NICOTIANA TABACUM AND N. RUSTICA. 



Distributioa. 



Seasons. 



Arabia, for the species most commonly grown (iV. Tahacum) is identical with that from 

 which the tobacco known as " Latakia " is derived ; whilst another species of it, sepa- 

 rately figured {N. rushca), is almost exactly similar to that which yields the tobacco of 

 such widely distant localities as Turkey and the Philippine Islands (Manilla). The 

 flowers of CalcuUia tobacco are much shorter in the tube than those of the desi varieties, 

 and of a pale yellow instead of a pinkish colour, and its leaves are rounded instead of 

 pointed, stalked instead of sessile, and are further distinguished by a somewhat crumpled 

 appearance. Numerous varieties are now cultivated in these Provinces, some of which 

 are so well marked as to afford foundation for the belief that they owe their origin 

 more to importation of seed from the outside than to mere development in the hands of 

 Indian cultivators. 



The dryness of the soil and climate of these Provinces renders them unsuitable 

 for the production of good tobacco, and the area under tobacco would be much smaller 

 than it is were it not for the common occurrence of wells, the water of which is impreg- 

 nated with nitrates (known as khdri), and which is therefore especially suited for the 

 production of the coarse pungent weed appreciated by the natives of the country. 

 Possibly too on account of its comparatively late introduction none of the higher castes 

 of cultivators will grow it, and its cultivation is almost entirely restricted to the market 

 gardener caste, known as the kachi, murao, or sani. Tobacco cultivation may, therefore, 

 be held to follow the distribution of kachis and of khari wells, and it is in consequence 

 restricted within what would otherwise be considered very capricious limits. The total 

 area under tobacco in the N.-W. Provinces and Oudh may be put at 90,500 acres, 

 nearly two-thirds of which are concentrated in the Province of Oudh. In the 30 tem- 

 porarily settled N.-W. Provinces Districts the area under tobacco amounts to only O'l 

 per cent, on the total cropped area, and to 0'2 per cent, on that portion of it under rabi 

 crops. In certain parts of the Provinces it reaches, however, a much higher figure as is 

 shown below : — 





Mecrut 

 Division. 



Eohilkhand 

 Division, 



Agra 

 Division. 



Allahabad 

 Division, 



excluding 

 Jaunpur 

 District. 



Benares Divi- 

 sion, including 

 Azamgarh, 

 Basti and 

 Gorakhpur 

 Districts only. 



Jhansi 

 Division. 



Kumaun 

 Division, 

 including 



Tarai 

 District 

 only. 



Percentage of area 

 under tobacco 

 to total rabi 

 cropped area, ... 



•50 



•16 



•41 



•19 



•04 



•04 



•04 



The months for sowing and cutting tobacco vary considerably in difierent parts 

 of the Provinces, but the seasons may be conveniently grouped into two. In one case 

 the seed is sown in July and August, the seedlings planted out in October, and cut in 

 February, while in the other case the seed is sown in November, seedlings planted out 

 in February, and cut in April-May. Tobacco grown in the former season is known as 

 sdwani, and that grown in the latter season as asdrhi. Occasionally after cutting a 

 sawani crop in February the roots are allowed to yield a ratoon crop in the following 



