228 E. J. BUTLER. 



the northern half of the Central Delta was affected, except 

 towards the head of the Delta and near the sea. Three main 

 lines of extension appear to have been followed in Amalapur 

 Taluk : — One through Billakurru, Modekurru, Pulletikurru and 

 tailing off towards Potavaram, Gannavaram, and the other villages 

 along the Vasishta and Vainateyam branches of the Godavari ; 

 another through Aina villi, Tottramudi and Thanalanka to the 

 littoral villages south of the Gautami, such as Polavaram ; and the 

 third from Ainavilli through Vilasa and Amalapur to Perur and 

 Allavaram. Nagaram island is known to have been affected in 

 1907, but the disease was shght and probably not of long 

 standing. 



In the Western Delta, in the Kistna District, the ryots them- 

 selves assign to the winter of 1903 the first appearance of the 

 disease. This was in the Taluks of Tanuku and Narsapur which 

 border the Vasishta river opposite to Amalapur and Nagaram. 

 The date was fixed in their minds by the violent cyclones of Octo- 

 ber in that year which caused damage to many trees. However, 

 a good observer' asserts that the disease must have been in some 

 villages before 1900, judging from field appearances. The evid- 

 ence here seems to suggest that it entered from Amalapur Taluk 

 above Nagaram island, crossing the Vasishta in the direction of 

 the first Une of spread in this Taluk referred to above. By 1907 

 some 50 villages on this side of the river were affected, the major- 

 ity very recently, and up to the beginning of 1909 fresh villages 

 were continually being reached. The intensity of the disease on 

 this bank of the Godavari is as yet less than elsewhere, and except- 

 ing for an area near the boundary between Tanaku and Narsa- 

 pur Taluks and extending from the river to Aitampudi and Vallur 

 few villages have reported more than scattered cases. The exact 

 area affected in the Kistna District is not yet fully known, but 

 an outbreak has occurred as far to the south as Masulipatam. 



I Agricultural Inspector D. Balakrishna Murti, to whom I am indebted for valuable 

 information, «ke(cli maps and notes. 



