‘REPORT ON THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE BOMBAY PRESIDENCY, FOR THE YEAR 1919-20’ [‎271v] (90/192)

BOMBAY ADMINISTRATION REPORT.
ratio amounted to 79*1 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 owW to ,
supply of water irrigation from Government canals (area 222,000 acre^ 6
extended mainly in Ahmedabad and Kaira in north Gujarat and in V?
Poona and Sholapur in the Deccan and from private canals (51,000 aJp
Poona and Satara. Tank water (area 109,000 acres) was for the same re 1D
largely utilized mainly in Ahmedabad and Dharwar districts and to ^
extent also in Nasik and Poona. Irrigation from wells receded from TSQonn
to 619,000 acres (17 per cent.) almost everywhere except in South Dec
due to water from other less expensive modes of supply being available %
area irrigated from other sources (31,000 acres) showed a small extension i
South Konkan, but elsewhere it was generally curtailed resulting i n a net
decline of. 10,000 acres or 24 per cent. In Sind Government canals supply
water to about 2,973,000 acres of land which formed 92*4 per cent, of the
total irrigated area. Of the remainder 52,000 acres or 1*6 per cent
was helped from wells, and 180,000 acres or 5*5 per cent, from other sources
The area under irrigated rice rose from 116 to 173 thousand acres mainly in
Ahmedabad and Kaira in North Gujarat ( + 40,000 acres) and Dharwar
(+16,000) in the Karnatak. Irrigation was taken for wheat mainly in Nasik
Poona, Sholapur and Satara ( + 31,000 acres), but to a less extent in North
Gujarat and in Khandesh, Ahmednagar, and Bijapur (—36,500 acres). Owm*
to a plentiful supply of fodder from other sources and the cultivation of barley
and maize which were specially grown for their fodder in Gujarat and Deccan
in the previous year, the area watered for these crops was curtailed by 9 and
37 thousand acres, respectively. For the same reason the area under irrigated
jowar (mainly Sundhia) fell by 61,000 acres in North Gujarat and 10,000 acres
in Satara. Sholapur, however, had, owing to deficiency of late rains, to
irrigate about 16,000 acres of it more than in the previous year. Bajridid
not require irrigation assistance during the year in North Gujarat, but about
88,000 acres were irrigated elsewhere principally in Ahmednagar, Poona,
Sholapur and Satara owing to the shortage in the late rains. Other cereals and
pulses (including gram) were for the same reason more extensively irrigated
in the Deccan and Karnatak. The cultivation of sugar cane receded every
where owing to shortage of water-supply 7 " at the planting season. Other crops
call for no special remarks.
5. The return showing the sources of water -supply having'been made
decennial, no fresh information is available for the year under report.
3.— Agricultural Experiments.
1. The expenditure of the department amounted to Bs. 13,09,000, as against
Bs. 12,57,000 of the year before. Of this sum Bs. 2,76,000 represent special
expenditure connected with such famine operations as cattle camps, special
fodder production, provision of seed, etc. Beceipts amounted to Bs. 4,22,000,
as against Bs. 2,86,000 of the previous year. Bs. 40,000 were advanced irom
the Personal Ledger Account used for financing quasi commercial operations
and Bs. 49,000 recovered during the year. The Sir Sassoon David Bus
Fund made a grant of Bs. 1,09,000 to the department for the assistance o
certain definite works of investigation and propaganda of which Bs. 23,000 were
actually received during the year. There were many absentees during t e yea
amongst the officers holding the principal posts in the department wmc wei
filled mostly by acting officers and in some cases duties were combined.
2. In furtherance of the scheme for the introduction of the four
strains of improved cotton temporary establishments were sanctione
Gujarat and the Southern Maratha Country, and proposals were being ^
for permanent establishments to deal with the production, ma ^ n p
distribution of superior cotton seed in the chief cotton tracts of the * res l
based on the recommendations of the Indian Cotton Committee. B wa ^ ^
to distribute two strains in South Gujarat, Surat I.A. for the Surat ie ° ’ an
1,027, A.C.F. for the Navsari tract. In accordance with the sett e P , j
area of 6,000 acres was sown with selection I.A. This area wa ^ ^
supervised by the staff, and the fields were rogued and the co B on A 1 ? 3,1 o | a ] 0C al
sold by auction under departmental arrangements, with the he p