KUMARI CULTIVATION. 143 



■western coast, but not to its former extent ; in Mysore, and in 

 Belgam and Dharwar, it has been almost put an end to; in Canara, 

 also, much, lias been done during the last ten years to check it, 

 but it is still largely practised ; in Malabar, where the forests are 

 private property, there has yet been no interference with it on 

 the part of Government." 



" 14. Dr Cleghorn gives his opinion", as requested by Govern- 

 ment, respecting the several pleas urged in defence of Kumari. It 

 is pleaded that Kumari is necessary to the subsistence of certain 

 tribes ; Dr Cleghorn was asked whether permanent clearing and 

 cultivation would not be better for them. He replies decidedly 

 in the affirmative (par. 7) ; and he describes (par. 13) the de- 

 graded condition of the Kumari cutters, who are kept abjectly 

 poor by the coast saukars and others, who enjoy the greater part 

 of the fruits of their labour. Again, it is urged in defence of 

 Kumari that it diminishes malaria and fever. But here also Dr 

 Cleghorn's opinion is adverse. He declares in very decided terms 

 (par. 10), that while permanent clearings are of unmixed good, 

 the dense thorny scrub which succeeds Kumari cultivation is 

 decidedly more injurious to health than lofty forest open below. 

 In other words, that instead of promoting the healthiness of a 

 locality, Kumari has the opposite effect. 



" 15. In the order of Government of June 1st, 1859 (No. 737, 

 par. 3), the idea is thrown out that Kumari must be profitable, 

 in order to attract so many persons. It appears from Dr Cleg- 

 horn's letter that this is really the case. In par. 13 he gives the 

 details of the cost and returns of one and a half acre of Kumari, 

 as ascertained from the cultivators themselves by Mr Muller, 

 assist, conservator ; and there could not be a better source of 

 information on the subject. From this it appears that the value 

 of the crop is Bs. 28, or Es. 18 an acre. The deductions for 

 clearing and cultivating would indeed reduce this to about Bs. 6 

 an acre, if really paid out ; but in point of fact the cultivator 

 and his family do all the work, so that the only actual expense 

 is the assessment, which in N. Canara is B. 1 an acre, and in S. 

 Canara E. J" 



" 19. With regard to Sarkar Kumari, it seems to be a great evil 

 even as respects the interests of the cultivators themselves. It 



