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AGRICULTURE AND IRRIGATION
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PULSES
The following table shows the area under various kinds of pulses
in the district in 1955-56:-
TABLE No. 17.
AREA UNDER PULSES (TALUKA-WISE) IN RATNAGIRI DISTRICT, 1955-56.
(In acres). |
|
Gram. |
Green Gram or Mug. |
Tur. |
Black Gram or Udid. |
Horse Gram |
Val. |
Chavli. |
Other Pulses. |
Total Pulses. | |
Dapoli |
3 |
2 |
45 |
1,336 |
123 |
712 |
8 |
-- |
2,229 | |
Mandangad | -- |
19 |
24 |
122 |
4 |
406 |
2 |
-- |
577 | |
Khed |
11 |
27 |
388 |
220 |
20 |
1,159 |
-- |
-- |
1,825 | |
Chiplun |
8 |
17 |
205 |
249 |
72 |
1,073 |
8 |
-- |
1,632 | |
Guhagar |
12 |
6 |
11 |
161 |
262 |
352 |
8 |
-- |
812 | |
Sangameshwar |
-- |
2 |
66 |
119 |
136 |
956 |
2 |
-- |
1,281 | |
Ratnagiri | -- |
36 |
23 |
189 |
419 |
320 |
176 |
-- |
1,163 | |
Lanje | -- |
11 |
8 |
74 |
499 |
51 |
8 |
-- |
651 | |
Rajapur | -- |
23 |
170 |
310 |
1,691 |
177 |
131 |
-- |
2,502 | |
Deogad | -- |
32 |
61 |
-- |
-- |
47 |
46 |
-- |
186 | |
Kankavli | -- |
4 |
28 |
403 |
3,813 |
73 |
1 |
1 |
4,323 | |
Halvan | -- |
124 |
191 |
1,348 |
4,159 |
60 |
64 |
-- |
5,946 | |
Vengurla | -- |
9 |
26 |
1,976 |
2,627 |
-- |
-- |
-- |
4,638 | |
Kudal | -- |
46 |
78 |
1,743 |
5,452 |
50 |
92 |
-- |
7,461 | |
Sawantwadi | -- |
67 |
130 |
1,660 |
4,626 |
-- |
50 |
-- |
6,533 | |
District Total |
34 |
425 |
1,454 |
9,910 |
23,903 |
5,436 |
596 |
1 |
41,759 |
Pulses occupy five per cent. of the tilled area, of which more than 50 per cent. is under horse gram or kulith. Other pulses are tur (pigeon pea), udid (black gram) and chavli (small fruited dolichos). Pulses are taken in kharif season and are usually grown in rotation with hill millets and, therefore, occupy light soils on slopes. They are sown late in July or early in August after the fall of heavy rains. Sowing is done by broadcasting the seed or by dibbling. Pulses are uprooted and brought to threshing yard where grain is separated from chaff under the feet of bullocks. In the case of tur ripe pods are plucked several times before the plants are cut close to the ground. Final threshing is done in the yard by beating the plants against planks. On an average, pulses yield about 300 to 400 lbs. per acre. Kulith is also taken as a rabi crop after the harvest of paddy. Val (large fruited-dolichos) is grown only in rabi season on low-lying soils after harvesting of paddy. Sowing is done in November while harvesting is over by February. Seed rate is about 20 lbs. per acre. Seed is sown by hand at the time of ploughing.
Between sowing and harvesting operations, the crop does not require any special care.
SUGAR-CANE.
Sugar-cane occupied 414 acres in 1955-56 and was mostly grown in the southern part on small patches. Local varieties of red cane are grown. Its planting is done after January. Sugar-cane is irrigated by well water. Generally farm yard manure is applied before planting and later, ground-nut cake is used in two doses, one at the time of planting and the other at the time of earthing up. The yield of sugar-cane per acre amounts to 15 or 20 tons. The cane grown in this tract is said to be of a very high quality and is mainly used for chewing and extraction of juice for drinking, though a few cultivators attempt gul-making.
DRUGS AND NARCOTICS.
The cultivation of drugs and narcotics like tobacco, opium is conspicuous by its absence. The area under production of betel leaves was very negligible, amounting to 20 and 5 acres respectively in Sawantwadi and Malvan talukas.
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