02 SOIL AND PliODTICTIONS. 



hardened clay, beat smoothly down, so as to form a sort of 

 barn-floor for threshing, cleaning, and winnowing the grain. 



The most ordinary articles of cultivation are : 



Wheat, barley, and oats, in considerable quantities. A sort 

 of small grain, called Keeree-mow,* growing on a thick fleshy 

 stalk, the head, containing the grain, being, when ripe, of a 

 blood-red or bright crimson colour, and closely resembling 

 the plant, called in Europe, prince's feather, or " Love lies 

 bleeding." This grain, when ground into meal, the Boodi- 

 gahs appear peculiarly fond of ; it is usually eaten raw ; 

 sometimes the seed is broiled, and ground into flour, mixed 

 with a little cold water, occasionally with milk, and appears 

 to form the staple article of their subsistence. 



Poppies, are cultivated in considerable quantity, and the 

 old men are rather addicted to the use of opium, procured 

 from them. 



Garhck and onions are continually cultivated for sale : the 

 onions, though small, are mild, and pleasant to the taste. 



Fruits, and an immense variety of vegetables have been 

 introduced by the European visitants. And almost every 

 description of esculent vegetable, to be found in Europe, is 

 now cultivated on the HiUs in abundance. The list extends 

 to potatoes in great quantity, and first-rate quality ; cabbage, 

 cauliflower, savoys, Erench beans, spinage, peas, lettuces, beet- 

 root, radishes, celery, turnips, carrots, Sea-kale, asparagus, 

 and tomatas. 



Fruits, do not ripen well at Ootacamund ; but at Coonoor, 

 Kotergherry, Jackatalla, Dimhutty, Billycull, and Orange 

 Valley, oranges, plums, peaches, nectarines, apples, pears, 

 citrons and loquats are, as has been before particularly 

 mentioned. 



* Amarauthus tristia. 



