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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.
