WHEAT CULTURE IN INDIA. 



581 



In the Northwest Provinces and Oudh there are 36,000,000 of culti- 

 vated acres J of these there are irrgated : 



Giving a total of 11,454,000 acres. 



The following table sho\78 the percentage of irrigated land through- 

 out India : 



Provinces. 



Area ordi- 

 narily culti- 

 vated. 



Area ordi- 

 narily irri-~ 

 gated. 



Percent- 

 age irri- 

 gated. 



Pnnjal> 



Norib-west Provinces and Oadh , 



Uerc;il 



Central Provinces 



Berar ^...... 



IJombay .^. 



Sindah „ _«.., 



Madras 



Mysore , 



Total - 



Acres. 

 21, 000, 000 

 36, 000, 000 

 34, 500, 000 

 15, 500, 000 



6, 500, 000 

 24, 500, 000 



2, 250, 000 

 32, 000, 000 



5, 000, 000 



177, 250, 000 



Acres. 



5, 500, 000 

 11, 500, 000 



1, 000, 000 

 770, 000 

 100, 000 

 450, 000 



1, 800, 000 



7, 300, 000 

 800, 000 



29, 220, 000 



26.2 



3i.9 



2.9 



5.0 



1.5 



1.8 



80.0 



22.8 



16.0 



Of the irrigated land 8,000,000 acres are by the better class of irri- 

 gation works, 12,000,000 by wells, and the balance by the temporary 

 channels and canals. 



ABBA AND POPULATION. 



• 



The United States has an area of 2,970,000 square miles, exclusive of 

 Alaska, and a population by the last census of 50,155,783. British 

 India, that under British rule, contains 877,950 square miles, and by 

 the last census contains a population of 198,508,795. Including native 

 states indirectly under British administration India has an area of 

 1,472,423 square miles and a population of 252,660,550. The United 

 States has an average population of 17 to the square mile, British In- 

 dia 226, and including the native states, 171 to the square mile.* 



CONCLUSION. 



In concluding I will state what I think are the advantages and draw- 

 backs of wheat raising in India : (1) The wonderfully permanent pro- 

 ductiveness of the climate and soil. (2) The use of irrigation, on account 

 of which there can be no failure of the growth of a crop. (3) The fa- 

 cilities for inland transportation and cheap ocean freights. (4) Tlie 

 variety of seasons, giving the farmer work in the fields every montli of 

 the year, thus making the wheat crop almost an extra or surplus one. 



* Figures as to area and population of India do not exactly agreo with official re> 

 ports.— £d. Bbp. 



