INSTITUTE AND COLLEGE, PUSA, FOR 1913-14. 109 



Tankara tract. 



Rs. 



Wagad 250 



Kanvi ..... 240 



From the valuation report it will be seen that the 

 quality of cotton of the Boidiar tract is superior, then 

 comes the Tankara tract and lastly the Nadipar, which 

 ought to come first. This is puzzling, but it may be cap- 

 able of explanation. My own observations in these three 

 tracts lead me to believe that in the Nadipar tract, cotton 

 matures a little earlier than in the other two tracts and 

 being adjacent to the Dhrangadhra State, should produce 

 cotton of better quality. The same two varieties are being 

 grown in the Dhrangadhra State and fetch Rs. 10 more 

 per candy than the Morvi cottons in the Bombay market. 



Selection of seed. — It is gratifying to note that the 

 kunbis who form a majority of the agricultural class are 

 exceptionally keen on selecting well-opened bolls and hand- 

 gin the same for seed requirement. Seed for sowing pur- 

 poses is never. brought in either from the ginneries or from 

 Banias' shops by the kunbi cultivators. 



Seed for solving is also carefully stored in earthen 

 chattis. 



Hand-gin. — This differs from that used in other parts 

 of India (excluding Kathiawar). It is an ordinary gin to 

 which a fly-wheel is attached, the price of such a gin 

 depends on the quality of the fly-wheel, but it may be taken 

 at Rs. 10 to Rs. 15. The work done by this hand-gin with 

 the herbaceum types of cotton is 160 lbs. of kapas per day, 

 working at the rate of 12 hours a day requiring two men 

 and one woman. 



In addition to ginning cotton for seed requirements, 

 the kunbi cultivators take out sufficient seed for cattle 

 for the year by means of such gins ; a portion of the 

 lint obtained is spun by hand for making clothes, ropes, 

 etc., to meet domestic and agricultural requirements and 

 the surplus is sold. The hand-ginned cotton fetches Rs. 10 



