OF KAMAON. 185 



'dinger, Turmeric, Cheraita, and some other plants and roots used in 

 native medicine are grown chiefly with a view to exportation. Ginger yields 

 7 fold, about 40 maunds to the bigha, and turmeric 8 fold, or 45 maunds i 

 the prices on the spot are respectively 2 and 1. 12. rupees per maund. 



The Gunya, or sweet potatoe, is grown on a very extensive scale in the 

 Bhdwar, the net produce is commonly 40 maunds per bigha, and the value 

 one rupee per maund. Tobacco is raised for private consumption, in small 

 quantities. 



The Kharif crop is the most extensive and important as affording the 

 staple articles of food (Rice and Mandua) to the population. The Rehhi crop, 

 owing to the confined means of irrigation, is very uncertain : in the event of a 

 sufficiency of rain not falling during the cold weather, the ears of the wheat 

 do not fill, and occasionally the grain is rotted from the opposite cause. Since 

 1815, two years of failure have occurred, one from drought, the other from 

 too much rain. 



Having completed the detail of agricultural products, the other branches 

 of rural economy may now be noticed. 



The cattle in this province, as already stated, are small, and are almost 

 universally black or red. The herds are driven each morning to the ridges of 

 the mountains for pasture : at night they are kept in the ground story of the 

 house, or if numerous, a temporary shed is erected for them near the village. 

 Chaff is never prepared for them, but after the wheat harvest has been 

 cut, they are turned into the fields to eat down the straw, which is left stand- 

 ing ; merely the ears being cut off and carried away 5 the dry hay of the 

 grain, urd, &c. is also given to them in an unchopped state. Coarse grass and 

 branches of trees are also cut for feeding the bullocks employed in ploughing. 



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