Duration of Crop 

 in SoU. 



ARACHIS 



HYPOG>EA THE EAETH OK PEA NUT 



Ground-nut 



would appear to be from July 15 to August 15, and for the latter from 

 August 1 to September 15. 



The duration of the crop in the soil seems to vary considerably. The 

 crop sown on irrigated land in South Arcot normally on July 10 comes into 

 season about October 10, having occupied the soil for only three months. 



Market Seasons. Again, the crops sown normally on June 15 in the Bhavani and Cauvery 

 valleys are not mature until January 15, and have thus occupied the soil 

 for seven months. Usually the crop occupies the soil a little over five 

 months, and thus for the early districts (such as South Arcot) it comes 

 into market from January 15 to February 15 and for the later districts 

 (Chingleput and North Arcot) from February 1 to March 15. As a rule, 

 however, in the districts of late sowing the crop occupies the soil for a 

 slightly shorter period, and thus comes into market approximately at the 

 same time as the other sowings. 



Of Bombay Mollison observes that the ground-nut is usually a kharif 

 (rain) crop, sown as soon as the previously prepared soil has been 

 sufficiently moistened by the first fall of rain in June ; but in the Deccan 

 it is also grown as a rabi (winter) irrigated crop. The monsoon crop 

 occupies the soil six to seven months, and in the absence of rain the land 

 must be kept moist artificially. It is usual to give two to four waterings 

 during the last two or three months. The seed is ordinarily sown between 

 monsoon showers, when the land is dry enough to be worked by a plough. 

 The crop should be weeded at least twice. As soon as it shades the ground, 

 no further attention, except watering, is required. The crop is harvested 

 likes potatoes, sometimes with a plough, but more often the field is dug 

 over by hand with a Native pick. A cultivator collects a regular army 

 of workers, and usually pays in kind. In order to expedite the digging 

 the haulms or vines are previously reaped and removed. These form an 

 esteemed fodder. 



The returns of sowing and reaping furnished by the authorities regard- 

 ing the Bombay Presidency show the crop to be slightly earlier in Bombay 

 than in Madras. The earliest sowings take place on June 1 and the latest 

 on July 31. Of the Bombay districts Poona and Sholapur sow, as a 

 rule, about fifteen days later than the other districts. The period of 

 occupancy of soil varies considerably ; the maximum duration is eight 

 months in Belgaum, where the crop is normally sown on June 10 and 

 reaped usually about February 10. In Ahmednagar it is reaped a month 

 sooner, having occupied the soil for seven months. The shortest duration 

 is four and a half months in Poona, where the crop, sown on June 15 

 (normally) is reaped on November 1. In other districts the crop occu- 

 pies the soil a little over five months, and as Satara and Sholapur are 

 the most important producing districts it may be added that the Bombay 

 crop comes into season in November, and thus on an average six weeks 

 before the chief Madras crop. This is therefore a fact of considerable 

 importance which the foreign buyers of Indian nuts should bear in mind. 



TRADE. Foreign Trade. It has already been fully demonstrated that 

 the area of production in India has been vastly extended and the condi- 

 tion and location of the trade exactly reversed since O'Conor's report of 

 1879. The greatest area of production is now in South India, and more- 

 over there has grown up in Madras a considerable traffic in the manufacture 

 and export of the oil. In other words, an increased local consumption 

 would seem to be gradually lessening the amount available for foreign 



SO 



Bombay 

 Method. 



Two Crops. 



Ploughing. 

 Weeding. 



Harvest. 



Fodder. 



Bombay 

 Seasons. 



Centres of 

 Trade. 



Oil. 



