32 



RECENT FOREIGN EXPLORATIONS. 



In the more populous provinces the area planted to food crops is so 

 small in proportion to the population that even the slightest failure 

 results in disaster. 



Nearly all the tilling" of the soil is done with the plow, and oxen, 

 buffaloes, and sometimes cows furnish the motive power. The small 

 number of carts (wagons are not used on the farms) is explained by 

 the fact that a large part of the transportation of produce is done on 

 the backs of oxen or donkeys. 



Table 2. — Area (in acres) irrigated in British India, 1899-1900. 



Irrigated from — 



Province. 



Govern- 

 ment 

 canals. 



Upper Burma 252, 161 



Lower Burma 310 



Assam 



Bengal 754, 557 



Korthwest Prov- 

 inces j 1,981,373 



Oudh 



r 

 Ajmer-Merwara 



ParganS, MAnpur 



Punjab 4,243,524 



Sind 2, 352, 433 



Bombay i 99,829 



Central Provinces .1 



Beriir 



Madras 2, 648, 160 



Coorg 1,370 



Private 

 canals. 



Tanks. 



Wells. 



307, 198 129, 864 

 1,325 



5,692 1,215,683 



976, 394 



7, 228 



823, 729 20, 049 

 140, 595 



5,013 30,413 

 810, 176, 187 

 72 

 26,289 1,832,527 



Total 12, 333, 717 1, 310, 723 



4, 388, 345 



7,211 



4, 478, 507 

 1,643,178 



43, 776 



324 



4,154,598 



41,005 

 667, 789 



64, 118 



66, 838, 

 1, 129, 8041 



Other 

 sources. 



Total 

 irrigated. 



102, .587 

 3, 434' 



799, 021 

 5,069 



754, 557 



553,595[ 8,234,850 



80,4.53' 2,700,025 



116 51,120 



324 



9, 375, 983 



110,414| 2,644,447 



78, 149: 871, 223 



14,079 2.55,264 



107 67,017 



134,083 



Net area 



cropped 



during 



year. 



146, 986 



12,297,148! 1,224,003 



5, 783, 766 

 1,370 



3, 695, 206 



6, 857, 898 



4,552,210 



53, 2.53, 600 



24, 402, 658 



8,624,2.54 



230, 773 



6,786 



23, 275, 728 



2,781,014 



19,278,203 



14, 762, 603 



5,403,7.58 



23, 122, 215 



200, 117 



31,544,036190,447,023 



Area 



cropped 



more than 



once. 



260, 036 



846 



565, 146 



10,618,100 



4,461.342 



2, 427, 975 



17, 400 



136 



2,017,570 



215, 474 



320, 293 



164, 340 



1,495 



2, 674, 229 



701 



23, 745, 083 



Table 2 shows the number of acres irrigated as in Table 1, native 

 states not being included. Of course lands subjected to natural over- 

 flow or on which there is a heavy rainfall are not included in this 

 table. The irrigated lands are principally planted to wheat and food 

 crops other than rice, although in some provinces the rice crop 

 depends entirely on artificial irrigation. In the best rice districts, 

 however, the rainfall is very heavy, amounting to over 200 inches in 

 a 3^ear in Lower Burma, which with the annual deposits from the 

 overflow of the Irawadi River makes it ideal rice land. 



Table 3 shows the number of head of live stock and number of farm 

 implements in the same area as that covered b}^ Table 1. 



