( 64 ) 



EDIBLE BOOTS. 



The cultivation of the potato is spreading in the district. It is grown 

 round Cawnpore (but not largely till the cultivation was encouraged by Mr. 

 Buck, by his settling a colony of Kdchhis from Farukhabad, where the triple- 

 cropping maize, followed by potatoes and then by tobacco is practised) and 

 a good deal in the rich Kurmi villages of parganas Sheorajpur and Bilhaur 

 where manure is most plentiful, or can be brought from adjacent encampin^ 

 grounds. The cultivation is on the European method ; the ground is heavily 

 manured, ridges (khdwd) are made with the spade (phdora) after as many 

 ploughings as possible, the eyes being dibbled in about six inches apart. The 

 plants are watered two or three times a month till ripe, accordino- to the 

 weather. 



Two hundred maunds per acre is not an extraordinary outturn, but the 

 expense of cultivation is enormous. 



The shakarkand, ratdlu, and zimikand are garden crops grown by Kdchhis 

 in ground fairly well manured. The tubers are dibbled in and watered the 

 crop is again watered three times at least, and dug up in February. There 

 are two kinds of shakarkand : (1) red, long, thin, and not stringy and sweet- 

 (*2) white, short, and more stringy. It is often exchanged for an equal 

 weight of grain (kliont bardbar lend), but sells at Re. 1 per maund. Beino- duo- 

 early it can be followed by a crop of chena or some vegetable. The stalks are 

 given to cattle as fodder. The cultivator can make, if he pays for Jabour Rs. 15 

 an acre profit, unless the rent taken is very high. 



Ghuydns are sown in February, and require constant watering, once every 

 week at least, and also eight weedings: as in addition, 16 maunds seed per acre 

 is sown. It is not a very paying crop, the average outturn being 50 maunds per 

 acre ; it is not extensively grown in this district. When it is dug half a seer of 

 the root is given to the labourer instead of chabena. It is a poor tasteless 

 vegetable, and a very poor substitute for potatoes. 



