t 275 ] 



371. Til should be grown on poor soils provided they are 

 not too low or heavy. It does not require such deep prepara- 

 tion of land as linseed does. Eight to ten seers of seed are used 

 per acre when it is grown by itself. Both the varieties of til 

 are grown in some districts, the coarser variety called Bhadoi 

 til or kat-til is sown in January, and reaped in June or July, 

 about 6 maunds being obtained per acre. The sowing of this 

 variety of til is done in Birbhum on low Aman land after 

 a maghi shower of rain. The seed needs husking and 

 the oil extracted is rather thin and poor. The Rabi 

 til is sown in August and reaped in November or December. 

 4 to 6 maunds being obtained per acre. The stooks of 

 harvested til stalks should be left to dry in a standing position, 

 the seed being afterwards detached by flailing. 



372. Scented flowers being kept in between layers of /*/, 

 and the til being sifted out next day, and this operation 

 being repeated for a fortnight and the scented til afterwards 

 pressed, yields phulel oil which fetches over Rs. 150 per 

 maund, but the demand for this article is limited. The 

 oil-cake is used not only as animal but also as human food 

 mixed with gur or sugar. The yield of oil from til seed is 

 about 45 per cent. About 25 per cent, of phulel c\\ is obtained 

 from til seed treated with flower. 



CHAPTER XXXVI. 



SORGUJA OR NIGER Oil, SEED (GUIZOTIA ABYSSINICA). 



TT usually follows Aus paddy, and is sown in August, either by 



itself or with some pulse-crop (kulthi &c.) Rough and 



rocky laterite soil or light sandy soil is chosen for this crop. 



The preparation of land is of the simplest character. Two 



