Page:The Imperial Gazetteer of India - Volume 2 (2nd edition).pdf/61

 —

BANDA.

51

and masuri. The crops of the District are of two classes autumn or khar'if harvest, for which the sowing takes place from June to August, and the spring or rabi harvest, sown in November or December. Of the former, the principal crop in value, though not in acreage, is cotton, occupying an area in 1880-81 of 152,095, and in 1881-82 of 201,866 acres. Hemp and millet are generally sown with it. The other principal khanf cxo^i, in 1881-82 sext—jodr, 122,086 acres; bdjrd, 18,131 acres; jodr and bdjrd together, 159,206 acres; Rice occupies only 8227 acres. The bdjrd and arhar, 27,228 acres. chief spring crops are wheat and gram, which are frequently sown together, and occupied the following areas in 1881-82 wheat, sown alone, 7957 acres; wheat and gram together, 160,351 acres; gram, sown alone, 183,750 acres. Oil-seeds are also largely grown. The opium poppy is cultivated on 1018 acres. The mahud tree grows in great arJiar, alsi,

the

—

luxuriance throughout the District fruit,

and wood, as

The

fruit.

is

ebony; kem (Nauclea)

khdwa (Pentaptera



extremely useful for

it is

flowers,

its

from the kernels of the

chief timber trees are teridu (Diospyros melanoxylon), the

heart-wood of which folia)



well as for the oil extracted

arjuna)





haldu (Nauclea cordi-

akol (Allangium hexapetalum)



and

gantha (Schrebera sureitenoides), a very hard rough timber. Teak Considerable of a small size is found in both the hills and plains. of

quantities

much from

bamboos

The

exported.

are

District

has

suffered

the spread of the destructive kdns grass, which has totally

impoverished

many

poorly housed,

and

The

villages.

apathetic

totally

The system

straitened circumstances.

peasantry

the

are deeply landowners are

of cultivation

in

simple,

is

debt,

in

very

and

in

more than three Rotation of crops is general. Manure is little as yet performed only by labourers and bullocks.

the uplands few spots can be tilled to advantage for years used,

A

consecutively.

and

irrigation

is

scheme, however, has been projected, but

for irrigating the country

between the

is

yet (1883) in abeyance,

Ken and

the Bagain,

by means

of canals drawn from the former river, which would supply water to

about 60,000 acres. follows

18

lbs.

15s.



The

—Wheat, 6 cwt.

average out-turn and value of crops

22

per acre, worth ;£i

rod.

The



per acre, worth

is

as

maize, 5 cwts. and cotton, 2 cwts. per acre, worth ;£i,

lbs.


 * ,Ci, 2s.



tenures of land are numerous and complicated, but

most of them proceed on a plan of joint proprietorship, the coparceners cultivating each his separate share, and the revenue being assessed among them by a rate. As the land has to lie fallow for periods of varying duration, the right of occupancy extends rather to similar holdings than to actual plots.

The system

of separate large

ownerships is on the increase. The total number of adult male cultivators, excluding labourers, is returned at 132,710, cultivating an average of

577

acres each.

The

total population,

however, dependent on the