208 



wringing them out the next morning when wet with dew. This 

 solution is used in the preparation of cooling drinks and as vinegar. 

 False " Toolsi " beads are made from the roots in Madras (Grant-Duff, 

 Mus. Kew). 



May be propagated by seed, sown broadcast or in drills. A warm 

 climate, moderate rainfall, ample sunshine, and a loamy soil are 

 favourable to its development. The plant is suitable as cover to 

 prevent weeds, as green manure, and is well adapted to cultivation 

 under irrigation. It comes to maturity in about six months. 



The average yield has been estimated at about 600 lbs. per acre 

 (Watt, Comm. Prod. India, p. 297). 



There are no records of this plant in Nigeria except that it occurs 

 in a list of plants in the Botanic Station, Lagos (Millen & Rowland), 

 but it would probably succeed there. It grows well in Guam, a 

 tropical country (Safford, PL Guam (Contr. U.S. Nat. Herb. ix. 

 1905), p. 281), and is considered suitable for cultivation in N. 

 Queensland (Newport, Queensland Agric. Journ. xiv. 1904, p. 359). 



Ref. — " Cicer arietinum " in Field and Garden Crops, Duthie & 

 Fuller, i. pp. 33-36 (Thomason Civil Eng. College Press, Roorkee, 



1882). " The Chick Pea," in Food Grains of India, Church, pp. 128- 



131, with analysis. — " The Cultivation of the Chick Pea," Turner, in 



Agric. Gaz. N.S. Wales, ii. 1891, pp. 442-143. Gram, Chick Pea, or 



Idaho Pea, Smith, U.S. Dept. Agric. Div. of Agrostology, Circular 



No. 7, 1898, pp. 1-4. " Pois Chiche," in PI. Potageres, Vilmorin 



Andrieux, p. 572 (Paris, 1904). " Cicer arietinum" in Diet. Econ. 



Prod. India, Watt, ii. 1889, pp. 274-284 and in Comm. Prod. India, 

 Watt, pp. 295-302. 



Lathyrus, Linn. 



Lathyrus sativus, Linn. ; Fl. Trop. Afr. II. p. 174. 



III. — Lam. Encycl. t. 632 ; Bot. Mag. t. 115 ; Gaertner, Fruct. sem. 

 PI. iii. t. 152 ; Sibth. Fl. Gr. vii. t. 695 ; Jacq. Eclogae PI. Rar. ii. 

 t. 116 ; Duthie, Field Crops, ii. t. 32 ; Church, Food Grains, India, 

 t. 24 ; Rchb. Ic. Fl. Germ. t. 2250, ff. 1, 2. 



Vernac. names. — Sobbeure ; Ater; Shimbera (Lower Guinea, 

 Moloney) ; Jarosse or Gesse (S. Europe, Moloney) — Chickling Vetch. 



Cultivated in many tropical and sub-tropical countries, the seeds 

 being used for food both for men and animals. The pods are some- 

 times eaten when green and the plant used for fodder. 



There is some danger in the use of this pulse for food, cases of 

 poisoning are not uncommon, and a disease known as " Lathyrism " 

 is frequently produced. This is a cerebro-spinal affection which 

 results in paralysis of the lower limbs. 



Ref. — " Lathyrus sativus" in Field and Garden Crops, Duthie & 



Fuller ii. pp. 15-16. " The Vetchling " in Food Grains of India, 



Church, pp. 132-135.- "Lathyrus Fodder," in Kew Bull., 1894, 



pp. 349-352. M Lathyrus sativus" in Bull. Imp. Inst. 1. 1903, 



pp. 17-18. "Lathyrus sativus" in Diet. Econ. Prod. India, iv. 



1890, pp. 590-594 ; and in Comm. Prod. India, Watt, pp. 703-706 

 (John Murray, London, 1908). 



