1836.] 



of the Southern Mahratta Country. 



473 



only moisture which they receive for a length of time is that of the 

 heavy dews. 



The mussub, or mussaree soil, does not form extensive plains like 

 the cotton ground ; but is generally found at the foot of hills, or in the 

 bottom of small valleys. At the bases of the sandstone hills, it consists 

 of little else than loose sand. On the sides of the hills, that contain 

 beds of quartz, it is very gravelly. The soil which covers the laterite, 

 and which has originated from the disintegration of that rock, is, in 

 general, not very productive, and is apt to become extremely hard in 

 dry weather ; but in the bottom of many of the small valleys in the 

 western parts of the district, large deposites of it, which have been 

 more perfectly disintegrated and mixed with other substances, are met 

 with, and form productive soils. The soils in the valleys, between the 

 clay-slate hills, are also in many places very good. 



There are three different seasons of sowing in this part of India- 

 The first is in the end of May and beginning of June, after a few of 

 the first annual showers have fallen. The second is in the end of June 

 or beginning of July, after the monsoon has fairly commenced. The 

 third is in September and October, towards the end of the rainy season. 

 During each of these periods, certain crops only are sown ; and, there- 

 fore, in giving an account of the different articles of cultivation, I shall 

 arrange them according to their seed times. 



I. Articles of cultivation*, which are sown in the end of May 

 and beginning of J une. These are sown, when the ground has been 

 moistened by the showers which fall in May, and are ready for reaping 

 before the end of the rains. 



1. Sesamum orientale, Lin. ; Tul, Duk. Gingilie Seed.— Only a small 

 quantity of this is cultivated in the Darwar district on inferior kinds of 

 mussub land. 



2. Phaseolus max, Lin. ; Orood or Oreed, Duk. Black Ulandoo. 



3. Eleusine coracana, Flor. Ind. ; Cynosurus coracanus, Lin. 5 

 Ragee, Duk. Nutchanee, Eng. — This is extensively cultivated on the 

 poorest mussub soils ; and in many parts of the district it forms the 

 principal part of the food of the lower classes. 



4. Panicum Italicum, Lin. ; Bala also Kungonee, Duk. Italian 

 Panicle. — This is cultivated on secondary kinds of regur soil in various 

 parts of the district, and forms a very common article of diet with the 

 natives. 



* In the following part of this paper, I will give the Dukhuny and English names, as 

 well as the botanical names of the different articles of cultivation, trees, &c. I thought 

 of adding their Malabar and Canarese names, but find that it would extend this paper to 

 too great a length : and the Dukhuny names will generally be found sufficient for identi- 

 fying the different articles in India. I have given no name that was not accurately de- 

 termined by myself, by means of communications from intelligent natives. 



