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 BAH

151

expense of digging the well which falls in ev«ry year and will water only four acres during the season, the entire cost per acre for wheat may be estimated at Rs. 6-8 ; but, again, every third year the winter rains are so heavy that one or two waterings may be dispensed with. An average cost of Rs. 4-12 per acre for wheat per season maybe estimated. Sdnw£n takes five waterings and wUl cost Rs. 6 ; it is sown in February and reaped in May, and cannot be trusted to the rains.

River water

used even

for tobacco in Bahraich ; it is watered six or of the rivers, such as the lower or ancient Sarju, might very easily be dammed. There are large natural basins, some of which it is almost impossible to believe are not artificial, everywhere within ten miles of the Gogra ; they represent ancient channels of its waters ; cultivation on the banks is excellent, and crops luxurious. By damming the sluggish streams these abundant harvests might be extended over the thirsty and starved-looking crops which are met -with, on the uplands. Nor is it likely that tenants-at-will will go to the expense of making irrigation channels and raising a large crop by copious waterings when the probable result is that their rent will be increased.

eight times.

is

Some

The tank water

is raised in small wicker baskets, which do not hold half as those used in the more populous southern districts ; in other words, labour is lighter where the population is more sparse. In many cases there are five waterings given to the crop ; one or two to soften the land before it is ploughed, and three after the crop germinates. few, very few, masonry wells have been made in places where the water lies

as

much

A

near the surface. A well in which two levers can be worked at once can be made if water is only 15 feet off, and firewood abundant, for Rs. 90. From it two local bighas or fths of an acre can be irrigated in a day with the labour of four men, and it will supply ten acres in the year with whatever water is requisite.

The ten acres will be watered once in 25 days at a cost of 6 annas per day, or Rs. 9-6 for the whole this will be 15 annas per acre, or Rs. 2-13 But to this sum must be added interest on the cost for three waterings. of the weU, at 15 per cent., Rs. 13-8 per annum, or Rs. 1-5 per acre. The total cost will be Rs. 4-2 per acre for three waterings, or Rs. 3-3 for two. Of course tenants on grain rents will not and do not make wells on such terms, nor indeed will it be to the interest of others to do so.

The following table gives the rainfalls on the occasions of the last two droughts in 1868 and 1873 which preceded the scarcities of 1869 and 1874. Their features, it will be observed, have much in common. In each there was no rain from> about September 20th till January or February of the ensuing year. The monsoon closed three weeks too soon, but in 1868 the latter rain,m2!.,in January and February, was also almost wholly In 1873 the former rain, that in June, amounted to only half deficient. an inch instead of the average five inches. This of course in each case aggravated the loss caused by the failure of the main monsoon. In 1868 the rabi or winter crop was the main sufferer in 1873 the kharif was sparsely sown because the rain commenced too late, and suffered from drought