Page:Gazetteer of the province of Oudh ... (IA cu31924073057345).pdf/191

 KHE 183 4. 441 38 30 26 28 25 40 The average price of wheat for the four years ending 1871 was 24 sers for the rupee. Sers, Barley Grani Juár Bajra Indian-corn (maká!) In 1869 wheat was 8), sers for the rupee, gram 9 sers, but the millets were a fair crop and remained at 22 sers from October, when the autunan erop was rcaped. The last returns give for August, 1873, in sers for the rupee August, 1873. August, 1872. Wheat Barley Bájra 8 Gram Coarse rice The high prices which have prevailed in Kheri during the last five years, except in 1871 and 1874, are inexplicable, except on the assumption of long-continued bad crops. The price of wheat in July—a fair month for placing the market value on that staple and other crops-was in sers per rupee) as follows: 1874. Wheat 203 Barley 16 25 p. e 30 16 93 13 20 12 14 21 13 . 1872, 17 ... 21 1873. 17 26 20 410 Gram 26 22 I now give the price lists for ten years. They must, however, be accepted with considerable reserve. These returns are the average prices at the three tahsil markets of Lakhimpur, Gola, and Muhamdi. These hardly represent the average of the district; they are all situated in the southern quarter, and some portions of the north-westerly parganas are so distant from the nearest tahsil station as to be quite inaccessible in the rains. In fact the price lists, in addition to the usual chances of error, are, in the case of Kheri, especially deceptive, because they represent the rates, not of an entire district, but of a mere comer. On the other hand, these par- ganas, inaccessible as far as regards the local markets, are intersected by the great navigable rivers, the Kauriála and Chauka, which convey their produce direct to Patna and Chupra; consequently, the prices do not vary much from those current in southern Kheri. The variations of price are of course much greater than appear from these averages; wheat has been in 1869 8. ser's per rupee; in 1871 gram, an almost cqually valuable grain for nutrition, was at 12 scrs per rupee in Kukra. The subject of prices and food values has been dwelt upon in the Fyza- bad and Bahraich articles. It may be remarked that there are here, as elsewhere in Oudh, three classes of food grains. The first includes wheat and rice, whose average price is about 20 sers the rupee during the last six years; the second includes gram, barley, maize, múng, urd, and the millets, whose average price is from 24 to 30 sers the rupee; lastly, the inferior grains, kodo, sánwán, which during the season should not range dearer than 35 sers for the rupee.
 * 34
 * Settlement officer's report,