SUBATHU AND KOTGERH. 473 



and the early part of February, standing water freezes to considerable 

 thickness. The rainy season generally speaking is heavy and terminates 

 sometimes about the middle or end of September, and at others not till the 

 10th or 20th of October. The surrounding country is much cultivated and 

 agriculture carried on to a considerable extent and this is rapidly on the 

 increase wherever the inhabitants from the adjacent states, who are often 

 obliged to fly from the oppression and tyranny of their petty rulers, can 

 obtain arable lands sufficient for the maintenance of themselves and fami- 

 lies. 



Declivities of ranges and mountains, unobstructed by rocks, which are 

 cultivated, are cut and laid out with a considerable deal of labour into 

 ledges or sloping fields of all dimensions, shapes and sizes, resembling the 

 steps of a ladder placed in a slanting position, supported mostly by em- 

 bankments of earth, and sometimes of stone. All flats or pieces of table 

 land are cultivated, and those on the banks of rivers, and streams are 

 chiefly planted with rice for the sake of water for irrigation. The rice crops 

 are luxuriant and yield an abundant and profitable return to the farmer. 

 The best rice is uncommonly cheap and reckoned superior to any of a si- 

 milar kind produced in the plains near this quarter. 



The productions about Subathu are various ; — such as Indian corn, cot- 

 ton, 8 opium in a small quantity, rice of several kinds, wheat, jow (barley,) 

 koda or marwa, b various pulse, the several species of bathu, c ugal, d a small 

 quantity, sounk," kachalu or pinalu/ and gagti or gandhiali, kangni, 8 

 chenna, h bajra, 1 ginger, a great article of export trade, superior to that in the 



a Somewhat different to that which is cultivated in the plains. 



1> Paspalum Scrobiculatum. o Amarantlnis Anardhana, these grains do not attain that perfec- 

 tion low down which they arrive at in the interior, d Panicum Emarginatum. e A small grain not 

 unsimilar to the chenna, (Panicum Miliaceutn.) ' Both esculent roots, the former being the Arum 



colocasia and the latter being or something resembling the Arum campanulatuni or Dioscorea fas- 

 ciculata or Dioscorca of Roxburgh. g Panicum italicum. h Panicum Miliaccum. 1 JIolcus 



Spioatus, this grain is only produced in the lower parts of the state of lliudur. 



H h h 



