AREA UNDKi: TUB CROP 



" The yield in different tracts, from different soils, and from diff- 

 met hods of cultivation varies very greatly. In good noil an average trans- 

 plant c. 1 1 -rop yields probably about 2,400 Ib. of paddy per acre in a fa 

 able season. Broadcast and drilled rice yield much leas " (Imp. 

 ///., 1905. iii., 26-9). 



In i. , ,.Mt agricultural statistics it is shown that the net area cropped 

 in British India amounted, in 1905-6, to 207,683,741 acre*. Of this, 

 73,400,522 acres were found to be under ri<-. In the Native State* in 

 the same year the net area cropped amounted to 12,015,009 acres, and the 

 area under rice to 717,767 acres. Thus, out of a total area of 219,698,750 

 acres under crops, rice occupied 74,118,289 acres, or over one-third. Hut 

 so large a percentage averaged for the whole of India is misleading. Rice 

 is almost concentrated into Bengal. In fact, with the exception of Madras 

 and Munna it is in the other provinces of India unimportant relatively. In 

 the Agricultural Statistics (published by the Government of India) two sets 

 of figures are given, viz. (a) the surveyed areas from which we obtain the 

 total rice area of 73,400,522 acres ; (6) estimates of area and yield framed 

 by the local authorities (township officers, etc.). In the case of Burma, 

 the local estimates are usually considerably below the surveyed areas (in 

 fact, they do not deal with the whole of the province), but these estimates 

 are instructive. The following are the figures (estimated) of the four chief 

 rice areas for 1905-6 : Bengal, 25,150,600 acres ; Eastern Bengal and 

 Assam, 15,960,200 acres ; Madras, 6,604,400 acres ; Burma, 6,713,400 

 acres ; giving a total of 54,428,600 acres and a yield of 433,138,300 cwt., 

 and in 1906-7 a total of 54,521,600 acres and 430,258,000 cwt. In the 

 case of Burma the surveyed area was 9,283,801 acres. The Final General 

 Memorandum, issued by the Commercial Intelligence Department, esti- 

 mates the total area in the four chief centres of production as having been in 

 1905-6, 54,428,600 acres, and the yield as 375,198,300 cwt. of cleaned rice ; 

 and in 1906-7, 54,535,400 acres and 368,334,000 cwt. 



Bengal (excluding Eastern Bengal and Assam}. Ana. The normal 

 area cultivated with rice in the province of Bengal (according to the 

 Season and Crop Report for 1905-6) has been estimated at 26,308,800 acres, 

 and as the total area in Bengal under cultivation in that year amounted to 

 45,287,000 acres, it is thus seen that rice comprised over 58 per cent, of 

 the actual cropped area of the province. The Final General Memorandum 

 for 1906-7 stated the estimated area in Bengal as 24,506,200 acres, and the 

 yield as 195,461,600 cwt. of cleaned rice. This represented 34-8 per cent, 

 of the rice area of British India. The Season and Crop Report for 1906-7 

 gives the normal area as 25,919,600 acres, which would consist of 21,301,700 

 acres of winter rice and 4,617,900 acres of autumn rice. The forecast of 

 the winter rice alone for 1905-6 shows a total of 20,043,400 acres, which 

 represented 28'5 per cent, of the total area under this particular crop in 

 British India. The corresponding estimate for 1906-7 was 19,845,300 

 acres of winter rice. The chief districts in 1905-6 were : Midnapur, 

 1,365,300 acres ; Ranchi, 1,240,900 acres ; Gaya, 1,151,600 acres ; 8ha- 

 habad, 1,132,000 acres ; Darbhanga, 961,400 acres ; Cuttack, 952,200 

 acres ; Hazaribagh, 950,400 acres ; Manbhum, 929,100 acres ; and 

 Bardwan, 807,700 acres. 



Eastern Bengal and Assam. Ana. The Commercial Intelligence 

 Department, Government of India, gives the extent of rice cultivation 

 in 1906-7 (summer, autumn and winter crops together) as having been 



827 



ORYZA 



SATIVA 



ation 



Bengal 



Area* in 



India. 



Rio* 

 Unimportant. 



Minuted T,U: 

 ATM* and 



Bengal. 



Winter and 



Autumn Rice. 



Chief 

 District* 



Eastern 

 Bengal 



a:ul 



