44 



BENINCASA CEUIFERA. 



tlie melons') are also very commonly grown on the deposits of sand and silt which are 

 left exposed in the beds of rivers during the hot months. 



No complete returns of the area under Tcumhra are available. As an indication 

 of the extent to which it is cultivated, it may be mentioned that it is reported to cover 

 114 acres in the Allahabad district. 



The fruit is used as a vegetable, and forms also an ingredient in curries. In 

 Saharanpur the fruit is largely used by the confectioners for the manufacture of a 

 sweetmeat called heshmi, sold at 3 lbs. per rupee. 



Explanation of Plate XLV. 



1. Mature fruit, 



2. Transverse section of ditto, 



3. Male flower, vertical section, 



- all nat. size. 



5. 



Female flower, vertical section, 

 Portion of branch. 



all nat. size. 



From a drawing of a living specimen cultivated at Saharanpur. 



