R. J. D. GRAHAM 



211 



The principal rice growing tracts {vide Map) of the south of the 

 Province are the portions of Bhandara, Balaghat and Chanda lying 

 in the Wainganga river basin all in the Nagpur Division, and Drug, 

 Raipur and Bilaspur in the Chhattisgarh Division. In the north of 

 the Province the south-east portion of Seoni with Burghat as a centre, 

 parts of Mandla and the southern portion of Damoh with the two 

 adjoining Tahsils of Jubbulpore, constitute the most important 

 areas. 



Rice Soils. — The rice-producing soils of the Central Provinces 

 are formed almost entirely upon Pre-Cambrian rocks of the Purana 

 and Archaean groups. The formations generally represented are 

 the Upper and Lower Vindhyan in Damoh, Bilaspur, Chanda, Drug 

 and Raipur ; the Chilpi Ghat series of the Dharwar formation, 

 formerly known as the Transition or Sub-metamorphic. in Bhan- 

 dara, Balaghat, Drug and Bilaspur, and the Metamorphic and 

 Crystalline formation in parts of Jubbulpore, Chanda, Balaghat 

 and Bhandara. 



The actual material derived from the weathered rock is greatly 

 modified in many cases by rain wash and admixture wdth soils of 

 other types. The typical rice soils of the Central Provinces have 

 a high proportion of coarse particles and a correspondingly low 

 proportion of clay, being suitable only for single cropping. The 

 heavier soils suitable for double cropping are much finer in 

 texture and therefore more retentive of moisture. 



Composition of typical rice soils of the Central Provinces : — 



A. Locality, Adhartal, Jubbulpore, a gncisisic tletritu.s. 



B. ,, Katangdhara, Chanda, a gneissic detritus. 



C. ,, Labhandi, Raipur, a yellow metaai soil overlying Raipur limestone. 



D. ,, Lanji, Balaghat, yellow sehar soil formed from Dharwar rocks. 



E. ,, Tharsa Nagpur, a black mornnd soil overlying crystalline rocks ; suit 



able for double cropping. 



Coarse sand l-"2 m.m. diain. 

 Fine sand •2-'04 m.m. diam. 

 Silt •04-01 m.m. diam. 

 Fine silt ■01-'002 m.m. diam. 

 Clay below "002 m.m. diam. 



