408 A JOURNEY FROM MADRAS THROUGH 
CHAPTER the Umuttay, or Datura met el ; the Calli, or Euphorbium Tirucallii 
and the Hughinay . 
Aug. 1—6. At Sira scarcely any Ragy is cultivated as a dry crop. Those 
C10ps ’ which are raised, are Suja, Harica , Huruli , Huts’-Ellu. , A varay, 'To* 
vary, Shamay , Navony, Harulu , Hessaru, Alasunda , or Tadaguny , 
Barugu , and cotton. By far the most common, are Shamay , Aw;#, 
and Huruli. 
Shamay , or The Shamay is of three kinds ; Ri/?/, Chri, and Maliga , or Mujica * 
Ka« lC E*Sr The cultivation for the three kinds is the same, but the seeds are 
always kept separate. The soil that agrees with them is the Afa- 
rulu and Daray , or poor sandy and stony lands. This soil, if it were 
dunged, would every year produce a crop of Shamay ; but, as that can 
seldom be spared, the Shamay is always succeeded by a crop of Hu- 
ruli, which restores the ground ; and alternate crops of these grains 
may be continued, without any fallow, or without injury to the 
soil. In the first four months of the year, commencing about the 
vernal equinox, at any convenient opportunity plough four times. 
Then, after a good rain, harrow with the rake drawn by oxen, and 
sow with the drill; putting the seed of the Shamay into the Curigay; 
and that of the pulses called Amray , Tovary , Hessaru , Huruli, or 
Alasunda, into the Sudilcy. The first two are reckoned the best. 
Then harrow with the rake drawn by oxen. They have here no 
estimation for the extent of fields cultivated in this way; but for 
every 48 Seers of Shamay they sow VI Seers of some one of the 
pulses. The, produce in a good crop will be twenty seeds of the 
Shamay. Of the others no account is kept ; for the legumes, as 
they ripen, are gathered for family use. Bily Shamay ripens in 
and Kari in 4 months ; the Maliga requires only 3 months, and is 
therefore preferred when the rains begin late ; but it gives little 
straw, and therefore in favourable seasons the others are more eli- 
gible. Shamay straw is here reckoned better fodder than that 
of rice; and, when mixed with the husks of Huruli ox Tovary, h 
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