1849.] 



Circar of Wanmgul. 



exceedingly backward; not only when compared with Indian 

 agriculture generally, but with that of the neighbouring country 

 under His Highness the Nizam's dominions. 



The rice crops are divided into two. 1. — The Ahee or rain crop 

 sown at the commencement of the rains, and reaped at their close 

 at the beginning of the cold weather. These crops are either 

 watered from wells, or advantage is taken of the early rains that 

 fall on the low grounds. 2. — The tahee^ sown in the cold weather 

 and reaped in the hot — abnost universally a tank crop. 



The dry grain crops are the poonass or rain crop answering to 

 the Ichureef of Hindoostan and the 7'uhhee. The grains, pulses, 

 and seeds of the ponass are yellow, red, and black joivaree which 

 ripen in four months. Indian corn — all the millets and the 

 Paspalum scrohiculatum, green moongh, hubherloo^ anamooloo, 

 umherrah and some gourds, sown among the jowaree, also the 

 sunn. The ruhhee includes white jowaree, wheat, gram, black 

 moong, toor, cooltee, castor oil ; such seeds as ripen with the ruh~ 

 hee crops, although sown in the rains, are reckoned ruhhee. 



The cultivators usually content themselves with three plough- 

 ings of the rice grounds under a tank — they at iSrst plough the 

 ground twice, and, after the compartments of the field have been 

 prepared by women labourers, the water is let in. "When the 

 weeds are sufficiently rotted they plough again — then harrow — 

 and the soil is finally prepared for the reception of the seed by 

 being rendered smooth, and all earthy lumps that it may contain 

 being mingled with the mass. The day after sowing, the water 

 is let off— but on the fourth day after, a little water is again 

 let in— and from the sixth day, they continue watering every 

 second day. The manure used is the droppings of sheep and 

 goats : more care is bestowed when the water is procured from 

 moats — for they then plough five times and use any kind of 

 dung they can procure from the village, and often transplant. 

 Sprouted seed is sown in Vizianugger and Bellecondah Pergunnas 

 and generally in the southern division of the Circar for the rain 

 crop. One rice crop is the rule — two the exception. At Mere- 

 condah and in some parts of the Yelgoor pergunna, where the lands 

 are leased for several years at a quit rent, there is some encourage- 

 ment to cultivate carefully, and make the most of their allotment — 

 and here we find double cropping. When rice is attacked with in- 



