A History of Agriculture in India v2.c61.s1.3

v2.c61.s1.3

‘Then there are the *shaki* and the *barki*—the jack-tree (*Artocarpus heterophyllus*). These are trees of great age with leaves like those of the walnut, and their fruits come out from the trunk of the tree itself. Those of them that are next to the ground are the *barki* and those higher up are the shaki. The former are sweeter and better-flavoured; the latter resemble large gourds and have a skin like ox-hide. When it yellows in the season of autumn they gather it and split it in half; inside each fruit there are from one to two hundred pods resembling cucumbers, between each of which there is a thin yellow skin. Each pod has a kernel resembling a large bean and when these kernels are roasted or boiled they taste like beans, and take the place of them, since beans are not to be found in that country. They store up these kernels in red earth and they keep until the next year. This shaki and barki is the best fruit in India.