OP THE NtLAOIRI DISTRICT. Ixiil 



perhaps owing to an accumulation of much putrid vegetation ; in 

 many parts about the tracts of cattle and the different paths arc to 

 be discerned fed attd yellow ochreous earth ; yet is the Boil not very 

 stony ; the laterite and granite is found a little below the surface ia 

 some situations. The soils on the whole are very rich, but a very 

 small portion of the extensive slopes calculated for the plough is 

 cultivated. European vegetables have been tried and thrive exceed- 

 ingly well, as also apples, strawberry, &c., but it is a singular 

 circumstance that the plantain and other fruit trees, even the com- 

 mon vegetables of the open country, have not been found to succeed. 

 The chief productions are corally, gunja, a species of barley, shamay, 

 buttacudla, field pease, poppy, the seeds of greens, and wheat ; also 

 garlic, onions, mustard, vendiem or fenugrick ; the marshes yield 

 spontaneously vussumbu, or the sweet-scented flag-root, in cci'tain 

 situations ; honey and bees'- wax is collected from the exterior rocky 

 precipices and from the hollows of trees. It may bo necessary hero 

 to remark that the poppy capsules, from which the opium is extracted, 

 are not punctured till the plants arc full fourteen months old ; this 

 operation being performed by the women and children with a small iron 

 nail, wounding the capsule on the sides towards evening, when during 

 the night a milk or resin exudes and coagulates, which is collected on 

 the following day a few hours after sunrise ; this operation continues 

 to bo repeated every fourth day till the plant shows indications of 

 fading. A few of the plants bear two capsules, but one of them in this 

 case is only punctured from a supposition if extracted from both 

 that the opium would then be of a weaker quality. 



The agricultural instruments in use here are precisely the same implomcnta 

 rude machines seen in the low country ; the plough, &c., are all jj*^** ™"'^*' °^ 

 constructed by the Cotters. The agricultural season commences with "^ ^^ '^' 

 April ; after a few heavy showers of rain, the lands undergo the 

 operation of ploughing three or four times ; the seed is then sown of 

 the following grains : — corally, gunja, shamay, wheat, mustard ; garlic 

 and onions also are planted ; in August they reap gunja, wheat and 

 mustard ; garlic and onions are gathered at the same time. In January 

 following they reap corally and Greens seed ; during September the 

 fields are again ploughed and manured, when poppy, peas, fenugrick seed 

 is sown, and more garlic planted ; in December they gather the poppy 

 capsules and reap peas and fenugrick seed. From the above remarks 

 it will appear that cultivation is continually going on for nine months in 

 the year, during which interval some of the gi-ains yield two crops ; from 

 January to March the ryots are employed in the repairs of their cottages 

 and gathering fuel, which is laid up in large stocks in the vicinity, 

 where it is cut and brought to the villages in small quantities when 

 required. 



The domestic animals seen on the hills are herds of black cattle Cattle and 

 and buffaloes. The cows produce rich milk in small quantities, and o^^cr 

 the bullocks are the only animals yoked to the plough; they are, 

 however, of an inferior kiud and generally thin. The buffaloes are 



