AGRICULTURE AND IRRIGATION

FIBRES.

Fibres occupied an area of 8,26,258 acres in Yeotmal district in 1965-66. A little over 98 per cent of this was accounted for by cotton. Other fibres grown include sannhemp (Bombay-hemp) and ambadi (Deccan hemp). Table Nos. 13 and 14 give area and outturn of fibres in Yeotmal district from 1957-58 to 1965-66.

TABLE No. 13.

AREA UNDER FIBRES (TAHSIL-WISE) IN YEOTMAL DISTRICT FROM 1957-58 TO 1965-66

(In Acres)

TABLE No. 14.

OUTTURN OF FIBRES (TAHSIL-WISE) IN YEOTMAL DISTRICT FROM 1957-58 TO 1963-64

(In tons)

* Figures in bales, 1 bale = 392 lbs.

Since the last quarter of the nineteenth century, cotton has occupied an important place in the economy of the district.

The prosperity of the district largely depends upon cotton.

Cotton.

The average area under cotton during the five years ending with 1908 was about 598.000 acres. The chief variety then grown in the district was bani which had a fairly long staple and was classed at mills with middling American. Later on Vilayati or Kate Vilavati variety of cotton was introduced. This variety of cotton had a short staple, and so did not provide as good a thread as Bani, but it was very hardy and prolific. This Vilayati variety could do well with little rain, used to ripe quickly, and gave four or five pickings or even more, whereas Bani variety of cotton only gave two. The cotton was called Vilayati because it was then introduced into Berar from outside, probably from Narmada valley to Khandesh and from Khandesh to Berar. The word kata, thorn, was applied to this cotton because there was a point like thorn on the pod and on the seed.

Cotton can be grown all over the district, even on light soils. However, it does well on deep black soils. The preparatory tillage consists of deep ploughing. This deep ploughing though sometimes is needed every year it is done once in three or four years. Otherwise surface ploughing or harrowing with the wakhar, is alone done. It is needed chiefly to remove the stalks. hade, of the last crop, such stalks in the case of cotton being called parhatya, and in the case of jowar phan or dhas. A large number of cultivators in the district still use dung of cattle as the only manure for the crop. However, the propaganda by the Panchayat Samitis, Zilla Parishad and the technical personnel of the Agriculture Department has induced the cultivators to make use of fertilisers, such as, Nitrogen, Phosphoric acid and Potash. Nowadays Buri-147, Buri-394, A.K.-235 and A.K.-277. varieties of cotton are produced in the district. The staples of Buri-147, A.K.-235 and A.K.-277 are 32/32, 28/32 and 28/32 inches in length, respectively.

Formerly cultivators used to obtain cotton-seed either from a steam ginning factory, or from a hand gin. In some places it was chiefly sahukars, moneylenders, who kept hand gins. Apart from this, no general effort was made to obtain good seed. Now, Government has established seed farms to provide improved seed to farmers.

Some cultivators try to sow just before the beginning of the rains, but it is more usual to sow after one or two showers. The Mrig Nakshatra, which generally corresponds fairly closely with the middle of June, is commonly considered the proper time for sowing. The seeds are washed in cowdung and water, or earth and water, to keep them from sticking together. They are dropped through a bamboo tube, sarta. which is trailed behind a wakhar. It is a common practice all over the district to drill so many rows, tas, of cotton and then one of tur. There are generally from twelve to twenty-five rows of cotton to one of tur. A cotton field is. thus, divided into long narrow strips of cotton with lines of lur, which is a thick bushy plant higher than that of the cotton, between them. It is, however, considered everywhere that sowing of cotton and jowar in turn would be most advantageous. Sometimes in the third year also groundnut crop is produced in the same land where cotton was grown.

Cotton has to be weeded again and again, the exact number of times varying greatly. Most of the weeds, especially those between the rows, are removed by hoes drawn by bullocks, at first by a small hoe called daura and later, as the cotton grows higher, by a larger one called dhunda. Such hoeing is generally done about five times. The weeds that spring up actually in the rows must be removed by hand. This is locally known as nindane, and is usually done twice. Generally women are employed to do this work. The weeds are removed from the rows of cotton with a khurpa, a small sickle with the outer edge sharpened instead of the inner; and at the same time the cotton plants are thinned out to a distance which varies from six to twelve inches depending upon the fertility of the soil. Rains in October or November cause heavy damage to the crop. However rains at that time are very rare in the district.

The first cotton picking, wecha, is generally made in the beginning of November. The cultivators as in the case of harvesting of other crops begin on an auspicious day. The. number of pickings vary but are generally about five. In 1901 picking was done about eleven times over a great part of Berar. The pickings succeed each other at intervals of a fortnight till the. beginning of February. The second and third pickings yield the maximum quantity of cotton. Picking is done almost entirely by women. Formerly payment was made by the amount brought by each worker being divided into so many parts and one part whichever the worker may choose being given to the picker. The number of parts then varied according to the state of the crop. Nowadays, however, labourers are paid in cash.

There is far greater variation and uncertainty about the outturn. The quantity actually produced varies according to seed, soil, and season. The estimates of outturn in 1908 as recorded in the old Gazetteer of the district varied from 150 to 500 pounds per acre. The most common were from 175 to 200 pounds per acre.

A bumper crop on good land might give more than twice as much. No standard outturn was then officially fixed for the district. However special official estimates at various times during 40 years ending 1908 made the average outturn of Berar, that for a 12 anna crop. 320 lbs. of uncleaned or (at 26 per cent) 83 lbs of cleaned cotton an acre. The standard or normal outturn for the Central Provinces was then 100 lbs, of cleaned cotton an acre.

In case of the improved varieties recommended by the Agriculture Department the outturn of cotton per acre varied from 500 to 525 lbs.

Formerly there was no assurance to the cultivators for the better return for produce. The cultivators used to take their cotton at intervals to the market or a ginning factory where the business was controlled by the moneylenders and trading communities. At present, cultivators sell their produce in the regulated markets, represented by the agriculturists, and get more competitive rates for the crop. The number of travelling trading agents and the middle men who formerly played an important part in the cotton trade of the district has considerably reduced due to the establishment of the regulated markets. The markets have assured a remunerative price to the cotton cultivator.

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