Page:Gazetteer of the province of Oudh ... (IA cu31924024153987).pdf/488

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FYZ

410

CHAPTER

11.

AGRICULTURE, PRICES, FAMINES, CROPS,

AKD

TRADE.

The subject of agriculture may be first taken up as being of all-importance to the people and to the Government. In connection with it wiU be treated food, famines, rent, prices, wages, condition of the people, crops. On the former first point will be the soils, then the irrigation. subject the settlement officer writes as follows

The



Natural

"

Natural

soils

1st class.

—In

are of three classes this

we have

Soils.



included " duras" and " kupsa-duras."

known as " dumat." It is of prevails in the bordering districts, Azamgarh and Jaunpur, and is used for soil of the second quality in Gorakhpur^ In the western portion of the latter zila, which is separated from us by the river Gogra, this soil, as here, is called. " duras," but in In Unao and Rae Bareli

the

first

this " duras" is

The former name

quality.

Sir eastern Gorakhpur it is called " bdngar." " duras" and " dumat" as probably the same. " Kupsa-duras"

and giving

less

is

"'

duras" with a greater

Henry

amount

Elliot considered

of sticky clay in

it,

produca

These soils take much manure, irrigation, and labour, but produce two They are of a light-brown colour, and soon and of every variety. We have villages pulverise, and consequently do not long retain moisture. of which the entire land is of these sorts, and others where all the differcrops,

ent

soils prevail.

2nd

class.

-

—In

this class

we have

included "matiar" and "kupsa-

matiar," which latter is locally sub-divided into " kupsa-uparwar" and " kupsa-khalar." It also includes " kurail" and " bijar."

Sleeman gays that " matiar" embraces all good argillaceous earth, from the brown to the black humic or ulmic deposit found in the beds of tanks, and mentions that the Oudh people called the black soil of Bundelkhand by this name. " Matiar" is of a darker colour than " duras" and more capable of absorbing and retaining moisture, forming readily into clods which assist this. It is very hard when dry, and slippery when wet. It is seldom manured. It is the finest natural soil, and its yield is equal to the average of " duras" and " kupsa-duras" together. " Matiar kurail " is similar to " matiar," but being usually found in the beds of tanks and jhils, is darker in colour, and when dry is full of cracks and fissures, the result of being generally submerged. The word

" kurail"

means

black.

" Matiar-khalar-kupsa" gives

similar to

the

last,

but

it

is

an indifferent yield, and, is somewhat spotted throughout with orange specks.