AGRICULTURE AND IRRIGATION
It will be noticed from all these figures that in Pálkonda, which has plentiful channels from the perennial Nágávali and its tributary the Suvarnamukhi, rice occupies nearly one half of the total cultivated area, and ragi a notable proportion; that in Sarvasiddhi, which depends upon the less excellent irrigation from the Sárada and Varáha rivers and contains much very fertile dry land, rice gives place to cambu and gingelly; and that in Golgonda, where the water-supply is defective and much poor land exists which is taken up for a year or two and then abandoned again, gingelly occupies nearly as great an area as rice, while cambu is but little behind. Ragi and cambu are the staple food-grains. Gringelly (see p. 229) is one of the principal exports from Bimlipatam.
Indigo was extensively cultivated in Pálkonda during Messrs. Arbuthnot's lease of that taluk (see p. 289), but in consequence of competition from the German synthetic dye it is now no longer grown and the indigo factories are all in ruins.
Sugar-cane is chiefly raised in Pálkonda taluk (ef. p. 290) and in the valley of the Sárada round Anakápalle (see p. 124). In the former place the commonest cane is a small, hard, white variety which seems, to be the same as the désaváli cane of Gódávari.1[1] Round Anakápalle, at least eight kinds are recognized of which the Rayagada and dubbukéli are the most popular, and all of them are heavy varieties which require wrapping and propping to save them from damage by storms. Mauritius canes were tried as long ago as 1839 by M.R.Ry. Godé Súrya Prakása Rao of Anakápalle (see p. 219) and also by Messrs. Arbuthnot & Co., in Pálkonda, but did not do well. A new striped Mauritius variety, called after Mr. H. F. W. Gillman, I.C.S., who imported it in 1899 when in charge of the Vizianagram zamindari, now bids fair, nowever, to oust all the indigenous kinds. In Anakápalle cuttings are often obtained 2[2] from the stunted canes grown on alkaline land, which, though they produce only the poorest jaggery, make excellent seed-cane.
The 'jute' of the district (which is really Hibiscus cannabinus 'the Deccan hemp', and is locally known as erra gogu) has risen into much prominence recently owing to the increase in the price of the fibre from Rs. 26 per candy of 500 lb. to Rs. 45. It is chiefly grown on red soils in the centre of the district round Bobbili, Sálúr, Gajapatinagaram, etc. This being all zamindari
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