48 



millions of acres, of which 12*64 millions were unirrigated and 

 1 million was irrigated by wells constructed by the ryots at 

 their own expense and 3 '44 millions of acres of lands irrigated 

 by Government sources. The increase in the area of cultiva- 

 tion is thus — (1) 25 per cent, in unirrigated lands, (2) 41 pei: 

 cent, in lands irrigated by Government sources of irrigation, 

 and (3) 138 per cent, in lands irrigated by private wells. 

 Nearly the whole of the increase under the second head amount- 

 ing to upwards of a million of acres is due to the extension of 

 cultivation in tracts commanded by the great anient systems — 

 Godavari, Kistna, Cauvery, Penner, Palar and Tdmbraparni — 

 which secure an almost unfailing supply of water, and every 

 acre of irrigated lands in these tracts produces, on an average, 

 not less than four times as much as they would do if they were 

 unirrigated. Moreover the increase of production due to the 

 great irrigation systems cannot be measured merely by the 

 increase in the acreage of cultivation, as the increase of produce, 

 consequent on an assured supply to lands which before the 

 anicuts were constructed were dependent on a precarious supply 

 of water, and on additional supply of water for a second crop to 

 lands cultivated formerly with a single crop, amounting in all 

 to about 1^ millions of acres, must be taken into account. 

 Similarly, the million acres irrigated by private wells produce 

 as much at least as 4 millions of acres of unirrigated lands. 

 Making allowance for these considerations and taking into 

 account the increase in the cultivated area under such articles 

 as cotton, indigo, ground-nut, coli'ee, sugarcane, tea and cin- 

 chona, it seems to me that the percentage of increase in produc- 

 tion cannot be less than 3 or 4 times the increase in population. 

 There are no means of making an exact calculation; all that 

 can be stated is that the increased production is very consider- 

 able. The area under cotton, which in 1852 was a little less 

 than a million of acres, has increased to more than If millions 

 of acres. The area under indigo has increased from about 

 200,000 acres to more than 500,000 acres or by 150 per cent. ; 

 ground-nut which in former years was cultivated to a small 

 extent to meet local demands has now become a very remunera- 

 tive commercial crop. It is chiefly cultivated in the South 

 Arcot district where the acreage under it has risen from about 

 6,700 acres in 1852 to 190,000 acres in 1889-90. The area 

 under sugarcane has risen from 38,400 to 70,000 acres. 

 Though the acreage under this crop may appear small, the 

 crop itself is very valuable, the value of the outturn per acre 

 being more than 20 times the outturn on dry lands. The area 

 under coffee and tea is 55,000 and 5,000 acres respectively. 

 These crops are of course extremely valuable. 



