PANICUM MILIACETJM. 



wells in some tracts afford considerable diversity to the monotonous waste of a hot 

 weather landscape. 



In Bundelkhand chehna bears the names of phikar and rati, and is grown as a rain 

 and not as a hot weather crop. The two names indicate separate varieties, one of which 

 (phikar) is sown and reaped rather earlier than the other (rali), and yields a rather 

 heavier outturn. 



The tract in which chehna cultivation is commonest is that comprising the districts 

 of Aligarh, Etah, Mainpuri, and it is noticeable that this is a locality especially charac- 

 terized by the extent of its well irrigation. It is well known that chehna prefers well 

 to canal water. No accurate statistics are available of the area under chehna, but from 

 some data which have been collected, it would appear that in the Meerut Division it 

 covers 4,500 acres, in the Agra Division 5,000 acres, in the temporarily settled districts 

 of the Allahabad and Benares Divisions 1,500 and 1,400 acres, respectively, while its 

 cultivation is wholly insignificant in Eohilkhand on one side and Bundelkhand on the 

 other. 



It is sown in March after an irrigation at the rate of about 10 lbs. to the acre. It 

 ripens towards the middle of May, by which time it will often have required as many 

 as 14 waterings. The crop is a precarious one, and is very liable to damage from the 

 hot winds, which rush over the country during this season, and which may altogether 

 level with the ground a freshly irrigated crop, and scatter the grain from the ear if it 

 is fully ripe. Hence the proverb — 



" Chena ji ka lena, chaudah pani dena, 

 Vya chale, to na lena na dena." 



In the Lucknow District chehna is reported to be very commonly sown on fields 

 from which a crop of peas has been just harvested. This indicates an appreciation of 

 the use of leguminous crops in rotation with cereals. 



A fair average yield cf grain would be from 6 to 8 maunds to the acre. The straw 

 is of no use as fodder, and is thrown on the manure heap or used as bedding. 



Ex'planation of Plate XXIII. 



1. Entire plant, (reduced to one-foui'th.) 



2, Upper portion with inflorescence, (nat, size.) 



^ > Single spikelet. 



5. Flower with outer pale removed, ' 



6. Ditto with both pales and the 



lodicules removed, 



7. Grain, 



' enlarged. 



Drawn from a living specimen gathered in Dehra Dun. 



