S 3 
MYSORE, CANARA, AND MALABAR, 
restoration. The villages are rebuilding, the canals are clearing ; CHAPTER 
and in place of antelopes and forest guards, we have the peaceful 
bullock returning to his useful labour. May 20, &c. 
Having assembled some of the most sensible Gaudas of the Ashta State of 
gram Talucs , in the presence of the Sheristadars and Shanabogas , or A S nculturc - 
lower officers of revenue, who were recommended to me as the 
men best acquainted with country concerns, I examined them, 
both at my tents and on the field, concerning their practices in 
agriculture ; and the following is the result of my inquiries. 
The grounds are of three kinds ; wet land , or that watered arti- Three kinds 
ficially, and producing what are called wet crops, or grains ; dry of § round * 
field , or that which receives no artificial supply of water, and which 
produces dry crops, or grains ; and gardens, or Bagait. 
The soil of the ashta gram is considered as of four different kinds, Soils, 
the fertility of which is great according to the order in which they 
are enumerated. First, a very black soil containing a large pro- 
portion of clay, and called Eray, Crishna , or Mucutu. Secondly, a 
very red soil, containing also a large proportion of clay, and called 
Cabbay or Kempn bumi. These two sometimes contain a few small 
pebbles, or loose rounded stones, without injuring the quality of 
the land. Thirdly, Marulu is a light brown coloured soil, with a 
large proportion of sand. This also may contain loose nodules of 
stone without injury to its quality. Fourthly, Daray, which con- 
sists of much sand, and angular nodules of stone so compacted that 
the plough penetrates it with difficulty : to avoid circumlocution, 
I shall frequently use these native terms. 
The articles which the ashta gram farmers cultivate in wet grounds Watered 
are, rice, sugar-cane, Udu, Hessaru, Wall ’ Ella, and Tadaguny . Of crops ‘ 
these, rice is the one of by far the greatest importance. 
The farmers of the ashta gram have annually two crops 011 their Two crops, 
wet grounds ; one crop grows daring the rainy season, and is called 
ffainu, and also the male crop, being supposed to be the stronger ; 
the other crop is called Caru, and female, and grows in the dry 
