HKNCM. \M) CKNTH.M, PROVINCES 



CPOI 



;:;;; 



LINUM 

 USITATISSIMUM 

 Linseed 

 li. u \ orago price for 1904 was 33*. as compared with 39*. in 1903. There was an 



in-iii. l\ IMI-L'K <T"p in Argentina, and tho 1'nr >m imported even more 



in that roimtry than from British Imlin. The United Kingdom took 55*5 Hhanw of 

 r I'fiit . of the quantity shipped from Calcutta, and Germany 33-7 percent. Ex- Export*. 

 rt to the United States, which did not exist in the previous year, totalled 

 ,047 cwt." " In the United Provinces the outturn of pure linseed during the 

 was 20*3 per cent, better than the season before, and in Bengal the improve- 

 was 5-7 per cent., or 41-4 per cent, above the ten years' average. [Of. 

 , Affri. Lohardaga, 1890, pt. ii., 35 ; Banerjei, Agri. Cuttack, 1893, 89.] 



2. CENTRAL PROVINCES AND BBRAR. Judged of by the area devoted to the C. Prov. 

 n>p, these provinces are undoubtedly the second most important centres of produc- and Borar. 



ni. inn! an- usually just under the Bengal area. In 1905-6 the Central Provinces 

 -'.068 acres devoted to linseed and Berar had 96,703, or close on a mi I linn 

 acres betwoon them. A slight increase of these areas would have to bo made 

 t rover tho mixed cultivations of linseed and wheat or linseed and gram, etc., 

 which expressed as pure linseed usually represents a cultivation of say 30,000 

 acres. The districts enumerated in sequence of linseed acreage were in the (ji,i c f 

 Ct-ntral Provinces : Raipur, 181,699; Bilaspur, 109,993; Nagpur, 66,980; District*. 

 Uitnlha, 61,212; Bhandara, 68,950; Chanda, 82,533; Jabbalpur, 43.913; 

 M.vlacrhat, 28,358 ; Saugor, 23,970 ; and Damoh, 22,082. In Berar : Wun, 

 4fi.l2<); Buldana, 19,563; Akola, 15,097; and Amraoti, 11,317. The balance 

 in both instances on the total areas given is made up by districts with smaller 



,ges than those shown. 



Sir J. B. Fuller, in a Report on the Outturn of Crops (1894, 20-2), furnishes Outturn. 

 y useful particulars regarding linseed. "Thirty years ago," he says, "the 

 duction of linseed was relatively very small. It is now one of the principal 

 agricultural resources of the Provinces, and crop statistics indicate that the 

 a is still extending. But there is reason to believe that the land rapidly 

 mes linseed-sick, when it requires a long period of rotation." " By far the 

 st important producing tracts are the Nagpur and Chattisgarh plains. In 

 former it is almost entirely a single crop. In the latter it is of most im- 

 rtance as an after crop, though its growth as a single crop is by no means 

 ignificant." " The crop would be exceedingly profitable were it not very 

 precarious. In a good year it gives a larger return than wheat with a far smaller Precarious. 

 outlay on seed and cultivation. But the plants are very sensitive to damp when 

 in flower, and a few days' cloudy weather at this time will prevent the seed from 

 setting and bring a promising crop to a disappointing harvest. Rust also causes 

 iat damage." The late Dr. Barclay (Agri. Ledg., 1895, No. 20, 267-70, 

 1-2) devoted much attention to the study of that fungal parasite. While 

 y no means confined to the Central Provinces and Berar, it has been specially 

 died in connection with these provinces, and a reference to the available in- 

 mation may therefore be given in this place. 



The methods of cultivation and all other details are precisely similar in the 

 ntral Provinces to those already described under Bengal and Bombay, and 

 not therefore be here repeated. Subsequent years to those discussed by 

 James Fuller have manifested an even greater expansion, though severe 

 ict i nit ions and heavy losses through failure of crops were also recorded. 

 About 5 per cent, of the total cropped area in the Central Provinces is ordi- Relative Area. 

 rily under linseed. It cannot be grown more frequently than once in five or 

 years but it has this advantage, that when wheat and gram give bad returns, wheat 

 in such seasons, is usually successful, and thus may save the cultivator's vertus 

 ition. When cotton or juar fail, the land may be suddenly thrown under Linseed. 



and a good crop obtained. When grown as a sole crop, linseed is ordi- 

 ,rily sown earlier than wheat, and this is sometimes in its favour. But a large 

 part of the linseed produced is sown as a second crop following rice, and is thus 

 much later. An early cessation of the monsoon would thus injuriously affect 

 the late crop. 



Trade In Central Provinces. The bulk of the production in these provinces 

 is conveyed by train to Bombay, but a fair amount is imported from Rajputana TO Bombay. 

 and Central India. 



3. UNITED PROVINCES. The two provinces of Agra and Oudh viewed together Agra and. 

 undoubtedly take the third position in the Indian production of linseed. During Oudh, 

 1905-6 the area in the former came to 185,034 acres and in the latter to 60,880 



acres, or a total of 245,914 acres. And to indicate the distribution the follow- 

 ing figureg of the district areas, may be recorded, In Aqru Frwinw ;-~* 



727 



Rust. 



