322 



RICE. 



of starch, tlie distillation of spirits, &c. Its varieties are as nume- 

 rous as its uses. There are in Bengal three distinct crops : the first, 

 grown on somewhat high ground, is the early crop, sown for the 

 most part in June, and reaped in August and September. The second 

 is the main crop, sown in June and July, and cut from November to 

 January. It requires a great deal of moisture, some varieties grow- 

 ing in several feet of water. The third is a dwarf crop, cultivated 

 in the months of March, April, and May, on low-lying land, gene- 

 rally on the sides of marshes and pools, where irrigation is easy. 

 The ratio of productiveness is said to be, in a good season, as 1 to 35. 



The following figures show the rice exported from India, distin- 

 guishing husked and unhusked, chiefly to England, Ceylon, and 

 Mauritius. Value of that exported about 5,000,000/. a year. 





Year. 



1 Husked. 



Paddy. 





1871 

 1872 

 1873 

 1874 

 1875 



cwts. 

 15,792,022 

 16,990,890 

 22,973,797 

 19,805,184 

 16,940,642 



cwts. 

 295,791 

 320,395 

 320,159 

 440,201 

 452,296 



The expansion of the export rice trade of Burmah is remarkable. 

 The value of the exports is between two and a-half and three mil- 

 lions sterling, or more than one pound per head of the population. 

 Now, rice mills are being built year by year at Akyab, Bassein, and 

 Rangoon. 



Eice constitutes the main staple of British Burmah, which pro- 

 vince exported during 1875 nearly 61 per cent, of the total exports 

 from India. These Indian exports and the value were in : 





Year. j Eice and Paddy. j Value. 





1869 

 1870 

 1871 

 1872 

 1873 

 1874 

 1875 



cwts 



15,377,071 

 10,614,644 

 16,087,813 

 17,311,285 

 23,293,956 

 20,245,383 

 17,392,938 



£ 



4,283,965 

 3,087,615 

 4,203,850 

 4,499,161 

 5,761,030 

 5,549,797 

 4,765,334 



The narrow strip of coast between the sea and the Aeng range, 

 which we call Arracan, covers an area of about 16,250 square miles. 

 It is generally fertile. The deep lagoons which intersect it in every 

 direction afford ready means of communication, and it has a fine and 

 convenient outlet for its produce in the magnificent harbour of 

 Akyab. The production has been developed by the small indepen- 

 dent owners of land, until the province now competes successfully 

 with Bengal in the supply of rice to the continent, so that the ex- 

 ports, which in 1830 gave employment to but a few coasting vessels, 

 now require one million tons of shipping. 



