GOSSYPIUM 



PRODUCTION AND YIKI.D CULTIVATION 



C. Prov. 



and 3,069,024 acres in Berar. The comparative importance of 

 the various districts may bo gathered from the returns for the year named : 



KAL PROVINCES Wardha, 404,405 acres ; Nagpur, 404,411 ; Nimar, 



-7 ; Clihindwara, 113,780; BERAR Amraoti, 715,127; Akola, 743,268; 

 Wun, 478,211 ; Buldana, 421,768 ; Basim, 362,059 ; and Ellichpur, 



.'1. The yield for the same year was 472,000 bales, or 1,692,857 cwt., 

 in the Central Provinces ; 755,000 bales, or 2,696,428 cwt., in Berar. The 



.ited area and yield for the year following were 1,586,000 acres and 

 :;i7.oOO bales in the Central Provinces ; 3,197,900 acres and 483,000 bales 

 in Hi'iar; giving totals of 4,783,900 acres and 830,000 bales. The final fore* Awnd 

 cast for 1906-7 shows the total area for both the Central Provinces and Berar l'2o lcn ta 

 at 4,852,087 acres, or an increase of 45 per cent, on the decennial average. 

 The yield for the same year is estimated at 880,984 bales, an increase of 

 about 8 per cent, on the previous year. 



Traffic. Since 1903-4 the figures of railborne traffic have been internal Trad*, 

 returned for the Central Provinces and Berar conjointly, consequently 

 1903-4 is the last year in which they can be discussed separately. The 

 Berar railborne traffic in 1903-4 shows a large export and insignificant 

 import. The net exports in 1903-4 came to 2,049,881 cwt., by far the 

 major portion going to the town of Bombay, the balance to Bengal Pro- 

 vince (practically none to Calcutta), Bombay Presidency and the 

 Central Provinces. A fairly large amount is usually shown exported in 

 excess of local production, indicating possibly a considerable traffic by road 

 that escapes registration. In the Central Provinces the net export 

 amounted in 1903-4 to only 846,957 cwt., as compared with 2,049,881 cwt. 

 in Berar. The difference is due chiefly to the large quantity the Central 

 Provinces import, viz. 143,822 cwt. in 1903-4, far the largest part of which 

 conies from Berar, Rajputana and Central India. Almost the whole of 

 the exports go to the town of Bombay, an insignificant surplus going 

 to the Presidency of Bombay and to Bengal. In 1905-6 the net exports 

 from the Central Provinces and Berar together amounted to 4,229,617 cwt. 



Agricultural Operations. Rotation. In Berar, tur (Cftjnn us itidictix), Associated Crop*, 

 in the proportion of one-tenth, is generally associated with the cotton 

 jrop, but in the villages to the south and above the Ghats, bajra 

 (fennisetum typhoideum) and til (Sesatniun imlicnin) sometimes 

 replace it. Rotation is regarded as absolutely necessary. On light soils, 

 cotton is usually rotated with juar only (Sory/mni rti/yare), but on the 

 rich black soils of the plains, cotton, juar and a rabi crop are rotated alter- 

 nately. A plurality of crops is generally grown in the third year, separate 

 parts of the field being devoted to wheat, gram, Unseed, or lakh (Lat/ii/rns 

 and these in their turn are also rotated. Preparatory ploughing 

 is not carried out every year, as it is considered to impoverish the soil, 

 unless manure be subsequently applied. The advantages of manure are Manor*, 

 thoroughly understood by the cultivators, but there is great difficulty in 

 Berar in obtaining a supply. Poudrette is considered best, and cowdung 

 comes next in order. Green soiling is sometimes, but very rarely, resorted 

 to. Ploughing generally takes place in December or January, as soon as 

 the crop of the year is removed. The fields are always cross-ploughed. Ploughing. 

 Harrowing succeeds ploughing, and in the case of unploughed fields is the 

 only preparatory operation. 



Seed. Sowing commences with the first fall of rain, in the early 

 part of June. The seed of the previous year's crop is always used, and 



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