J 841.} Report on subjects connected with Afghanistan. 983 



could get in India for transmission to England, but am not aware 

 what value was assigned to it. 



In connection with this, I may mention, that there is an important 

 remark in Dr. Falconer's report on the Seharunpore garden, on the in- 

 ferior nature of the albumen of our Indian grains. Government might 

 probably deem it advisable to encourage the transmission of specimens 

 of all the finest sorts from Afghanistan to India; some of those of Can- 

 dahar may reasonably be expected to turn out well adapted to India. 



In endeavoring to eifect this highly desirable purpose, the following 

 remark of Dr. Falconer should be kept in view, as a guide to the selec- 

 tion of the finer kinds : — " The body of the seed of the European wheat 

 was formed of a farinaceous powdery albumen, which flew off into a 

 dust on crushing; while the Indian grains were seen to consist of a 

 hard horny-looking albumen, which was broken with difficulty, shew- 

 ing what English agriculturists call '' a sleety body" and indicating 

 a comparatively very inferior grain. Throughout Afghanistan, wheat 

 may be considered as the staple grain of the inhabitants. It is gene- 

 rally eaten in the shape of bread, baked in flat oblong cakes, about an 

 inch thick ; the better kind is very light and well flavored."* 



Barley. — Barley appears almost exclusively used for feeding horses. 



Rye and Oats. — I do not remember rye occurring as a distinct 

 crop ; but it is not uncommon, as a mixed one. The same may be 

 said of their oats, but these perhaps are really wild. The greater 

 part of many of the fields about Bamean consisted of oats, but as the 

 grain ripens, and falls out before the wheat is ready for the sickle, 

 the only use it can be of. is, as affording straw for winter fodder. 



Rice — Rice occurs extensively about Cabul, the highest elevation 

 at which I have seen it cultivated in Afghanistan is about 7,000 feet. 

 It is all of the wet or shallee kind. The only particularly fine rice 

 grown west of the Indus, is that called shallee bara, grown near 

 Peshawur. The production is very local and very limited ; intro- 

 duced elsewhere it appears to degenerate into the coarse common kind. 

 It has a long grain, and is of such esteem, as to be among the list of 

 presents between crowned heads of the North-west. 



* It is from wheat that the favorite article /r^oorfo A is made; this appears to be some 

 thing analogous to our vermicelli. 



