Page:Encyclopædia Britannica, Ninth Edition, v. 4.djvu/33

Rh revenue aro the octroi duties, house tax, and wheel tax

—The staple crops are as fol lows : JoAr (Sorghum vulgare) and bAjrA (Holcus spicatus) are the staple food grains in the Dakhin and KhAndesh. Rice is the chief product of the Konkan. Wheat, generally grown in the northern part of the Presidency, but specially in Sindh and GujarAt, is exported to Europe in large quanti ties from Karachi, and on a smaller scale from Bombay. Barley is principally grown in the northern parts of the Presidency. NAchani (Eleusine coracana) and KodrA (Pas- palum scrobiculatum), inferior grains grown on the hill sides, furnish food to the Kulis, Bhils, WAralis, and other abori ginal tribes. Of the pulses the most important are gram (deer arictinum), tur (Gajanus indicus), kulti (Doliclios biflorus), and mug (Phaseolus Mungo). Principal oil-seeds: til (Sesamum orientate), mustard, castor-oil, safflower, and linseed. Of fibres the most important are cotton, Dakhlni hemp (Hibiscus cannabinus), and san or tAg (Crotolaria juncea). Much has been done of late years to improve the cotton of the Presidency. American varieties have been introduced with much advantage in the DhArwAr collec- torate and other parts of the southern MarhattA country. In KhAndesh the indigenous plant from which one of the lowest classes of cotton in the Bombay market takes its name, has been almost entirely superseded by the superior HinganghAt variety. Miscellaneous crops : Sugar-cane, requiring a rich soil and a perennial water supply, and only grown in favoured localities, red pepper, potatoes, turmeric, and tobacco. In 1871-72, 3,379,937 acres were under cotton cultivation; in 1872-73 the area increased to 3,715,945 acres. The total out-turn was 260,444 candies (560 Ib) in 1872-73, against 221,144 in 1871-72. A legislative enactment has been passed to prevent adultera tion of cotton, and in 1872-73, 24 persons were convicted under it. In 1872-73, 2281 steam cotton gim were at work with 158 steam presses. Two model farms have been established in tho Presidency one at HA1A, near HaidarAbAd, in Sindh, and the other in KhAndesh. Ex periments have been instituted in the cultivation of fibres and tobacco. Large quantities of Carolina rice seed were distributed ov 7 er the country, but the results hitherto cannot be deemed to have been successful. The same may be said of the endeavours which have been made to pro pagate the cinchona tree near MahAbaleshwar. Acreage under principal crops JoAr, 6,552,385 acres; bajrA, 4,560,271; rice, 2,009,115; wheat, 1,322,835; and pulses, 1,167,809 acres. The land system of the Presidency is complicated, each province having a variety of tenures of its own. But the most important, and by far the most universal, is the survey tenure created by the British administration, which gives a right of occupancy to the holder on condition of his paying the Government demand.

.—In 1872-73 the sum of 1,180,000 was expended on account of Public Works in the Bombay Presidency ; and the allotment under this head tends annually to increase. In the same year there were five railways open 1. The Great Indian Peninsula Railway: total miles open, 1278; total capital invested, 25,569,568; total receipts during the year, 1,872,826 ; working expenses, 1,203,200 ; net profit, 669,626. 2. The Bombay, Barodn, and Central India Railway : miles open, 389 ; capital invested, 8,418,202; receipts, 564,931; working expenses, 338,786; net profit, 226,145. 3. The KhAmgAon State Railway: miles open, 8; capital invested, 48,530; receipts, 1241; working expenses, 562; net profit, 679. 4. The Amraotf Rail way : miles open, 5 ; capital invested, 43,730 ; receipts, ?2302; working expenses, 1241; net profit, 1061. 5. The Sindh section of the Sindh PanjAb and Dehli Railway : miles open, 106; capital invested, 2,646,106; receipts, 157,100; working expenses, 118,934; net profit, 38,166. Total miles open of the above five railways, 1786^; total capital invested, 36,726,136; total receipts in 1872,&quot; 2,598,400; total working expenses, 1,662,723; total net profit, 980,667. Besides these, the following railways are either in progress or about to be undertaken : (1), State line, Southern MarhattA country; (2), Native State line, Virawal, JunAgarh, and DhorAjl; (3), PAtri Branch (State line, light rail) ; (4), Anand and DAkor Branch; (5), MigAngAon and Dhaboi Railway; (6), Ward ha to HinganghAt and WarorA : (7), Wadi to HaidarAbAd; (8), KhandwA to Indor. In 1872-73 the Bombay Tele graph Department had 4406 miles of wire in operation.

.—In 1872-73, 447 post-offices were distributed over the Presidency; total mileage of postal lines, 10,208 miles; total number of letters, parcels, &c., despatched and received, 17,601,982.

.—The Presidency of Bombay though deficient in mineral wealth, is abundantly supplied with stores of stone fitted for building and road-making purposes. At Teagar, in the DhArwAr district, iron-ore is mined and smelted, but the scarcity of fuel prevents opera tions being conducted on an extensive scale. There are also large slate quarries in DhArwAr. MAndarge&quot; hill is quarried extensively for stone, the right of working it being annually sold by public auction. In BelgAm district are quarries, from which building stones, stone bricks, or oblong quad rangular blocks of soft rock are obtained in abundance. Limestone is also found in the river beds of this district. There are a few trap and laterite quarries in the RatnAgiri district. The trap stone is used for tank and well building, and for the plinths of houses; the laterite is used for house building. Near KarAchi are five quarries containing a species of limestone, largely used in buildings in that town.

.—The indigenous manufactures of the country have rapidly declined since the influx of Manchester goods. But cotton weaving is still carried on upon a small scale in every village of any importance. Dyeing is prac tised in most places where fresh water is procurable. Printed cotton goods are manufactured in all the large towns of GujarAt, and the further the locality is removed from the direct influence of railways the better the work is. This is owing to the competition of European cotton goods, which arc sold much cheaper, and are more brilliant in colour, although less strong and durable, than the native manufactures. Most of the lower classes still wear home spun and woven goods ; but the cotton-mills erected in Bombay, Broach, and in other parts of the Presidency, have introduced threads and cloths, which are readily bought up, and upon which the native workmen display their taste and skill. The cloths manufactured for the MarhattA castes are of various kinds. Some arc all cotton, or cotton and silk, some cotton silk with metallic threads, some silk with gold or silver thread. AhmadAbAd, YeoM, Ahmacl- nagar, MAligAon, NAsik, PunA, and DhArwAr, are all celebrated for their cotton goods. Carpets, rugs, horse cloths, toAvels, napkins, (tc., made of cotton, are manu factured throughout the Prcsidencj r . Ahmadnagar has an ancient reputation for the strength and durability of its carpets ; KhAndesh and DhArwAr for druggets, rugs, and bullock cloths. A new future has lately been opened to manufacturing energy by the introduction of machinery from England. The ancient products of the Presidency, above named, are chiefly household industries. But large steam mills are now rapidly springing up in Bombay city, Broach, Surat, and other stations on the railway lines, especially in the cotton districts. Several of these employ over 1500 hands; one is reported to have nearly double 