380 DATE SUGAR INDUSTRY IN BENGAL. 



Since the garden will go on bearing for fully 25 years this 

 amount is not very serious as in the long run it would add less than 

 Rs. 6 per annum to the expenditure. Further, during these 6 years 

 a certain amount of income can be obtained by growing crops on 

 the land. The author has already stated reasons why he thinks 

 the estimate of income is low and even allowing for the sum of Rs. 6 

 per annum he still thinks it is not too high. 



At the same time it is obvious that a man who wishes to set 

 out a date garden must have a fair amount of available capital. 



Here it might be mentioned that trees are usually let for sugar 

 manufacture at 8 16 to the rupee and the people themselves reckon 

 on a profit of anything from 4 to 12 annas per tree. 



The profit of Rs. 69-4-0 per acre does not represent the whole of 

 the profit obtained from the garden for under the date trees a cold 

 weather or dhan crop can be raised. If arhar is grown the stalks 

 are extremely useful as fuel and this will tend to reduce the high figure 

 allowed for fuel in the above estimate. The wood of the date trees 

 is used as beams and posts in houses and as ladders in tanks and ghats. 

 It is also used in constructing temporary bridges over streams and 

 drains. The leaves cut off before tapping are used as fuel and last 

 one month for this purpose. At Kaliganj bags are made from the 

 leaves for exporting sugar. 



