On the Conditions of Wheat-G-rotving in India. 39 
by moistening the grain overniglit, then grinding it. The fine 
flour passes through a coarse sieve, and the saji and bran are 
left above. The bran is separated by winnowing, and there 
remains the round granular meal (or central pieces of the grain) 
which is used throughout India in place of oatmeal. The flour 
that passed through the sieve is once more ground, and passed 
through a finer sieve, the fine flour, maida, passing through, 
and the coarser grained, atta, remaining above. Of course, 
maida and atta are prepared without moistening and separating 
saji, the gi'ain being ground at once into maida and atta. This 
point is of some interest, since from a native point of view the 
quality of wheat is judged of from the amount of saji it will 
yield, and the process of damping the grain has a distinct 
bearing on the modern European process of damping before 
milling,, or by obtaining the required moisture by mixing the 
dry Indian wheats with damper grains before milling. The 
degree of " drinking " is a source of distinct gain to the dealer 
in Indian wheats, and accounts for the much higher yield of 
bread as compared with other wheats. 
Soils. — Wheat is groAvn in almost every soil, except the 
very lightest sand; a rather heavy loam is considered best 
suited for it. In fact, what we said about the Panjab wheats 
applies in its full force to those of these provinces. Manure is 
applied to the better class of wheatfields generally every second 
or third year, though in quantities which would sound ridi- 
culously small to the English farmer, 4 tons (=100 maunds 
nearly) being about the average to the acre. Land is occa- 
sionally prepared by herding sheep in the fields. This same 
practice prevails in the Panjab, and a case is recorded of a 
prosecution because a periodical flock of sheep, which for years 
had herded on a particular farm, were by the owner taken to a 
neighbouring farm instead. A curious habit also prevails in 
Northern India of herding sheep, and even cattle, on the field 
of wheat so as to top-manure the soil and cut down the too 
rapid growth of the crop. Sometimes it is even cut to effect 
this purpose, the reason being that the crop is supposed to 
sprout more freely. We have not seen returns of the number 
of shoots to each stock of Indian wheat, but we have carefully 
examined the hill wheats, and the average is from four to ten. 
Doubtless the gi-azing or cutting down of the young crop would 
have the eflfect of increasing the number of shoots. 
Seasons and Crops. — There is nothing of any special cha- 
racter to record under this head. A second wheat crop such as 
we have commented on in connection with Bombay apparently 
does not exist. The wheat is entirely rahi, sown at the end of 
October and beginning of November, the harvest taking place 
