GRASS MATTING 



sort of piece-goods form which has recently been sent to Europe and 

 warp. America very largely). The lengthwise strings constitute the warp of 



the mat. Previously they have been threaded through a crudely formed 

 weaver's comb or beam of the desired breadth, and they have also been 

 attached to bamboos at both ends, which are so adjusted that they may 

 be tightened as desired and the warp raised an inch or so above the floor 

 of the room over which they are stretched. The operators commence 

 at the far end. They sit in a row across the breadth of the fabric and on 

 the top of it. Each possesses a crudely formed wooden needle (which 

 takes the place of the shuttle), and through the eye of this is inserted the 

 end of the split and carefully prepared culm. This is passed alternately 

 over and under the threads of the warp and thus placed in position by 

 weft. each operator along his allotted portion of the weft. Simultaneously 



the comb is beaten home and the next street of the weft commenced by 

 being threaded above the warp, where the previous street went below. 

 If colours or patterns are desired they are inserted by the hand at the 

 proper positions. Thus slowly the work progresses. It is hand labour 

 from beginning to end, for so far machinery has not invaded this peculiarly 

 tropical craft, the prototype very possibly of the weaver's art. 



Madras Mats. As already indicated, the finer artistic and coloured mats are mainly 



derived from Madras ; the plain white mats, or mats with coloured borders 

 only, come from Calcutta. In Western India grass-mats are never made, 

 though several of the plants required appear to be fairly plentiful. The 

 mats of Bombay are made from the leaves of Phoenix robusta, 

 Hook, /. 



Statistics of the trade in grass-mats cannot unfortunately be given. 

 It is known that large quantities are regularly exported, and within 

 recent years the trade has greatly expanded. But the grass-mats are 

 returned conjointly with all other Mats and Matting Materials (see 

 p. 776). 



D.E.P., 

 v., 168-9; 

 vi., pt. i., 

 427. 

 Dairy 

 Farming, 

 stock. 

 Produce. 



DAIRY FARMING AND DAIRY PRODUCE. In its 



modern comprehensive signification Dairy Farming embraces not only 

 milk but many other substances, the production of which can be economi- 

 cally combined with the supervision of milch-cows. These may be classi- 

 fied as follows : Live Stock such as oxen, buffaloes, sheep, goats, pigs, 

 poultry and bees. Produce meat, milk, dahi, butter, ghi, cheese, fowls, 

 ducks, eggs, honey, bees' -wax, hides, skins, wool, horns, hair, feathers, 

 bristles and farmyard manure. Requirements capital and stock, 

 technical knowledge, suitable buildings, grass lands, a supply of cattle 

 food and fodder, appliances and machinery, and easy, quick and cheap 

 transport to large markets. 



So far as known, no one in India has as yet attempted Dairy Farming 

 in anything approaching the degree of thoroughness necessary to ensure 

 complete success. While that is so, the larger towns have recently begun to 

 receive some portion of their supplies from establishments usually desig- 

 nated Dairy Farms, and for same years past the necessity for a large and 

 pure supply of milk and butter for the British troops resident in India has 

 induced the military authorities to organise special dairy farms of their 

 own. In Thacker's Directory (1905, 28-30) mention is made of the 



468 





