July, 1908.] 



35 



Edible Products. 



68. Poee (Basella alba, L-, Nat. Ord. 

 Chenopodiaceoe).—A jungle creeper which 

 is also cultivated. The leaves aie gather- 

 ed mostly during the rainy season, and 

 after be<ng boiled are eaten as a vege- 

 table. [Niviti, Pasalai, rare in the dry 

 zone, but often cultivated as a spinach.] 



69. DooNDUR. — A jungle creeper. The 

 fruit when unripe is gathered and boiled 

 and eaten as a vegetable. Fruits in July 

 and August. 



70. Karelwa (Capparis aphylla, 

 Roth., Nat Ord. Capparideoe).— A thorny 

 jungle creeper. The flower and fruit are 

 both eaten. It flowers in April and 

 fruits in June. The flowers and unripe 

 fruit are boiled and eaten as a vegetable. 

 [Several species of Capparis in Ceylon.] 



71. Ban Karela.— A creeper found in 

 sub-montane forest. The unripe fruit is 

 gathered, boiled, and eaten as a vege- 

 table. Fruits in July and August. 



72. Bherua.— A creeper found in terai 

 jungle. The new shoots and leaves are 

 gathered and boiled and eaten as a 

 vegetable. New shoots appear about 

 July and August. 



73. Bedhara.— A creeper found in 

 terai jungle. The root is roasted or 

 boiled and eaten. Considered most 

 edible and much sought after. Also 

 used medicinally. 



{To be continued.) 



PICKLING WHEAT. 



The following directions to farmers 

 are issued by the Department of Agri- 

 culture regarding pickling seed wheat, 

 oats and barley. Those in doubt regard- 

 ing the purity of the bluestone supplied 

 to them are invited to submit samples, 

 and names of vendor, together with 

 price charged, to this Department :— 



Three treatments are in use for pick- 

 ling wheat:— # 



(1) The seed is treated with hot water, 

 which requires careful adjustment in 



order to maintain it at a temperature of 

 133 degrees Fah. The seeds are left 

 immersed for ten minutes. The temper- 

 ature must not fall below 130 detr. or 

 rise above 135 deg. The lower temper- 

 ature would not destroy the spores of the 

 fungus, while the temperature above 

 135 deg. would destroy a percentage of 

 the seed. 



(2) The Formalin treatment has been 

 much tried lately, though it offers no 

 advantage on — 



(3) The Bluestone treatment. A 2 

 per cent, solution (or 1 lb. of bluestone 

 to 5 gallons of water) is found by expe- 

 rience to be very suitable. 



A weaker solution will do if the seeds 

 are steeped for a longer time. 



The grain is placed in bags, or in kero- 

 sene tins with small holes in the bottom, 

 and immersed in a 2 per cent, solution 

 for a minute or so, in order to allow 

 every grain to become wetted. It is 

 then let drain on a sloping board to 

 allow the solution to run back into the 

 vessel containing the solution. The seed 

 should be placed on a clean floor to dry. 

 It is also important that the receiving 

 bags, drill, etc., with which the grain 

 come into contact again does not rein- 

 fect the seed. 



The quantity of bluestone mentioned 

 will do for three bags of seed, i.e., 1 lb. 

 for 5 gallons. After dipping it is a good 

 thing to dust the seed with air slaked 

 lime, which exerts a chemical action on 

 the copper, and converts it from a caus- 

 tic to an inert state, thereby reducing 

 the proportion of seed that would fail 

 to germinate. 



Some prefer to pour slowly a 2 per 

 cent, solution of bluestone into lime 

 water (1 lb- or 2 lb- too gallons), stirring 

 for a few minutes, and using this mix- 

 ture instead of the bluestone pickle 

 without the addition of lime.— (Editor, 

 Journal of Agriculture.) Journal of 

 the Department of Agricidture, West 

 Australia, (Vol. XVI., Part 4, April, 1908.) 



