1836,] 



of the Southern Mahratta Country. 



475 



So Dolichos Catiang, Lin. ; Suffaid Lobeh, Dnk. — The lobeh is called 

 Dolichos sinensis by Marshall ; but it certainly agrees much better with 

 the characters of the D. Catiang, as given by Persoon. Its legumes 

 are erect, linear, in pairs. It is usually cultivated on the mussub lands^ 

 in rows, among different kinds of grain. 



9. Dolichos Tranquebaricus, Lin. ; Hureea Lobeh ? Duk»<— This is 

 cultivated, but not very extensively, on the mussub lands. 



10. Linum. usitatissimum, Lin. ; Ulsee, Duk. ; Common Flax. — This 

 is cultivated on regur soil, in most parts of the district, on account of 

 its oil. The natives appear to be unacquainted with the mode of pre- 

 paring flax ; for which purpose, indeed, the plant which I have seen 

 growing in this district, would be ill adapted, being much weaker and 

 shorter than in Europe. 



11. Crotolaria juncea, Lin.; Sim, Duk. Indian hemp. — This is 

 cultivated in small quantities, in most parts of the district, for the pur- 

 pose of making cordage and the sackcloth called gong. 



12. Hibiscus cannabinus, Lin. ; Umbaree, Duk. — This is generally 

 cultivated on good mussub, and sometimes on the regur soil. Its stalks 

 afford material for cordage, and sackcloth ; and an oil is expressed from 

 its seeds, which is used as an article of food* and also for burning iu- 

 lampso, 



13: Oryza sativa, Lin. ; Chawul, Duk. Rice. — Rice is principally cul- 

 tivated in the mulnad lands, that is in the valleys in the western parts 

 of the district, where the heavy rains, and a constant supply of water 

 from the neighbouring hills, afford facilities for the inundation of the 

 fields. It is also cultivated in a few spots in the central and eastern 

 parts of the district, where a sufficiency of water can be obtained from 

 the large tanks. The best mode of culture is reckoned that by trans- 

 plantation*. In this case the seed is first sown very thick in a small 

 piece of ground, about the commencement of the rains. When the 

 plants are half grown, they are transplanted into the fields, previously 

 covered with water, where they are placed in rows. This practice, 

 however, is very frequently abandoned, except by the most industrious, 

 on account of the great labour it requires. The grain is therefore often 

 sown at once on the ground on which it is to come to maturity. Another 

 method is to make the seed vegetate by means of its being covered for 

 several days with water and cow-dung, before sowing it. These three 

 different methods of cultivation are also followed in other parts of 

 Indiaf . The advantage of the first method is, that it affords time for a. 

 crop of different kinds of pulse to be taken from the ground before the 

 rice is planted. 



* Vide Marshall's Statistical Report. 



t Vide Buchanan's Journey through Mysore, Canara, &c. Vol. I. p. 84, 



