BOMBAY GRASSES. 109 
practically rust-proof, is by far the most common of the irrigated wheats. The 
dry-crop hard white hag everywhere an occasional and sometimes @ normal 
tendency to become bellied (potha) or soft. In the finest wheat tracts of 
Nasik and Ahmednagar the pivla wheat usually keeps its hardnegs and colour, 
But with heavy rain in December the percentage of soft grains is very large, 
and this tendency cannot by cultivation, care, or otherwise, be lessened. In 
moister tracts, bordering on such localities as those named or elsewhere, the nor- 
al condition of the hard white is a semi-softness, and the most characteristic 
semi-soft white is the diud khdani, These names refer greatly to the consist- 
ency and colour of the varieties, though their origin is presumed by some to be 
the result of importation, which theory has little support. 
Hard red wheat is the dry-crop wheat of the Bombay Karndtak, where dry 
white wheat is unknown. The irrigated spelt common, as above shown, in the 
Deccan and Karndtak is classed as a hard red. It has at times been in. extra- 
ordinary demand on the Continent. It is a large cropper and a safe crop, but 
these advantages are somewhat counterbalanced by the adherent glume which 
necessitates pounding to separate it from the grain, as careful and severe as in 
the case of rice. The hard red wheats of the Karnitak are the best of the 
kind. Hard red is the largest grown dry variety in Khandesh and a large 
crop in the south talukas of Ahmedabad in what is called the Bhal country (see 
Ahmedabad Summary). Hard red is grown under irrigation in some parts of 
Guzerat, practically the same as those which grow the soft red vajia to be 
described, though perhaps the area of such hard red is larger than that of the 
soft red and perhaps more extensive, penetrating further on all sides beyond the 
limits of soft red. This variety~is not liked by millers, who assert that its 
strength is diminished by irrigation. 
Soft red is only largely grown in Ahmedabad and with lrigation. It is the 
commonest irrigated wheat of that district and of parts of Broach and Kaira, 
which are close to the southern talukas of Ahmedabad. It is called VA, U.0., 
garden wheat ; but it has been seen that the vajia is also an irrigated hard red. 
Soft white is only grown in the Maval taluka of Poona. It may be occa- 
Sionaily seen in parts of the Panch Mahals. Its area in Bombay is thus 
exceedingly small, and it is not susceptible of increase. Soft white from the 
Central Provinces and from Australia have been successfully grown on experi- 
mental areas in Khandesh ; but though the out-turn after the second year is 
very excellent, the change in consistency is enough to cause the merchant to 
class it as a mixed hard and soft, 
Wheat straw is a poor fodder, but it is in wheat tracts the chief food of the 
cattle. As all the wheats of the Bombay Presidency out of Sind with which 
