Tenures in the North- West Provinces. 99 



sometimes able to sow without previous irrigation. 

 Why bangar lands should not be able to keep their 

 moisture, even in years when bhdt lands from exces- 

 sive rains are regularly saturated, is a matter hardly 

 within the province of this chapter. It must suffice 

 that the fact is indisputable. There appears to be no 

 doubt that bangar is the richer, stronger soil of the 

 two, yielding, perhaps, on an average, 15 per cent, 

 more produce than the bhdt. The rates are pretty 

 much the same in both soils. In the district of 

 Gorakhpur, bangar soil is of three kinds safed, or 

 white ; lal, or red ; and karaili, or black bangar. 

 These three qualities seem equally productive, the 

 first-named kind being predominant in Gorakhpur. 



5. Settlements. In the North- West Provinces the 

 settlement is permanent or terminable after a period 

 of thirty years. The Gorakhpur District is at pre- 

 sent under settlement, which will probably be finally 

 concluded within the next four years. Contrary to 

 form erusage, the merits and capabilities of the soil 

 will be the standard of assessment, and this would 

 seem a sounder and more practical plan than that of 

 assessing according to the prevailing average rates of 

 rent paid by the greater number of tenants in each 

 zemindarL 



6. Liabilities of tenants. All classes of tenants 

 are liable to be sued for arrears of rent, which rent 



