November i, 1887.] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
321 
SOME ACCOUNT OF THE ORANGE AND 
LEMON TRADE OF INDIA, 
WITH NOTICES OF TUB PRINCIPAL VARIETIES GROWN, 
CENTRES OF CULTIVATION AND MARKETS, 
By Brigade Surgeon E. Bonavia, M.D., Civil Sun/eon, 
Etaxoah. 
{From Journal of the Agricultural anil Jlorli "/ 1 "ml Sa- 
tiety of India.) 
Uiider this heading will bo, of course, included, not 
only the trade in oranges and lemons, but also in limes, 
citrous and punimelows. 
It would appear that on the North-Fastern border 
of India, there are two or three points at which 
oranges are grown to some extent for exportation 
to other places. Nagpore and its surrounding country 
is another centre of considerable trade iu orange*. 
Delhi is auother. Besides the foregoing, there does 
not appear to be any other centres of orange culti- 
vation, except for local consumption, and for export 
to the immediate surroundings of the place where 
they may be grown. Of courso, each station has its 
few orchards of oranges, but these are a mere nothing 
and their produce is either locally consumed, or 
finds its way to railway stations in tho vicinity ; so 
that in the orange season, a small trado is carried 
on at almost all largo railway stations. 
Mr. G. Stevenson, Deputy Commissioner of Sylhet, 
has very courteously furnished me with the following 
statistics of the trade in the .Sylhet orange, called in 
Bengal, ' Kamala lemboo,' it is said, from the name 
of ouo of the rivers in the vioiuity of which this 
orauge is largely grown.* 
BOAT TRAFFIC. 
Quantity in Maunds. Value in Ra. 
1880- 81 1,20,398 2,40,7fl6 
1881- 82 1,40,592 not known 
1882- 83 1,02,631 1,28,288 
1883- 84 1,14,969 2,27,062 
1884- 85 ... .„ 1,20,884 2,47,352 
This averaged about 1,21,095 maunds of oranges 
per annum worth from 1.1 to 1 £ lacs of Rupees, in 
favorable years. 1,14,969 maunds of Sylhet oranges 
are said to be equal to about 8,05,360 oranges. f 
These statistics only deal with exports to Bengal, 
and mostly to Calcutta. No account is kept of 
orauges consumed locally, and in the immediate 
surroundings of the orange groves. 
Mr. J. I). Anderson, officiating Deputy Qommier 
siouor of Sibsngur, Upper Assam, further slates that 
this orange is slSC called "bunt/urn " and that 
the traffic is carried on first by " Barki " boats, of 
the lull streams, and then by the larger country boato 
of tin- •' I! ibm is, " who take the oranges to Dhaka 
and QoMimdo. From tho latter they are probably- 
railed to Ctlcuttn. 
Mr. O. Biownlow, writing in the Journal of the 
Agri-Horticultural Society of India (part IV, new 
series, Vol. 1, 1869, p. 372) on tho orange groves 
of Shalla, says that iu 1S01I, the trade of tins dis- 
trict was iu limestone, oranges, potatoes, Indiarub. 
ber, and other minor articles. Tho orauges came 
from Shalla. The orange mart was at Chattuck, ou 
the south bank of the Soorma river, and directly 
opposite to the mouth of the Shalla river (a tribu- 
tary of the Soorniai. The custom was to count the 
oranges in (ours, ami 750 fours made a '■ sou " of 
3,000. The price* uvrc much per "sou." Hain 
is injurious to the fruit when in hulk. It then soon 
moulds midgut's hoi. This keeping propoerty is im- 
portant a.s far as thr Calcutta trade is concerned; »o 
that the finest uringes, with delicate thin skin, arc 
mostly kept for local consumption, as they don't, bear 
transport well. Keen of the thicker-skinned ones, 
which are sent to Cilcutts, a certain percentage 
rots, as tin s are sent in heaps iu hints. No mode 
•Or, as tho Secretary, A. H. S. 1. suggests from 
Kunulh, tin capital of Tipporah. 
f This is the number given, but it "ppenrs too small. 
Nom— Tivkim; 8,06,31 V> to represent the "Sons ' re- 
ferred to by Mr. lirownhm, the liguns would be 
-Yll.bt.'.fOd or about 1.T0 orau^ts to th-. tuaunU 
of packing was used to prevent tho oranges from 
spoiling on the way. 
The oranges at tho "Phalli" Bazar were of in- 
ferior quality (as far as keeping properties were 
concerned), being thin and small, but of exquisite 
sweetness and flavour. They were, therefore, all 
sold locally and quickly. At the ghat, thoir price 
was Rs. G per " sou " (3,0011), being less than 
the Shalla oranges, at the groves, and yet, iu the 
case of the " Phalli " oranges, R6 included the labor 
of cultivation, as well as carriage, at the rate of ten 
men to a "sou." A Khasia reckoned his labor worth 
8 annas per diem, and as only half his day must I e 
reckoned, the remaining half being occupied with 
victuals, it would appear the oranges might be ;pl5 
at the " Pooujee," at the rate of about 15 ior a 
pice. Mostock is immediately above Shalla, at about 
1,000 feet elevation. Mr. Browulow got very good 
oranges there, at eight for a pice. From some of 
these poonjees, as well as from the Mhowmloo vallt y. 
oranges are carried to Oherrapoonjee, where, when 
iu season, they sell at five to eight for a pice, and 
are of a delicious thin-skinned variety. At Cherry, 
they may be had a month or more after they are 
out of season. These late orauges, which are much 
relished by some, sell sometimes at a pice each. 
From 1809 to date, I have no other inform >' ion 
about the trade in the so-called Sylhet oranges except 
that kindly sent by Mr. G. Stevenson from Sylhet. 
The latter gentleman has also kindly given me the 
names of the varieties of oranges cultivated in the 
Khasia Hills; they are the following: — 
Bengali names. Khasia names. 
Is Kamala ... ... Uso Santra 
2. Naringhi ... ... TJ. Sim 
3. Moglai ... ... U. Mongar 
4. Satkara ... ... U. Kuhit 
5. Kaki ... ... U. Yanpriang 
0. Khatajamir ... TJ. Komphor 
Of these, Naringhi, Kaki, and Khatajamir are sour 
and smaller than the sweet oranges, though of the 
same family. Sitkara is like a citron, and is not eaten 
ripe, but is cooked green, and used as a kind of sour 
"Ohutni." Kamala and Moglai differ little. The rin 1 
of the latter is somewhat thicker, and its color lighter 
than that of the commou orange, the Kamala. 
Mr. Anderson of Sibs.igur, Upper Assam, mentions 
also the following varieties which grow in Assam: — 
1. Rabab Teuga. 
2. Jora Tonga. 
3. Sakla Teuga (bitter lime). 
t. B ir Teuga (big lime, not a pummelow ), and 
5. Naga Teuga, growu iu tho Naga Hills, 1,500 fiet 
high. 
" Buxa Dwar " is auother place where fine oranges 
are grown. 1 have seeu specimens of the Bu.xa oranges, 
kindly sent to me by tho Surgeon iu charge of that 
Station, at the request of Colonel Rutherlord, Com- 
manding the 33rtl Regiment, N. I. The Buxa orauges 
aro of the Suntara race, aud as good as, though uot 
better, than those of Sylhet. I have no statistics, if 
there be auy, of the trade in Bhootan orauges. 
Y\"e come now to the borders of Nepal, north of Goruck- 
poro. Beyoud the Baptce, ami within tho Nepil 
borders there is a place called Bootwal. In this dis- 
trict a small orange of tho Suutara typo grows. It 
is the sweetest, although the smallest of the Suutara 
raoe, excepting th« "Kumquat." Ono of the speci- 
mens sent from Buxa was uot unlike in size the 
Bootwal orange. 
Major Buller, District Superintendent of Police in 
Ootids, has beeu good enough to send me the follow- 
ing information regarding this interesting little oiauge — 
"A lleid Constable of mine, says that he had 
' Kohar ' once, who had visited Bootwal. This is the 
nunc of a large town beyond the K.iptcc. It (jives 
i's aame also to a ' Kergh. ' The orange is called 
'Suntolah,' and is not kuown in Nepal under he 
name oT Bootwal orange. The orange trci s ;<■ \\ 
wild, not in tho valtey but ou the lulls. II" ■ r. 
tin- hills arc all pai celled out between different p - 
and although fruit trees are not in any w.ij . 
vatod, the produce cannot he plucked feud s,,ld by 
auy one, except tho owner of that pirticulw plot. 
