Page:Gazetteer of the province of Oudh ... (IA cu31924073057352).pdf/199

 RAE 191 from jhíls costs about the same thing as well irrigation ; here again, the quality of soil, the number of lifts, and the distance of the fields cause the cost per bígha to vary. Crops watered with well water thrive better than crops watered with jhîl water." The following note describes the cost of irrigation in northern Rae Bareli, as the preceding account is of the southern part of the district :-- “Near Rae Bareli itself water is 21 feet from the surface when nearest and 27 feet in some places, but the springs are met with at 45 to 60 feet. A well for three or four purs cost 400 if of a strong and permanent cha- racter. Here a system of half reliefs is adopted for the bullocks, two pairs are employed, and a third pair as a relief every second hour, each pair thus works six hours, and two pairs are constantly at work during a nine-hour day. The three pairs water ten biswas a day if the field is at an average distance, but more if it is close at hand. The leather bags are of different sizes—from seven to twelve spans round the mouth is the popular mode of estimation. ." The diameter of the water skin ranges from 5 to 74 bálisht. The village people reckon one bálisht as equal to a ghara of water of the ordinary size, and the ghara they consider capable of holding six sers of water. A skin of the average size (64 bálishts) will be found to hold about 40 sers or a maund of water." In the portion of Rae Bareli which lies between the Sai and the Gumti the facilities and modes of irrigation resemble those already described under Lucknow, except that the features of irrigation common to eastern Oudh, show themselves markedly, viz., masonry wells are very numerous, and the labour is generally that of cattle. Through the centre of the tract water is near the surface, being met with sometimes at 15 feet; the spring, however, is not reached till a depth of 30 feet has been attained. A cylinder of bricks without mor- tar for such a depth will cost Rs. 60 if broad enough for only one bucket, if for two Rs. 90; the addition of mortar will make the cost about Rs. 90 and Rs. 130 respectively. From these wells the crops will be irrigated at the rate of ten biswas a day with the aid of two pairs of bullocks, changed at noon, and three men who work all day—one driving the cattle, one empty- ing the bucket, one distributing the water in the field. Allowing one anna for each bullock, and two annas for each man, the cost will be ten annas per day, Re. 1-4-0 for a bigha, and Rs. 2 for an acre, for one watering Interest on Rs. 60, the cost of a single bucket well, at Re, 1-8-0 per cent. per month, the ordinary rate will be Rs. 10 per annum. The area which such a well will supply with water during the year is 10 acres, the cost then of irrigating an acre twice will be Rs. 4 for labour and Re. 1 for interest. But this must be taken as below the average cost of well irrigation; water is more often about nineteen feet distant, and the quantity of land irrigated in a day is only seven biswas. Then the cost will be Rs. 2-13-0 for one watering, Rs. 5-11-0 for two, besides Re. 1 per acre for interest. These figures certainly are • Kinlock's Statistics of Fatehpur, page 18.