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CHAPTER XXX. 



BUCK-WHEAT ( POI,YGONUM PHAGOPYRUM ). 



n^HOUGH not a graminaceous crop, buck wheat is classed 

 among cereals, as bread is made out of the flour from 

 this grain. Its straw is more nutritious than cereal straw. 

 It is grown in the Darjiling hills, where it is called Phdpar, 

 also in Bihar and in the Central Provinces, where it is known 

 as Rdjgir.. It is sown at the end of June on roughly prepar- 

 ed land at the rate of 50 Ibs. per acre when broadcast- 

 ed or 12 to 25 Ibs. when drilled. Harvesting is done in 

 October. The seed sheds easily when it is ripe and it is 

 therefore necessary to get on with the harvesting operation 

 early. Harvested early, the straw also is more nutritious. 

 The green leaves are cooked and eaten as Sag. 1200 Ibs. of 

 grain may be taken as the average produce per acre on suit- 

 able soils. Clay soil is not suitable for this crop, and it is very 

 curious it grows best on poor granitic soils and it is scarcely 

 ever manured. The grain of buck-wheat is very nourishing. 

 A bushel of buck- wheat weighs r about 50 Ibs. and a bushel of 

 oats about 40 Ibs. One bushel of buck-wheat is considered equal 

 o two of oats in feeding value. 8 Ibs. of buck-wheat flour is 

 'equal to 12 Ibs. of barley meal. For feeding hens buck-wheat 

 is specially appropriate, as it induces them to lay eggs 

 earlier. Another advantage of growing buck-wheat consists 

 in the fact of its getting ready in 10 weeks after sowing, and 

 it is therefore a splendid catch-crop. Its suitability for grow- 

 ing on poor soils is further enhanced by the fact of its being 



*;; able to $tand greater extremes of cold and heat than most 

 crops. Hence it is suitable for growing both in the Darjiling 



,. hills and in the archsen soils of the Chhota Nagpur Division 

 which are poor even in lime. It is -killed by frost, but it can 

 stand a temperature of 105 to 110 F. 



