TRITICUM 



. ., ! 



DMrioMi 



NVKSTKKN INDIA 



Hi in {.represents about one-eleventh of the total net cropped MM of 

 Presidency, or about 7-2 per cent. (Bombay), and 1-9 per A) of 



tli. total wheat area in India. The area* in 1004-0, at< 

 Agricultural Statistics, were 1,749,182 acres in Bombay, 491.413 acred 

 in Sin, I. The Final Memorai th.- same year, issued by the 



Department of Land Records and Agriculture, estimate* the are* in the 

 British districts of Bombay at 1,611,197 acres, and in Bind at 479,629 

 u Ini.- in the Native States the area is stated to have been 530,444 

 HCIVS, giving a total (im-Iinling Native States) of 2,626,270 acres. The 

 total yield is estimated at 469,134 tons. The Final Memorandum for 

 1906-7 states the area and yield to have been in 1905-6, 1,975,353 acres 

 And 471,357 tons ; and in 1906-7, 2,219,763 acres and 504,827 tons. The 

 largest areas, expressed in acres, in the British districts of Bombay in 

 1904-5, were Khandesh, 393,815 ; Nasik, 271,091 ; Ahmadnagar, 243,630 ; 

 Dharwar, 243,262; Bijapur, 144,328; and Ahmadabad, 100,708. li. 

 Sind, Thar and Parkar, 122,165 ; Sukkur, 118,421 ; and Larkhana. 1 1 1 

 In the Native States, Kathiawar, with an acreage of 241,932, is the 

 Inmost area. 



Lisboa (Bomb. Grass., 1896, 130-1) makes some interesting remarks 

 regarding the wheat area in Bombay. He states that the wheats grown 

 are not largely in demand in England, and further that there is 1 

 prospect of the area being materially increased. He argues, accordir, 

 that the growth of wheat is not so greatly intlucn he prices 



ruling in Europe as some suppose. Being a late -sown crop (October) 

 its area rather depends on the amount of suitable land available after i>piditaa 

 cotton and the early cereals have been provided for. Moreover, as there Cc " M - 

 tire not extensive areas of land now uncultivated that are fit for wheat, he 

 holds that the extension of railways in the Presidency and the brisk export 

 demand will not have such an effect in encouraging the growth as .- 

 writers allege. Nevertheless, since 1896 the wheat area of the British 

 districts of Bombay has, if anything, steadily improved. 



The methods of cultivation pursued in the Presidency have been 

 fully discussed by Mollison (Textbook Ind. Agri., 1901, iii., 25-8). " It is 

 extensively grown as a dry crop on deep, black, moisture holding soil. 

 The finest dry crop lands of the Presidency are along the Tapti in 

 Khandesh, in the plains of Eopergaon and along the Goda\vry in Ah- 

 mednagar." As an irrigated crop it does best on lighter soil. " Medium 

 black soil, so common in the Deccan, is very suitable." The dry crop 

 is either grown alone or with subordinate rows of safflower. In Panch 

 Mahals, wheat and gram are grown together. Irrigated wheat is usually 

 unmixed. The dry crop " is grown continuously in some parts of Ahmed- 

 nagar, Ahmedabad and Nasik. In the cotton districts of Khandesh, 

 Dharwar, Broach, etc., it is rotated with cotton and judr. In the deep 

 black soil which borders the Tapti in Khamlosh, it is rotated with linseed 

 And gram. In the Panch Mahals on land brought under tillage during 

 recent years it follows a kharif crop of maize, the land being double cropped 

 Annually." 



In the case of dry-crop wheat, preparatory tillage begins usually before 

 the rains, and the soil is worked into a friable condition so that it may 

 readily absorb the monsoon rain which falls in June, July and August. 

 It is not often manured, but if manure be given, it should be applied 

 in August or September and mixed with the soil by u light ploughing. 



1097 



Dry Oop. 



BlM* 



