2 7 



tinguished by its smaller size and by its leaves, though stem- 

 clasping, as in Sarson, being less lobed and having much less 

 bloom. The seeds of Tori and ordinary Sarson are much ot 

 the same size, but as a rule the seed of Sarson in Bengal is 

 white. When Sarson seeds are brown they are of an amber 

 colour and they have no paler spot. The seed-coat is smooth. 

 The seeds of Sarson are sometimes considerably larger than 

 those of Tori. When this is the case the two are easily dis- 

 tinguished. There are two kinds of Tori, a taller, rather later, 

 and a shorter, and very early kind which is the commoner 

 variety. Both kinds however ripen well ahead of any Rdi or 

 any Sarson. The earlier kind of Tori probably does not occur 

 in North-West Tirhut and the later kind is unknown in 

 Eastern Bengal and Chittagong ; with these exceptions both 

 sorts prevail throughout Bengal. 



360. Third, Sarson or Indian Colza, the shweti shorshe or 

 simply shweti of Bengal, and Ganga-toria of Orissa, occur in 

 every district except Chittagong, where it is replaced by a differ- 

 ent mustard. It is'easily distinguished from Rdi by its stem- 

 clasping leaves, and from Tori by the greater amount of 

 bloom on its foliage, by its taller stature, its more rigid habit 

 and its thicker and plumper pods. When reaped the seeds are 

 distinguished by their usually white colour; when brown the 

 seeds are distinguished -readily from those of Rai by the 

 larger size, and the smooth seed coat, and from those of Tori 

 by their being of a lighter brown, and by not having a paler 

 spot at the base of the seed. There are two races of sarson, one 

 with erect pods, the Natwa Sarson or Sarson proper and one 

 with pendent pods or Tero Sarson. Each race has two distinct 

 sub-races, one with 2-valved and the other with 3 to 4-valved 

 pods. The forms with hanging pods are not common except in 

 northern Bengal and eastern Tirhut (Purnea), the sub-race with 

 2-valed pods being almost confined to this area. But the 4- 

 valved kind extends sparingly throughout western Tirhut and 

 crossing the Ganges spreads southwards through southwest 



