MUZAFFARNAGAR. 73 declining tinder the provisions of recent legislation. The prevailing tenures are the various forms of pattidári, which may be divided into three classes, perfect and imperfect pattidári and bhupachira, and are defined as follows. Where the separate shares of each individual are known as so many portions of a bigha, and are so recorded in the proprietary register, but while a joint responsibility of all the shares for the general liabilities continues, the tenure is called imperfect patlidiri. Here, although the joint responsibility remains intact, the accounts of each individual share are kept separate; as soon as the common land (shamilal) is divided, the tenure becomes perfect pattidári. In process of time the land becomes minutely sub-divided, and the land actually in each man's possession becomes the measure of his rights, and hence arise the bhiyachira tenures. There is a growing tendency for separate ownership to replace the old communal system. Of the total male adult agricultural population (159,302) of Muzaffarnagar, 43,841 are returned as landholders, 1356 as estate servants, 68,255 as cultivators, and 45,850 as agricultural labourers. Average area cultivated by each male adult agriculturist, 4.33 acres. The total population, however, dependent on the soil numbers 430,946, or 56-82 per cent. of the total District population. Of a total District area of 16561 square miles, 79'3 square miles are held revenue-free, while 1576.8 square miles are assessed for Government revenue, of which 1019:8 square miles are cultivated, 333°6 square miles are available for cultivation, and 2234 square miles are uncultivable waste. Total Government assessment, including local rates and cesses levied on the land, £144,503, or an average of 45. 4 d. per cultivated acre. Amount of rental paid by cultivators, including rates and cesses, $209,065, or an average of 6s. old. per cultivated acre. Rents are more frequently paid in kind than in cash. In the latter case they often vary with the crop. As a whole, they run from 75. 60. to 138. 6d. per acre for irrigated lands, and from 25. 3d. to 5s. 3d. per acre for unirrigated lands. The average out-turn of sugar-cane per acre is about 15 cwts., valued at £7, 4s. ; that of cotton, about I cwt. 2 qrs., valued at $2; and that of wheat, about 9 cwts., valued at £1, Ios. Wages and prices have both been on the increase since the Mutiny, probably keeping pace with one another. Bricklayers, carpenters, and smiths receive about gd. a day; and unskilled labourers, about 3d.; boys, izd. Agricultural labourers are generally paid in kind. Prices ruled as follows in 1884:41Theat, 191 sers per rupee, or 55. rod. per cwt.; gram, 258 sers per rupee, or 45. 41d. per cwt.; barley, 33 sers per rupee, or 3s. 5 d. per cwt.; joár, 28 sers per rupee, or 3s. II d. per cwt. ; bájra, 23 sers per rupee, or 45. rod. per cwt ; common rice, 12 sers per rupee, or gs. 4d. per cwt.; and best rice, 63 sers, or 178. 4d. per cwt.
