The Cereals. ']-i, 



narrow limits — probably nine samples out of ten will be found to 

 contain not less than 7 per cent., and not more than 8. 



Composition of Rice. 



The nutrient-ratio is i : lo'S and the nutrient- value 86>^. 

 One hundred parts of rice contain no more than "065 part of 

 potash and •284 part of phosphoric acid. 



There are many districts in India where rice forms not 

 merely the chief food-stuff but ^ths or even iths of its total 

 amount. In some places it even rises to ^ths or to fiths of the 

 whole quantity, as in Bardwan, Dinajpur, Maldah, Kuch Behar, 

 Manbhdm, and Darrang ; other districts might be named in which 

 it constitutes the only food staple. 



Dhan is rice in the husk, or paddy. Chaol is rice husked by 

 pounding in a wooden mortar ; in some districts it is, if new, 

 parboiled and then dried before being pounded. Eight pounds of 

 dhan produce 5 pounds of chaol ; the separated pericarp is burned, 

 the perisperm is given to fowls and pigs. The operation of 

 pounding is attended with considerable loss, because many grains 

 are broken and then afterwards winnowed away when tossing 

 the rice in the air from the woven straw scoop. Bhat is boiled 

 rice. In Tirhut and Saran the chaol is first washed and then 

 boiled at night, for the evening meal, in much water. It is 

 strained when hot, one-half or one-third being set aside under 

 water (to save the cost of more fuel) for the morning meal — 

 it has then become slightly acidulous. This preparation is eaten 

 with curds, chillies, or one-fourth of dhal (pulse husked and split). 

 Two pounds of cleaned rice weigh 5 pounds after boiling. The 

 liquor is either thrown away or is drunk as a beverage after 

 the addition of a little common salt, or is given to stall-fed milch 



