Page:Gazetteer of the province of Oudh ... (IA cu31924073057345).pdf/190

 182 KHE << "Sentimental reason for breaking up waste.--When once a culti- vator has newly settled in a village a sentimental reasou affords an inducement to him to continue this process of breaking up waste. It adds to his importance and repute in the village. The first asámi to break up a pičce of waste land gives his name to the field thus formed. Many large plots of waste are just broken up in small pieces here and there by one cultivator, his object being to make sure of the whole plot for himself and to prevent any one else from taking possession; the rest of the plot he will break up at his leisure according to his means and inclination. Ignorance of soil leads to sowing mixed crops.—I said that cultiva- tors hardly know yet in these parts of Bhúr what the soil is like. A curious result and proof of this ignorance is the practice of sowing mixed crops, which is exceedingly common. Rice and kodo are more frequently mixed perhaps than any other; the idea of course is that one of the two crops will be sure to grow, whatever be the nature of the yet untried soil, kodo requiring a dry, and rice a damp soil. Another motive no doubt is a desire to guard against the uncertainties of the season, Either rice or kodo will grow, whatever be the nature of the season, wet or dry. The former crop will be spoiled by a drought, the latter by two heavy rains ; an average wet season will give a good yield from both. “ Dhankudwa.--The two crops mixed are called dhankudwa. Some- times the grains are ground together, and the flour made into chapátis, and eaten thus. Sometimes the women of the house go through the se- vere labour of separating the grains of the two cereals before they are used. “ Bijıra.—Bijhra is sown for the rabi harvest for the same reasous which induce cultivators to sow dhankudwa for the kharif. Bijhra is the mixture of several rabi crops, such as poas, gram, barley, and wheat, or any two or any three of them, and is very commonly grown. It is not irrigat- ed, and is principally found in matiár soil. The different grains are not separated, and the flour made of this mixture produces excellent cha- pátis." Prices..-Prices are generally lower in Kheri than in the adjoining districts. The reason is that money is scarce; it is questionable if the surplus. for exportation is larger than in Hardoi or Shahjahanpur. In 1870-71 the following were the prices of the different staples per maund: Kheri. Provincial average. Rs. 2. P Rg. &. p 20 ce 9 Wheat Gram Coarse rice Coarse sugar (gur) Sámbhar salt 2 2 3 .7 10 5 . 30 30 1 8 & 2 2 3 4 8 9 12 6 ed 2 7 5 300 9 10 8