FANICACKvK. 



697 



valued as pasture grasses in England, are found forming the grassy sward 

 of the Himalayas. The plains of India being subject to great heat, with 

 draught at one season and heavy rains at another, cannot be expected to 

 present any pasture grounds resembling those of the best parts of Europe ; 

 but the temperature of the cold weather months, especially in the northern 

 provinces, being such as to be most favourable for the cultivation of the same 

 cereal grasses as in Europe, it is not surprising that good grass is produced 

 there, and that many Europeans prepare very excellent hay. Their rapid 

 growth, great height, and subsequent dryness render many of the Indian 

 grasses unfit for pasture, at the end of the year. This the inhabitants of 

 the tracts at the base of the Himalayas, as well as those within these moun- 

 tains, remedy by yearly burning down the old and dry grass, so as to allow 

 the young blades, which immediately sprout up, to afford fodder for the 

 cattle. But most Europeans in India prefer, or indeed only give their 

 horses, the creeping stems and leaves of the Dooha grass, which is by 

 far the most common in every part of India, and moreover flowers through 

 the greater part of the year. In N. India it is a common practice to form 

 lawns and pastures of moderate extent, by planting pieces of the creeping 

 stems of this grass, which yields excellent hay in what is the spring of the 

 year in Europe. It forms indeed three-fourths of the food of the horses 

 and cows in the south of India. {Royle ill. p. 415-21.) Cattle are also 

 fed on the grass, whether green or dry, of Kodu (Paspalum scrobiculatum, 

 L); Cheena-ghas (Panicum miliaceum, Willd.); Jalgantee (Panicum He- 

 lopus Trin.) ; ^LMH^^oo Panicum miliare {??imc\im italicum, L.); Burogal- 

 gantea (Panicum setigerum, Retz.) ; Chhoto-jalgantee (Panicum repens, 

 Roxb. ; Shama (Panicum colonum, L.) ; Damra-shama (Panicum frumen- 

 taceum, Roxb.) ; Evjura (Penicillaria spicata, Willd.) ; Jooar (Sorghum 

 vulgare, Pers. ; Sorghum cernuum, Willd ; S. saccharatum, Pers.' Roxb,) ; 

 Makurjalee (Panicum cihare, Retz.) ; Kash. (Saccharum spontaneum, L.) ; 

 Andropogon Martini, Roxb. ; Buksa (RottboUia glabra, Roxb.) ; Java 

 (Hordeum hexastichon, L.,) &c. 



The prevalence of particular grains in the zones and continents depends 

 not only on climate, but is determined also by the civihzation, industry and 

 traffic of the people, and often by historical events, thus the earth may, 

 according to Schouw, be divided into five grand tracts, distinguished by 

 the prevalence of barley and oats, rye, wheat, maize or rice. The two 

 first extend farthest to the north in Europe, constituting in the northern 

 parts of Norway and Sweden, and in a part of Siberia and Scotland, the 

 principal vegetable nourishment. Rye is the prevailing grain in the South 

 of Norway and Sweden, in part of Siberia, in Denmark, and all the coun- 

 tries bordering on the Baltic. In the latter, another very nutritious grain. 

 Buck-wheat, is very frequently cultivated. The rye tract is generally 

 associated with the cultivation of wheat, barley there being chiefly cul- 

 tivated for the manufacture of beer, and oats for supplying food for horses. 

 The wheat tract comprehends the middle or the south of France, 



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