96 TECHNIQUE 



in the southern Maratha country. In the black soils 

 of the Dharwar Taluka, with an average rainfall of 

 34 inches, the value of manure for unirrigated crops 

 is fully appreciated by the cultivators, and all good 

 cultivators apply it to their fields in such quantities 

 as they can secure. In the Gadag Taluka of the same 

 district, also, where the average rainfall is 24 inches, 

 and the soil, though deep, tends to be of lighter texture, 

 manure is in great demand. Take the case of the 

 Athni Taluka of the Belgaum district, however, with 

 deep, heavy soils and an average rainfall of 23 inches, 

 and the case is quite different. Here farm-yard 

 manure is not used except for irrigated crops, the area 

 of which is insignificant. The cow-dung which is not 

 used for burning is simply thrown outside the village 

 and wasted. Speaking generally, none of the culti- 

 vators attempt to manure their fields ; and the reason 

 that they assign for this is as follows : the tract is one 

 of small and precarious rainfall, and they say that in 

 bad years manure "burns the crop". There is, no 

 doubt, much in this argument. In a year of short or 

 badly distributed rainfall fields which have had a heavy 

 dressing of manure will often do worse than fields 

 which have had none. There is hardly any question 

 that, with light dressings of farm-yard manure, well- 

 tilled soils would in such tracts give better average 

 outturns than unmanured lands. In these tracts, 

 however, very little of the land is well tilled, and 

 much of it is infested with deep-rooted grasses. In 

 such circumstances the effect of manure is lessened. 



