COEEESPONDENCE EEGAEDING KUMAEI 

 CULTIVATION* 



Extract Letter to Government. 



1th December 1858. 

 In E. M. C, 28th Feb. 1857, No. 217, E. D., I was directed to 

 write a full report upon this wasteful system. I have paid much 

 attention to the subject, and after consultation with Eevenue 

 officers, coffee planters, &c, I annex the opinions of Mr T. L. 

 Blane, collector of Canara; Mr G. S. Forbes, sub-collector of 

 Canara ; Mr Thomas Cannan, coffee planter, and Mr T. Beaumont 

 of Beypur, which serve to illustrate the general views of the col- 

 lectors of revenue, coffee-planters, and the energetic agent of 

 the Beypur Iron-Works. 



It is not possible, nor is it desirable, to suppress the kumari 

 cultivation altogether, as the growth of the various millets is 

 necessary to the aliment of certain classes of people ; but I think 

 it most important that it should be greatly limited, as suggested 

 by Mr Blane, and not permitted on the banks of navigable rivers, 

 on the sea-shore, close to trunk roads, or in any locality where 

 superior timber exists. The revenue arising from the tax of E. 1 

 per acre is trivial compared with the value of the wood lost to the 

 state, and it is well known, that in the unfrequented valleys of 

 the ghats much kumari takes place without the knowledge of 

 the Eevenue officers, European or native. 



In every case, I think an application for a specified amount 

 of kumari land should be made ; and when kumari takes place 

 without sanction, the cultivator should be severely fined. In 



* This rude system of culture, described at p. 131, prevails under various 

 names in different eastern countries. Kumari in Mysore and Canara, 

 1'onnam in Malabar, Punakad in Salem, Chena in Ceylon. Much informa- 

 tion relating to it will be found in Buchanan's " Journey through Mysore," 

 &c, passim, and in Tennant's " Ceylon," vol. ii. p. 473. 



