Ixvi 



and children, but he pays the rent out of his share on the division of 

 the crop which takes place when that is rij)e. If a farmer employs a 

 pungal to cultivate his lands, the produce is divided into two equal por- 

 tions, one-half going to the share of the farmer as nilavaram. Of the 

 remaining half, i.e., yearivaram, in proportion to the number of ploughs 

 owned by the farmer and pungal, the shares are divided at the rate of 

 a share for each plough. For example, if the farmer owns three 

 ploughs and the pungal one plough, half the produce above referred 

 to (yearivaram) will be divided into 4 portions, 3 going to the share of 

 the farmer and the remaining one to the latter. Every pungal should 

 contribute a plough or two or else he will not be considered as such, but 

 will be treated as a mere padlyal. The pungal should pay from his 

 share of the produce to the farmer the money which he received for his 

 subsistence. The farmers are better off with pungaJs than with padi- 

 yals ; the greater portion of the responsibility is shoved on the pungals, 

 who have equal, if not better, interest in the cultivation of the land. 

 The farmer has therefore less anxiety and greater profit when he 

 employs a pungal than when he employs a jiadii/aL 



Pd/ghaf, Malabar District. — The greater part of the labour on the 

 field is performed by churmars. Persons of other castes are also en- 

 gaged for the labour when necessity arises on payment of higher wages. 

 The churmars, who were once slaves, are now ordinary coolies. The 

 tenants and landlords have now no absolute control over them, nor do 

 they maintain the churmars when their services are not required. The 

 churmars are at perfect liberty to proceed wherever they choose and 

 obtain subsistence. They receive 2 parahs of paddy and two pieces of 

 cloth a year so long as they remain in the service of their masters. 

 They also obtain some pecuniary and other assistance when a marriage, 

 death or other contingency occurs in their families. The daily wages 

 of a churmar, both male and female, are 2 edangallies of paddy and 

 one edangally for a boy or girl . The daily wages of labourers other 

 than churmars are 4 edangallies for males, 3 for females, and 1| for 

 boys and girls. 



Tdniracheri, Malahar Didrid. — The daily wages paid in grain to 

 agricultural labourers in 1891 were much the same as those paid in 1800. 

 The rates generally given are — 



CUB. IN. 



To able-bodied men, ] \ dangallis of paddy or G 



nallis heaped ... ... ... ... .. 148§ 



To able-bodied women, \\ dangallis of paddy 



or 6 nallis streaked ... ... ... ... 108^ 



To old persons and children, of paddy, 3 nallis 

 heaped... ... ... ... ... ... 74J 



They get a present of 3 parahs of paddy during the harvest and 

 3 or 4 pieces of cloth. In times of scarcity, which generally happens 

 in the months of July and August, their masters give them yams, 

 jacks, plantains, &c. This year when there was a general failure of 

 jacks, yams, &c., the starving populace were driven to the necessity of 

 extracting aliment from fan-palm and datC'palm and subsisting upon 

 the cakes formed out of the juice obtained. The rates above given 

 are higher than the rates given for the labourers who receive advances 



