'REPORT ON THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE BOMBAY PRESIDENCY, FOR THE YEAR 1914-1915' [‎202r] (73/150)

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WEATHER AND CROPS.
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6.—Insect Pests.
The north-west locusts (Acridium succintum) appeared in North Gujarat and Kathiawar
in the last week of June, remained there for about a week without doing any damage as there
were no crops at the time and disappeared in the direction of Rajputana and Central
India. Some swarms deposited eggs at Pilodi and Dalalpur in Parantij taluka and Modasa
mahal respectively and in a portion of the Idar State. The hoppers emerged from the eggs
about six weeks later but prompt measures were at once taken by the Agricultural and
Revenue Departments to destroy them. Within a period of one week 644,560 hoppers
weighing nearly half a ton were killed at Dalalpur village alone before they were able to
cause any damage. It was also observed that birds such as mynas fed voraciously on the
hoppers and materially assisted in destroying them. Locusts also appeared in the districts
of Sind and in Kolaba and Nasik and slight damage was caused in parts of Sind. Slight
damage was caused to standing crops by the caterpillars and insects in Sind districts and in
one taluka of Kanara, three of West Khandesh, one of East Khandesh, one of Bijapur and
one of Kaira. The kharif jo war in four talukas of Surat district was severely attacked by
mites (Ratadia). Spraying operations on a small scale with lime and sulphur were conducted
in four villages in October and these proved effective by destroying most of the colonies and
checking the development of the remainder. For an expenditure of Rs. 6-2-0 per acre a pro
fit of Rs. 21 to 24 was secured against Rs. 2-8-0 per acre of unsprayed fields. Still better
results would probably have been obtained if the work had been taken up as soon as the
mites had made their appearance. An attack of the cotton leaf roller pest (Sylepta derogata)
broke out at Nadiad in August and hand-picking was carried out by children on five occasions
when the pest disappeared. At each of the pickings thousands of these rollers were removed
and the total cost amounted to Rs. 6-1*1-0 per acre. Slight damage to standing crops
from grass-hoppers was reported from the Bijapur district in August and from one taluka of
Nasik in September and November 1914.
7.—Prices.
For details see Prices and Wages in India.
A favourable season resulted in a further decrease in the price of the staple food-grains,
the fall being most marked in jowari, the price of which in Sholapur fell as low as 23 seers
per rupee, whereas the lowest price recorded in the previous year was 155 seers per rupee.
Bajri and rice also showed substantial decreases. Attempts to inflate prices artificially on
the outbreak of war were checked by local committees. Wheat rose considerably in
response to the world demand, but the tendency was checked by the Government control of
export. Pulses also showed a slight increase in price. There was a heavy fall in cotton
but a recovery took place at about the time of harvest so that the cultivator did fairly well.
Chapter IV.
PRODUCTION
AND
DISTRIBUTION.
8.—Wages.
In spite of the shutting down of many public works and the decrease in the price of
food-grains the scarcity of labour continued and wages showed no tendency to decline from
the high level reached in recent years ; some districts actually reported a further increase.
On an average wages for unskilled labour were about annas 5 P er diem and for skilled labour
annas 12 in the rural parts while in the neighbourhood of large towns they were as high as
annas 8 and Re. 1 respectively. Under conditions in which the supply of labour is perennially
inadequate to the de.mand it is inevitable that while a bad season will not have much effect in
lowering wages, a good season will check any tendency to fall, because every man who can
cultivate his own land will prefer to do so, so that one source of supply, the class ol small
cultivators, is not available for labour in a good year. In Sind wages were about 50 per cent,
higher than in the presidency The name given to each of the three divisions of the territory of the East India Company, and later the British Raj, on the Indian subcontinent. proper.
9.—Famine Relief.
The suspensions and remissions of land revenue granted in each district of the Presidency The name given to each of the three divisions of the territory of the East India Company, and later the British Raj, on the Indian subcontinent.
proper during the revenue year ending 3 Is f J u Jy afPS are shown in the following table.
District.
Current year’s
fixed demand.
Current ye<
Suspended.
ir’s revenue.
Remitted.
Rs.
Rs.
Rs.
Ahmedabad
14,78,679
13,086
Kaira
21,08,353
1,026
1,506
Panch Mahals
3,48,258
2 , 7 1 3
Broach
19 , 56,577
4,983
Lurat
23 , 55,321
29,000
Thana
13,78.033
L 524
825
Ahmednagar
17,06,654
7
609
East Khandesh
26,89,643
West Khandesh
i 7 , I 3, 2 49
801
714
Nasik
i 6 ,i 5,555
17,509
Poona
13 , 48,533
20,893
8,401
Sdtara
19,88,284
©,693
12,668
Sholapur
11,91,802
436
Belgaum
15 , 94,966
Bijapur
14,36,786
330
Dharwar
28,88,538
507
2,635
Kanara
9,86,622
181
L 795
Kolaba
1 3 ,i 5 , 7°4
74
Ratnagiri
8 , 53 , 1 98
1,864
34