AGRICULTURE AND IRRIGATION

FIBRES

Cotton: The fibre crops are grown on a very small area in the district. The important among them are cotton and jute. Tables Nos. 13 and 14 give taluka-wise area and out-turn of fibres in the district during 1961-62, 1965-66 and 1971-72. Of these, cotton occupies the largest area. The following statement gives total acreage under this crop in the district since 1844-45:—

TABLE No. 12—AREA UNDER CONDIMENTS AND SPICES IN AHMADNAGAR DISTRICT IN 1961-62, 1965-66 AND 1971-72

(In acres)

*Figures for 1971-72 are in hectares.

TABLE No. 13—AREA UNDER FIBRES IN AHMADNAGAR DISTRICT IN 1961-62, 1965-66 AND 1971-72

(In acres)

*Figures for 1971-72 are In hectares.

TABLE No. 14—TOTAL OUT-TURN OF FIBRES IN AHMADNAGAR DISTRICT FROM 1961-62 TO 1965-66 AND 1971-72

(In tons)

TABLE No. 14—contd.

(In tons)*

*Figures for 1971-72 for district total of cotton, are in bales.

The statement on page No. 337 shows that the area under cotton in the district has considerably decreased since 1910-11. In 1968-69 the crop was grown over an area of 62,100 acres of which 41,000 acres accounted for the non-irrigated area and the remaining irrigated wherein Laxmi variety of cotton was grown.

Prior to 1822 Ahmadnagar was not a cotton-producing district. In 1822 the Collector Captain Pottinger observed that out of 25,000 bighas under cultivation not five were sown with cotton. Small quantity of cotton was brought from Berar. There was no trade in cotton in the district. It was sold 3½ shers the rupee or at Rs. 70 a khandi of 500 pounds. In 1830 an enterprising Hindu merchant of Ahmadnagar, named Basvantsing, offered to grow and supply Government with clean cotton, provided he received an advance of money free of interest. The Collector was then authorised to advance Rs. 50,000 to Basvantsing on substantial security. Basvantsing succeeded in growing cotton. Other cultivators followed the example of Basvantsing. In 1836, as an encouragement to cotton cultivation in the Deccan, the then Government declared all lands on which cotton should be grown free from the land tax for five years or till the 30th of April 1842. But this concession was cancelled on the 20th of January 1838 as the Court of Directors did not approve of the same. This put a stop to cotton growing in the district. Cotton did not prosper; the cultivators thought grain a much more paying crop. The demand for cotton which followed the American War in 1862 greatly increased both trade and cultivation of cotton. The cultivation of cotton in the district again received set-back since 1910-11. Since then its cultivation did not show any remarkable increase in regard to the acreage under it. It might be that cultivators got better substitute for it in sugarcane, area under which is fast increasing in the district.

The present system of tillage consists of one ploughing and three harrowings in March and May. Before sowing, about 5 cart-loads of farm-yard manure to dry crop and about 10 to 15 cart-loads for an irrigated crop are applied. Sowing of dry cotton is done in June by the seed drill at a distance of 18". The irrigated crop is dibbled at a distance of about 3'X3'. The seed-rate per acre is 3 to 4 kilograms for dry crop and 2½ to 3 kilograms for irrigated crop. About 30 kilograms of nitrate and 20 kilograms of P₂O₅ are given in two doses. Full dose of P₂O₅ and half dose of nitrate are given at the time of dibbling and the remaining half dose of nitrate is applied one month after sowing. For dry crop three hoeings and one hand-weeding is given and for irrigated crop three hoeings and three hand-weedings are done. The picking season starts from September onwards.

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