—
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
