128 



Food-Grains of India. 



The Chick-pea. 



Cicer arietinum, L. 



Hind. — Chola, Channa, Ghana, Hurbari, Adas, Chela, Rohala. Beng. — Bdt, Chala, 



Chuna. Tarn. — Cadalei. Telugu — Harimandha-kam. 

 Sanskrit —Ch&imvika. 



A viscose much-branched annual, with pinnate leaves usually- 

 having a terminal leaflet. The plant attains a height of 

 2 feet or more. The pods are ^ to i inch long, and usually 

 contain two seeds which are generally somewhat symmetrically 

 crinkled : about 90, sometimes less, weigh one ounce. Of the 

 7 species of Cicer 2 are Indian. The genus Cicer belongs to 

 the tribe Viciese, and the sub-order Papilionaceae. 



The chick-pea or common gram is largely cultivated in the 

 Northern Provinces and the Nilgiris. It is sown in August or 

 September, and reaped in April and May ; if sown in October or 

 November, it is ready in February, March, or April. The plants 

 should be i foot apart, 2 feet being left between the rows. The 

 ripe, unhusked seeds are largely used for horses and cattle in 

 many parts of India ; the seeds, after parching, grinding, steeping, 

 or the removal of the husks, form an important food in some 

 districts, chiefly for the labouring class. The young leaves fried 

 in oil or ghf are also considered wholesome : they are sometimes 

 ordered as the exclusive diet in leprosy by native physicians. 



The figures given below are the means of 9 analyses of the 

 unhusked peas and of 4 analyses of the peas from which the 

 husk has been removed. 



Composition of the Chick-pea. 



* I 'I of phosphoric acid. 



t oS of phosphoric acid. 



