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AGRICULTURE & IRRIGATION
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FIBERS
Cotton and ambadi are the only fibre crops grown in this
district. The total area under them is given in the following
table: —
TABLE No. 16
ARea under Fibres in BHir District
*[In Hectares]
|
Tahsil |
Year |
Cotton |
Sann-Hemp (Bombay
Hemp) |
Ambdi (Deccan
Hemp) |
|
(1) |
(2) |
(3) |
(4) |
(5) |
|
Bhir |
1956-57 |
4,881.060
(12,052) |
70.820 (175) |
312.417 (772) |
|
1957-58 |
4,376.835
(10,807) |
127.476 (315) |
253.738 (627) |
|
1958-59 |
4,589.460
(11,332) |
117.359 (290) |
250.905 (620) |
|
1959-60 |
5,367.060
(13,252) |
127.476 (331) |
377.976 (934) |
|
1960-61 |
5,959.170
(14,714) |
108.456 (268) |
154.995 (383) |
|
1961-62 |
7,921.800
(19,560) |
-- |
331.842 (820) |
|
Georai |
1936-57 |
22,511.520
(55,584) |
109.265 (270) |
607.434 (1,501) |
|
1957-58 |
22,383.135
(55,267) |
91.054 (225) |
708.200 (1,750) |
|
1958-59 |
26,437.840
(63,328) |
-- |
99.148
(245) |
|
1959-60 |
24,068.340
(59,428) |
-- |
282.875 (699) |
|
1960-61 |
11,065.815
(27,323) |
-- |
236.336 (584) |
|
1961-62.. |
26,457.840
(65,328) |
-- |
377.976 (934) |
|
Ashti |
1936-37 |
2,037.960
(3,032) |
41.683 (103) |
230.671 (570) |
|
1957-58 |
990.225
(2,445) |
17.806 (44) |
210.437 (520) |
|
1958-59 |
467.775
(1,115) |
38.041 (94) |
222.982 (551) |
|
1959-60 |
1,048.545
(2,389) |
10.522 (26) |
173.634 (434) |
|
1960-61 |
1,067.580
(2,636) |
2.429 (6) |
109.265 (270) |
|
1961-62 |
1,631.745
(4,029) |
11.331 (28) |
49.372
(122) |
|
Patoda |
1956-57 |
3,020.576
(7,464) |
13.355 (33) |
649.925 (1,606) |
|
1957-58 |
3,128.627
(7,731) |
11.736 (29) |
647.093 (1,599) |
|
1958-59 |
3,127.413
(7,728) |
12.545 (31) |
641.022 (1,584) |
|
1939-60 |
967.199
(2,390) |
16.187 (40) |
679.872 (1,680) |
|
1960-61 |
874.122
(2,160) |
36.422 (90) |
643.451 (1,590) |
|
1961-62 |
1,048.137
(2,590) |
14.164 (35) |
538.232 (1,330) |
|
Ambejogai |
1956-57 |
8,858.981
(21,891) |
524.473 (1,296) |
1,450.394 (3,584) |
|
1957-58 |
10,831.016 (26,764). |
582.343 (1,439) |
1,241.577 (3,068) |
|
1958-59 |
6,735.594
(16,644) |
519.617 (1,284) |
1,416.806 (3,501) |
|
1959-60 |
6,924.987
(17,112) |
492.503 (1,217) |
1,314.015 (3,247) |
|
1960-61 |
7,347.074
(18,155) |
525.687 (1,299) |
1,35.484 (3,347) |
|
1961-62 |
8,017.639
(19,812) |
526.092 (1,300) |
1,618.744 (4,000) |
|
Kaij |
1956-57 |
10,586.181
(26,159) |
339.127 (838) |
730.053 (1,804) |
|
1957-58 |
9,654.189
(23,856) |
315.655 (780) |
643.451 (1,590) |
|
1958-59 |
9,570.824
(23,650) |
328.605 (812) |
657.210 (1,024) |
|
1959-60 |
8,586.627
(21,218) |
339.936
(840) |
643.451 (1,590) |
|
1960-61 |
9,621.005
(23,774) |
378.786 (936) |
723.983 (1,789) |
|
1961-62 |
11,547.715
(28,535) |
365.026 (902) |
738.552 (1,825) |
|
Manjlegaon |
1956-57 |
21,561.670
(53,280) |
167.945 (415) |
660.852 (1,633) |
|
1957-58 |
18,573.064
(45,895) |
171.991 (425) |
662.875 (1,638) |
|
1958-59 |
21,664.865
(53,535) |
248.477 (614) |
893.142 (2,207) |
|
1959-60 |
21,910.105
(54,141) |
267.497 (661) |
937.657 (2,317) |
|
1960-61 |
22,552.746
(55,729) |
6.880 (17) |
1,354.079 (3,346) |
|
1961-62 |
21,009.273
(51,915) |
191.821 (474) |
1,090.224 (2,694) |
*Figures in brackets indicate area in acres.
Cotton
Cotton occupies a large area in the district and is mainly grown
in Georai and Manjlegaon tahsils. It is locally known as kapasi.
It grows best in black alluvial soil, and needs rainfall ranging
between 50.8 and 76.2 mm. (20 and 30 inches). Medium and lighter
type of soils that are well drained also give satisfactory yields.
It is grown all over the district mainly as a dry crop. Generally,
it is sown at the end of June and is ready for picking after five
or six months. The crop is grown in ridges 0.457 to 0.914 m. [1½
to 3 feet) apart. The distance between the plants in the row
varies from 0.15 to 0.23 m. (six to nine inches).
The crop is sown with a drill by the middle or end of June. In
about 6 weeks the seeds begin to sprout, and four weeks later, the
crop is weeded by hand. When the rains are heavy a second weeding
is done in about 2 weeks, and 3 weeks afterwards the operation is
repeated for the third time. The crop flowers in about 4 months
after sowing and in another month and a half it is ready for the
first picking, i.e., in November. Second picking takes place two
weeks later.
Hemp
Ambadi belongs to the cotton family. It is a kharif crop and is
not exacting in its requirements. It is, therefore, adaptable to a
wide range of climates and soils. It grows best in the alluvial
and medium-deep soils.
Ambadi is grown as a mixed crop along with jowar, bajri or pulses.
It is sown in June-July and ripens in August-September. The crop
is harvested when the stalks are dry. The plants which ripen in
October and November are uprooted, dried in sun for a few days and
tied into separate bundles. The leaves and capsules are easily
separated by beating the bundles. The seed is removed from the
capsule by beating and is cleaned by winnowing. As its leaves
provide excellent manure, the ripe crop is left standing in the
field for about a month.
The land is ploughed annually during February and April and is then levelled with the
vakhar. The crop does not grow on poor soils.
When the crop is raised for fibre the plants are pulled out in
September or October but when required for seed, they are allowed
to ripen for a fortnight longer. When the plants are uprooted,
they are tied in bundles and placed standing in a pool of water
where they are allowed to rot. The threshing operation, in which
the fibre has to be stripped by hand, is very tedious The fibre is
made into ropes and stalks are used for thatching.
Bombay Hemp (sann) is a kharif crop grown in clayey loams, black
and lateritic soils. It is mainly produced for green manuring. Its
green tops are often used as fodder. The crop is sown thick when
it is grown for green manuring. It is sown in June-July. The crop
after two or three months is levelled and ploughed so as to mix it
with the soil. The sann is also grown for the production of fibre.
The stalks are either cut or uprooted. When the leaves are
stripped off, the stalks are tied in bundles and placed in water
for retting. After about a week they are taken out and the bark is
then peeled off and beaten on a stone or wood and lastly washed in
water.
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