‘REPORT ON THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE BOMBAY PRESIDENCY, FOR THE YEAR 1919-20’ [‎271r] (89/192)

1919-1920.]
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AGRIGULTUEE.
over last year. In Sind the steady inundation and good rainfall of the year
afforded sufficient moisture and the cultivation of wheat was extended mamlv
in Sukkur, Larkana, Upper Sind Frontier and Thar Parkar districts. But
as 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 total area was still about 110,000 acres short
of the acreage of 191 / -18. Among other cereals the area under rice (3 044 000
acres) rose by 331,000 acres over last year owing to resumption of its
cultivation mainly m North Gujarat and lower Sind. In Bharwar absence
of timely rain and m Thar Parkar dearth of seed reduced the area to some
extent. The area under ragi (593,000 acres) increased by 69,000 acres owhm
to its extended cultivation in North Gujarat and Dharwar. Helped by the
plentiful late rains gram (area 669,000 acres) was sown to a larger extent than
in the previous year (by 76 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 and 108 per cent
in Sind) everywhere but more particularly in Ahmedabad, Broach Poona*
Ahmednagar, and m the North Deccan and Upper Sind. But the total area
under it was still about 27 per cent, short of the acreage for 1917-18
Miscellaneous cereals and pulses (area 3,687,000 acres) which are mostly raised
in the kharif season showed an increase of 24 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
and 68 per cent, in Sind owing generally to favourable season for the sowing
of these crops. Oil-seeds (942,000 acres) were more extensively grown than
in the previous year, but the area under them was still short of the normal by
39 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, and 37 per cent, in Sind, a result due to
greater attention being paid during the year to the cultivation of food-giains
and other more paying 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 sesame was sown to
a larger extent in the Deccan ( +51,000 acres), Gujarat ( + 28,000 acres) and
Karnatak (+17,000 acres)and linseed in Nasik, Ahmednagar, Khandesh and
Bijapur. Rapeseed (which includes Jambho —eruca sativa —and is cultivated
mainly in Sind) was more largely sown in Larkana, Upper Sind Frontier
Sukkur and Nawabshah districts. The area under ground-nuts was about
stationary, the decline in its cultivation in Nasik, Sholapur, Satara and
Karnatak, due to dearth of seed and deficiency of water-supply in the
beginning, being made up by its expansion in Poona, Khandesh, Ahmednagar
and new areas in north Gujarat. The total area under cotton amounted to
4,337 thousand acres or about 1*2 per cent, and 36-2 per cent, over the previous
year and the average 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 0’9 per cent, and 73-3
per cent, respectively, in Sind. Notwithstanding the greater need for food and
fodder crops the cultivation of this crop showed a considerable expansion in
the Deccan and Gujarat under the stimulus of high prices fetched by the crop
in the previous season. In the Karnatak, however, preference was given to
jowar and other food crops owing to deficiency of rain at the time of sowing
cotton. In Sind the extension in area shown last year was maintained.
Among other crops sugarcane 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. showed a fall of 73 per cent,
in area below the previous year owing mainly to deficiency of water supply in
wells and canals at the time of planting, but also in part due to dearth of seed
owing to the fact that the crop of the previous season was fed to cattle in
many places during the prevalence of drought. The area under tobacco
(106,000 acres) more than doubled under the stimulus of high prices fetched
m the previous seasons. Safflower which is now included under dyes showed
an increase of 112,000 acres in area owing to extended cultivation of jowari,
wheat and other crops with which it is usually sown. Fodder crops showed
an increase of 206,000 acres mainly in the Panch Mahals, Nasik, Satara,
Belgaum and Ratnagiri and the area under fruit and vegetables rose from 438
to 619 thousand acres owing to extended cultivation in almost all districts.
Chapter IV.
PRODUCTION
AND
DISTRIBUTION.
4. During the year the 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 amounted irrigation.
^32 thousand acres, showing a decline of 4‘5 per cent, below the area of
previous year. Irrigation was resorted to, to a greater extent in South
iieccan and in Belgaum and Dharwar districts of the Karnatak, but elsewhere
it was availed of to a smaller degree owing to plentiful late rains of the year.
n bind the irrigated area advanced by 685 thousand acres or about 27 per cent.
°yer the previous year owing mainly to the plentiful and steady supply of
water in Government canals. The increase was general but more marked in
flpp S+d than in lower Sind. About 3*8 per cent, of the net cropped area in
e ^ res id e ncy proper was helped by irrigation while in the case of Sind the