MAIZE AND WHEAT 155 



of porridge. " Tomba" (Eleusine coracana ?) and "Iboru" 

 are grown in a similar manner. The composition, 

 nutritive value and commercial value of several of 

 these food grains are fully dealt with in the Bulletin of 

 the Imperial Institute, vol. vii. [1909], p. 148. 



MAIZE. " Mussara " (Haussa) is the name applied to 

 this plant (Zea mays). The crop is more common in 

 the Niger valley among the Nupe and Yoruba people 

 than in the higher plateaux of Zaria and Kano. It is 

 probable that maize requires a larger rainfall than the 

 grain crops which have been mentioned above which 

 may account for the infrequency of its cultivation in 

 the dry country. 



Among the Gwari pagans, inhabiting the country in 

 the vicinity of Minna, and the Nupe people to the south, 

 fairly large quantities of maize are grown and seem to 

 represent the chief food crop. The sowers drop only 

 one seed, or at most two, into the drills, where they would 

 put five or six Guinea-corn seeds. The only variety 

 grown commonly has a bright yellow grain and is appar- 

 ently a three-months' crop ; being sown at the commence- 

 ment and in the middle of the rains, thus giving two 

 crops in the year in some localities. An illustration is 

 given at Fig. 35 showing a view of the Gwari town at 

 Minna. 



WHEAT. The cultivation of wheat is confined to the 

 drier parts of Northern Nigeria, where it is grown as a 

 rainfall as well as an irrigated crop. 



In Zaria it is frequently sown in October, and occupies 

 land which may have been under rice cultivation just 

 previously. Goat manure is especially applied to wheat, 

 and irrigation is carried out from wells or by the employ- 

 ment of shadufs on the banks of streams. This crop 

 is harvested in January. 



In Kano, wheat is more generally grown as a rainfall- 

 crop in similar situations, and is, in this case, sown in 

 May, being harvested in September. 



The variety seems to be constant throughout the 

 country, and appears to have been established from very 

 early times. The grain is similar in appearance to the 

 wheat seen in the Nile valley, and may be Triticum com- 

 positum (Egyptian wheat). Specimens from Kano and 

 Zaria have been examined at the Imperial Institute, and 



