Christian missions in the Telugu country - Uecf.net

THE COUNTRY AND PEOPLE 15
intercourse between Europeans and Indians is made a
little more difficult in these districts by the use of this
food. There are various kinds of millet, mostly grown
on unirrigated land. The most important of them is the
great millet (sorghum vulgare) , commonly called ' cholam
in South India, and ' jowar ' in the north. It is a coarse-
looking plant, generally standing about twelve feet high.
In favourable circumstances it is said to reach the height
of eighteen feet, and it is recorded that 2200 seeds have
been counted on one plant. A coarser kind of food is
yielded by the spiked mUlet, called ' cumbu ' in the south
and ' bajra ' in the north, which is grown on very dry soU.
A third variety, called ' ragi ' (eleusine coracana) is grown
as a winter or second crop. This commands a better
price than the above. It is not eaten alone, but mixed
with one of the other two varieties.
The difficulty of living is measured in hard times Increase
mainly by the price of these grains. A word or two will JJJ ^J^"
illustrate the effects of recent hard years. In India the
price of ^ grain is always quoted at so many measures of
grain to the rupee, not at such and such a price for the
measure. In 1904 cholam and ragi were sold at twenty-
fom: and twenty-two measures respectively to the rupee.
In more recent years the price has come to remain
almost steady at ten and eight measures. Our people
pay nothing for rent and very little for clothing ;
there-
fore the expenditure on these grains makes up nearly the
whole of their total expenditure. Wages, meanwhile,
have risen only very slightly. The labourer's wages still
varies from threepence to fourpence a day. At the price
now usual fourpence will purchase about 7^ lbs. of grain.