in Nepaul, twenty-four
seers upon an English acre; in the vicinity of Poonah, one and a-half
seer per beggah. Before the seed is sown the land is usually ploughed
two or three times, and no further attention given to the crop than
two hoeings. In Nepaul, where it is the principal crop cultivated, the
seed is sown, after one delving and pulverisation of the soil, in the
latter end of May and early part of June, in drills, the seeds being
laid at intervals of seven or eight inches in the drills, and the
drills an equal space apart. The drills are not raised as for turnip
sowing, but consist merely of rows of the plant on a level surface.
The seed is distributed in this manner with the view of facilitating
the weeding of the crop, not for the purpose of earthing up the roots,
which seems unnecessary. The Indian corn sowing resembles that of the
_gohya_ (or upland) rice, in the careful manner in which it is
performed; the sower depositing each grain in its place, having first
dibbled a hole for it five or six inches deep, with a small hand hoe,
with which he also covers up the grain.

The after-culture of this crop is performed with great care in the
valleys, but much neglected in the hills, especially on new and strong
lands. In the former it undergoes repeated weeding during the first
month of its growth, the earth being loosened round the roots, at each
weeding, with the hand hoe. After the first loosening of the soil,
which is performed as soon as the plants are fairly above ground, a
top dressing of ashes or other manure is given. By this mode the crop
gets the immediate benefit of the manure, which otherwise, from the
extraordinary rapidity of its growth, could not be obtained by it. In
three months from the time of sowing, the seed is ripe. The crop is
harvested by cutting off the heads. In Nepaul these are either heaped
on a rude scaffolding, near the cultivator's house, or, more commonly,
they are suspended from the branches of the trees close by, where,
exposed to wind and weather, the hard and tough sheath of the seed
cones preserves the grain for many months uninjured.

Cattle are voraciously fond of the leaves and stems, which are very
sweet, and even the dry straw, which Dr. Buchanan surmises may be the
reason why it is not more generally cultivated by the natives, as the
difficulty would be great to preserve the crop. So slow is the
progress of changes in the regions of India, that near Kaliyachak,
though t