Tlie Indian Wlieat Trade. 
65 
is about half wliat the grower just taken as an example produces, 
it is estimated by one of the best agricultural authorities in India 
that the average produce of the dry lands " does not exceed 
8 bushels per acre. According to the unnamed authority who 
refers to the extreme prices cm-rent for wheat last January, wheat 
was selling in the North-Western Provinces in January 18S6 — 
not to mention the scarcity prices of last January — at 16 seers 
to the rupee, which is equal to over 15 rupees per quarter. 
The Cawnpore price for February 22. given by Mr. Klopp, was 
equivalent to 1 1 rupees per quarter; while the Calcuttaprice of the 
same date was equal to 16h rupees. Now, although we cannot teU 
what is the average cost of producing wheat, we may take it for 
gi-anted that current prices are remunerative. It is to be borne in 
mind, however, that IGi rupees per quarter in Calcutta (2/-.^. 12a. 
permaund) current on February 22, was, according to Mr. Klopp, 
equivalent to o-is. in England, and that the value in England on 
that date was only 32s. 6d. Thus the price in Calcutta was about 
a rupee per quarter too high for shippers to buy without loss. 
Why there should be a difference of over rupees per quarter 
between the price at Cawnpore and that at Calcutta, seeing that 
the rail rate is less than 3^ rupees, I am not able to state. There 
may be some expense for loading and unloading, as well as the 
dealer's profit ; or. possibly, the diiference was exceptional on the 
particular day. There seems little reason to doubt, however, that 
11 rupees per quarter at a local market is satisfactory to the 
gi-ower, and when that is the price at Cawnpore or Delhi, the 
rail rate being under 3J rupees, it would probably be possible 
to sell at 15 rupees at Calcutta, and that, with exchange at 
Is. od. or less, I believe, would allow of the same wheat being 
sold in London at 32s. or 32s. 6d. with profit. 
Writing on the cost of producing wheat in India in his 
" Statement of the Trade of British India for 1878-79 to 
1882-83," Mr. J. E. 0"Conor said :— 
"In the North- Western Provinces the best estimate that can be made 
places the cost of cultivation at not less than 15 to 16 rupees an acre (the 
cultivator's own labour being charged for) on land which is neither manured 
nor artificially irrigated. If canal irrigation and manure are applied (and 
manure ynnst be applied where such irrigation is given), the cost is increased 
by at least 6 to 8 rupees per acre. This estimate of 15 to IG rupees an acre 
for unmanured and unimgated land, and about 22 to 24 rupees an acre for 
manured and irrigated laud, may be taken to apply generally to the North- 
western Provinces and Oudh, the Punjab, and some parts "of the Central 
Provinces — in fact, to the largest and most important sections of the wheat- 
producing tracts of India. In ths Central Provinces, where irrigation is 
unknown, the black-cotton soil not requiring it, the cost of production may 
apparently be taken at not exceeding Ic rupees an acre." 
From this statement it appears that, if the ryot charges his 
own labour, he grows wheat at a loss, as he certainly does not 
VOL. XXIV. — s. s. F 
