H. E. ANNETT. 369 



It can be seen from this table how rapid was the growth of this 

 native refining industry. In course of time it practically monopo- 

 lised the sugar trade and throve till about 1890 when it began to 

 suffer from the competition of imported sugar. This decline has 

 continued, but in 1900-01 there were in Jessore district 117 factories 

 with an outturn valued at Us. 15,15,000. These small factories are 

 scattered over the district along the banks of the various rivers, but 

 the great centre of manufacture and trade is the town of Kotechand- 

 pur on the Kabadak river. In spite of this decline Jessore is still 

 the chief date-sugar-producing district in Bengal, the outturn per 

 annum being estimated at 1,221,000 cwts. out of a total of 1,559,679 

 cwts. for the whole province. 1 



THE NATIVE DATE-SUGARS. 



The native date-sugars on the market with their approximate 

 prices 2 are : 



Price per md. 

 Rs. As. Rs. As. 

 Dobarrah .. .. .. .. .. .. 11 to 11 8 



Akbarrah 10 , 10 8 



Jodurhatty Dollo . . . . . . . . ..88 



Goburdanga Dollo . . . . . . . . ..80 



Gnour . . . . . . . . . . ..68 



Akrah 6 



9 8 



9 



7 



6 4 



The way in which Akrah, Gnour and Dollo sugars are prepared 

 has been described at page 359. 



The prices are difficult to understand. Jodurhatty Dollo 

 is quoted at a 50 per cent, higher price than Akrah, whereas both 

 are prepared by an exactly similar process. For information as to 

 the manufacture of Jodurhatty Dollo we are indebted to the Office of 

 the Director of Agriculture, Bengal. We are informed, however, that 

 smaller quantities of gur are refined at Jodurhatty and Goburdanga 

 than at Kotechandpur, and a better quality of sugar is thus obtained 

 at the former place.s. The appearance of the sugars presents some 



1 N. N. Banerjee. The date sugar palm. Quarterly Journal, Bengal Agricultural 

 Department, January 1908, pp. 161-62. 



2 Capital, 27th April 1911. 



