232 VEGETABLES AXD FOOD PRODUCTS 



shape, size and colour of the fruit. The latter is round in some 

 varieties, egg-shaped or cucumber-shaped in others, whilst the 

 colour varies from white to dark-purple, the latter colour being 

 usually characteristic of the best varieties. Brinjals thrive best in 

 a rather dry climate, and require alight, rich well-tilled soil. They 

 are grown most successfully in the Negombo and Dumbara districts 

 of Ceylon, and are suited to fairly high elevations, provided the 

 climate is not too wet. Sow seed in a well prepared bed, and 

 transplant the seedlings when about three inches high into rows 

 18 inches apart, with 15 inches between the plants in the row. The 

 plants should begin to bear in from 3 to 4 months, and continue to 

 yield a crop for about 3 months. 



Sorghum vulgare. (Gramineae). Guinea Corn; Great Millet; 

 Turkish Millet; "Cholam" T. A tall annual plant of the grass 

 family, 6 to 9 ft. high, cultivated from remote ages as a cereal 

 food-crop. It requires the same conditions of climate and soil 

 as Maize, and is largely cultivated in India, Burma, Africa, etc., 

 but is seldom grown in Ceylon. It is not considered well suited 

 to rice-growing regions. The small hard grain is very nutritious, 

 and is made into flour, while the straw affords good fodder. In 

 India the plant is often grown mixed with a pulse crop, as Cajanus 

 indicns, the seeds of both being mixed and sown in drills 14 to 18 

 inches apart. About 7 or 8 Ib. of Sorghum seed mixed with about 

 3 Ib. pulse seed is considered sufficient to sow an acre. A crop is 

 obtained in about five months from the time of sowing, the yield 

 obtained varying from 500 .to 900 Ib. or more per acre, according 

 to variety and soil. Several varieties occur in cultivation, these 

 being distinguished by white, cream, red, or black seeds. 



Voandzeia subterranea. (Leguminosae). Vandzon; Madagas- 

 car-, or Bambarra-ground-nut. A creeping annual with upright long- 

 stalked leaves, the latter composed of three leaflets. Like the 

 common ground-nut, the flower-stalks after flowering bend down 

 to the earth, in which they develop and ripen their pods; on the 

 other hand, the plant does not produce trailing branches and fruits 

 are set close to the stem. The seeds or "nuts" are a common 

 article of food with the Natives of Madagascar and different parts 

 of Tropical Africa, where the plant is cultivated. In Zanzibar, 

 there is a small trade in the product. The plant has been carried 

 by the Negro slaves to certain parts of Tropical South America, 

 where it is said to have become naturalised. It is known in 

 Surinam as "Gobbe," in Natal as "Igiuhluba," and in Madagascar 



