'REPORT ON THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE BOMBAY PRESIDENCY FOR THE YEAR 1904-1905' [‎142v] (60/116)

CHAPTER IV—PRODUCTION AND DISTRIBUTION.
For—
POWER, INDUSTRIES AND HANDICRAFTS
See—
GENERAL ADMINISTRATION REPORT FOR 1901-1902, PART n
PAGES 118—124.
1. Agriculture.
For details see Feason and Crop Report of the Bombay 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. for 1904-1905 and Report of the Department
of Agriculture for 1904-1905, also Tables Nos. 3, 4 and 10 appended to the Agricultural Statistics of British India,
Area of available Statistics.
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 there was a net increase of 210 reporting villages with an area of
376,000 acres, almost entirely due to the introduction of original survey settlements in the Taloda
and Nandurbdr t&lukas.
2.—Cropped Areas,
1. 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 the net cropped area fell by 1 per cent, to 23,190,000 acres and is
now 4*6 per cent, below the net cropped area in 1895-1896 before the famine. The area declined
in every district except Khandesh, Ahmednagar, and ShoMpur, but more especially in Ahmedabad,
The expansion in Khandesh was chiefly due to the addition of reporting villages owing to the
introduction of the survey settlement, while in Ahmednagar an expansion in the area under rabi
crops was chiefly responsible. The decrease in North Gujarat was due to unfavourable kharif
rain and in Kolaba to fear of locusts restricting cultivation. The most noticeable decrease was
that of bajri, the area under which decreased from 48 lakhs One lakh is equal to one hundred thousand rupees of acres to 28 lakhs One lakh is equal to one hundred thousand rupees or nearly 42
per cent. The area cropped more than once was nearly 25 per cent, less than the corresponding
area last year. In Sind the net cropped area declined by 11*6 per cent., the decrease beirg
general in all six districts and following on a low inundation. There was however an increase
in the area under wheat in those parts of Thar and Parkar served by the Jamrao and
Mithran Canals.
2. 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 the gross area sown was less by 484 t 000 acres or 2 per cent,
than in the previous year, the decrease being about 4 lakhs One lakh is equal to one hundred thousand rupees of acres under food crops ar.d 82,000
under non-food crops. In Sind the total area sown declined from 41 to 37 lakhs One lakh is equal to one hundred thousand rupees of acres or
10*7 per cent., chiefly under cereal food crops. 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 the decrease under food
crops occurred chiefly in the Deccan districts and in Belgaum and Bijapur in the case of bAjri,
tur and other pulses. The area under jowari rose from 61 to 85 Idkhs 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,
but declined generally in Sind except in Thar Parkar and Hyderabad. Bajri fell from 48 to
28 lakhs One lakh is equal to one hundred thousand rupees of acres 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 and by 1 lakh One lakh is equal to one hundred thousand rupees of acres in Sind. Wheat increased
from 15*5 lakhs One lakh is equal to one hundred thousand rupees to 17’5 Mkhs 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. and also in Sind where however an increase in
Thar and Parkar more than neutralised a slight shrinkage elsewhere. Paddy showed a fall
from 15*6 to 13*9 lakbs 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. but an increase from 8*8 to 9*4 l£khs of acres in Sind
where however the extended sowings encouraged by an early rise of the river subsequently
suffered considerably from drought. Pulses declined 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 from 28*5 to 21
lakhs One lakh is equal to one hundred thousand rupees although favourable rams in September encouraged extended cultivation in the North
Deccan and Karnatak Districts. In Sind the area under pulses improved by 15,000 acres owing
chiefly to the cultivation of gram as a second crop in rice lands. Tobacco declined from 72,000
acres to 52,000 acres owing to deficient rainfall and a fall in prices. There was no change in
Sind. Sugarcane on the whole diminished from 57,000 to 56,000 acres, an increase in Surat,
Ahmedabad, Nasik and Satdra being more than counterbalanced by a decrease in area in Poom
and Dharwar. The area under oil-seeds increased by about 1*6 lakhs One lakh is equal to one hundred thousand rupees of acres or 97 percent.
Sesainum fell by 2 laxhs of acres in all districts except Kaira and the Panch Mahals. Safflower
and linseed advanced by 2 6 and 1*6 lakhs One lakh is equal to one hundred thousand rupees of acres respectively. In Sind decreases in sesame
(36,000), rapeseed (25,000) and jambho (56,000) contributed to a total decrease of the area
under oil-seeds from 4*1 to 2*9 Ukhs of acres. Cotton decreased by 184,000 acres or 5*15 per
cent, 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. The decrease was general except in Gujarat. In Sind the area
expanded by 11,000 acres or 5*3 per cent, over last year’s area.
3. 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 the net irrigated area amounted to 3*4 per cent, of the net
cropped area against 3 per. cent, in the previous year. In Sind the proportion rose from 86 to
90 4 per cent. The total area irrigated 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 increased from 704,000 to
/89,000 acres, while in Sind it fell from 3,264,000 to 3,034,000 acres although the proportion d
irrigationai cultivation was higher than in the previous year. For the most part 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.