PRICES IN MAINPURI 223 



year earlier for the rain crops than for the spring 

 crops (as in the year 1860-61, for instance), for this 

 reason. 



I confess I do not feel the same confidence as did 

 these officers in the comparability of the two price-lists 

 upon which they based their conclusion ; at least, it is 

 certain that the later history of prices in Mainpuri 

 does not bear out the view they took of the relations 

 of buyer and sellers. I am indebted to an old pupil* 

 for two schedules, showing the harvest and bazaar 

 prices in Mainpuri from 1873- 1902, extracted from 

 the account-books of the local dealer. I have placed 

 these prices by the side of those supplied by Messrs. 

 McConaghey and Smeaton for the earlier period, but 

 their full meaning is perhaps best brought out by the 

 chart on p. 224. 



From this chart it is, I think, abundantly clear that, 



during the period between 1840-57. We have, therefore, been 

 obHged to substitute Muttra rates during that interval.' As a matter 

 of fact, they have only given the rates for wheat during the important 

 period from 1840-57. I have, however, come upon a complete 

 schedule of Agra prices (in the Settlement Report, Agra District, 

 1880, prepared by Mr. H. F. Evans), which I have placed beside the 

 Mainpuri rates for barley, juar, and bajra. For wheat I have retained 

 the figures upon which Messrs. McConaghey and Smeaton based 

 their conclusions, but I am bound to remark that the difference in 

 the origin of their two price-lists takes away much of the value of 

 the comparison between them. Before the days of railways extra- 

 ordinary differences occurred between the prices in marts situated 

 close to each other ; witness the abnormally high prices recorded 

 by Mr. Evans for Agra in the year 1849, a year which over the rest 

 of the province was marked by exceptionally low prices. There is 

 no doubt a fairly close resemblance between Agra and Mainpuri 

 prices, due to the fact that similar climatic conditions usually prevail 

 over the two districts, but the slight divergence which the figures 

 indicate is sufficient to my mind to invalidate reasoning drawn to 

 such a fine conclusion as the difference between 58 and 42 per cent. 

 I have marked in heavy type the Agra prices in Mr. Evans's list 

 which differ markedly and irreconcilably from the Mainpuri harvest 

 prices. 



* Syed Zainuddin Saheb, M.A., Deputy Collector. 



