yield should be!^ 

 — wI^IT" ^ ^^"' amount of wheat is cultivated. It requires a stiff er soil 



than barley. The yield is small, the grain indifferent ; in fact 

 so inferior that the bakers procure their wheat from Coimbatore 

 and even Bangalore in preference to using the wheat of tlie Hills. 

 There is no good reason wby this should be, as, like barley, the 

 soil and climate is suitable for tlie gTOwth of tlie best wheat, and ' 

 it only requires good seed and intelligent husbandry to produce 

 the best results.^ 

 — sam^ Same ^ (Panicum miUare) is much esteemed by the Badagas 



and cultivated to some extent. The yield is small. 

 — naomi. Another small grain, naomi (Panicum Italicum), grows at a 



low elevation, but is not cultivated largely. 



This is grown in the Badaga villages to some extent. It is 

 frequently found as a weed in the higher parts in the Hills 

 amongst turnips, oats, &c. ; and, though other weeds may be pulled 

 up, this even in a garden is invariably retained by both Badagas 

 and Kanarese. 



Kere [Amaranthus camjyesf?-}' s),'Prmce's feather, is often grown 

 near the village in lines with raggi, and is much valued by the 

 Badagas. This grain is small and white ; it is produced only for 

 house consumption,* 



A small field of poppy is always grown near every Badaga village. 

 It grows best where the village is below 6,000 feet. The opium is 

 collected in the cold months as the juice is then thicker.^ The 

 field generally receives some manure, though the yield is small 

 owing to want of care in the cultivation. It sells for 8 annas an 

 ounce. Opium is much eaten by Badagas, 



The common small onion is grown regularly close to the 

 village, and this crop of all others is heavily manured, but the yield 

 is indifferent, one measure of onions producing but two measures 

 of crop.'' The onions are very strong in flavour, quite unlike the 

 onions of the low country, which are mild and delicate- 



1 Major Oucliterlony says the jdeld is twentyfold. The deterioration must 

 have been great since his time, and probably General Morgan's estimate is too 

 high now. See also Mr. Robertson's note on this grain in his report. — Ed. 



2 See Mr. Robertson's report. The wheat chiefly cultivated is the Triticum 

 K2^eUa. Mr. Robertson considers the Hills promise well as a wheat-growing 

 country. — Ed. 



^ Mr. Robertson states that there are four kinds of same. — En. 



* The leaves and stalks are also cooked when tender and much relished by the 

 Hill-tribes.— Ed. 



' Before sunset a small incision is made in the pcricarjiium, whence the 

 opium exudes, and is removed in the following morning. The seed is used for 

 food.— Ed. 



■^ This yield seems too low ; foiu- or five fold is probably nearer (lie fact. — Ed. 



