1848.] 



The Neilgherry Mountains. 



soii good and forest abundant, many fine wooded vallies extending 

 through it, and offering a most eligible locality for a farm. The 

 tract contains about 7,000 acres. 



other dry grains pro- ^^^^^ g^'^^" productions of the Neilgher- 



lies are ragghee, samee, korallie, tenney, but- 

 tacudaley (a kind of peas), shanungee (a kind of gram), garlic, oni- 

 ons, kudagoo (mustard seed), vendium, opium and potatoes. Al- 

 most all the grains enumerated are raised solely for home consump- 

 tion — and, excepting korallie, for which about 1,200 vellums of land 

 are cultivated yearly, the quantity of each which is produced is in- 

 eignificant. 



I may therefore refer for further particulars regarding them to the 

 accompanying " Statement" in w^hich is set forth the total quantities 

 of land cultivated and of grains produced, the ratio of return of crop 

 to the seed sown, the selling prices of each and the rates of assess- 

 ment. The information upon which the table has been formed is 

 derived from the revenue accounts for 1847, and although the aver- 

 age of produce and return is rather a high than a low one, it may, I 

 think, generally speaking, be pronounced as correct as it is possible to 

 make a return of its description, in a district where the site of culti- 

 vation is so' perpetually shifting as is the case on the Neilgherry Hills. 

 From the data given in the statement it will be apparent that, where 

 the cost of labour is so low as it is here, considerable profits must be 

 Tealized by the cultivators. 



In the items of potatoes, v/heat, poppy and barley we find that 

 after deducting the assessment and the cost of seed there remains 

 respectively as profit, and for repayment of the 



Profit per acre to tlie c ^l• i' < 



growers on expense 01 cultivation : ' 



Potatoes, 



Wheat. On one acre of Potato land. . . ,Rs. 54 3 3 



Poppy, 



Parley. „ ,, Wheat , 



5» Poppy 

 „ Barley 



16 0 0 

 8 10 0 

 5 13 7 



Tliese are estimated upon the prices obtainable on the Hills for 



produce, but if potatoes and wheat were exported a much larger 



profit would be realized. Hence another promising opening to emi- 



grants in the form of an establishment for breed- 

 Salting porlc, Sec. . i ^ d ^• 



mg and salting pork lor ship use ; as, since 

 potatoes and barley can be produced at so low a rate, and a herd of 



TOL. XV. KO. XXXIV. ^ 



