DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.2375#0053
44
A JOURNEY FROM MADRAS THROUGH
Jan. 22.
CHAPTER The dried leaves must be removed by the hand, which is all the
^J^ZLj farmer trouble required, no watering being necessary after the
rainy season is over. Jackalls eat the cane, and must be carefully
watched. The cane is fit for cutting in 11 or 12 months. There
are two kinds; the Bill/, and Carl Cabbu; or white, and black
canes. The former is the Restali, and the latter the Putla Putty
of the country above the Ghats. The same ground will not pro-
duce sugar-cane every year; between every two crops of cane
there must be two crops of rice. A piece of land that sows one
Moray of rice, will produce 4000 canes, which are about six feet
long, and sell to the Jagory boilers at from half to one Rupee a hun-
dred. The Moray sowing of Betta land is here about 30,000 square
feet; so that, according to the price of sugar cane, the acre pro-
duces from about 58 to 29 Rupees, or from about 51 Ms. to
Ql. \8s. 6d. The land-tax is the same as when the field is cultivated
for rice. The want of firewood is the greatest obstacle to this cul-
tivation; the trash, or expressed stems, is not sufficient to boil the
juice into Jagory, while that operation is performed in earthen pots
placed over an open fire. If all the land in Codeal Taluc (district)
that is fit for the purpose, were employed to raise sugar-cane, it
would yearly produce 1000 Pagodas worth of cane; that is to say,
there are about 1125 Mudls sowing of land, that once in three years
might be cultivated. The quantity in the neighbouring district
on the south side of the river is much greater. The Jagory made
here is hard, but black, and of a bad quality. It sells at 3 Maunds
for the Pagoda, or at l'is. 3\d. a hundred-weight.
Between the rows of sugar-cane are raised some cucurbitaceous
plants, and some kitchen stuffs, that soon come to maturity.
On Betta, or the highest of rice-land, where the water may be
had by digging to a little depth, some people, chiefly Christians,
cultivate capsicum, and Banguns (Solatium Melongena), as a second
crop after rice. In good soils, these require to be watered once ia
three days; in bad soils, they must be allowed water every other day.
Kitchen-
stuffs.
Mmm
A JOURNEY FROM MADRAS THROUGH
Jan. 22.
CHAPTER The dried leaves must be removed by the hand, which is all the
^J^ZLj farmer trouble required, no watering being necessary after the
rainy season is over. Jackalls eat the cane, and must be carefully
watched. The cane is fit for cutting in 11 or 12 months. There
are two kinds; the Bill/, and Carl Cabbu; or white, and black
canes. The former is the Restali, and the latter the Putla Putty
of the country above the Ghats. The same ground will not pro-
duce sugar-cane every year; between every two crops of cane
there must be two crops of rice. A piece of land that sows one
Moray of rice, will produce 4000 canes, which are about six feet
long, and sell to the Jagory boilers at from half to one Rupee a hun-
dred. The Moray sowing of Betta land is here about 30,000 square
feet; so that, according to the price of sugar cane, the acre pro-
duces from about 58 to 29 Rupees, or from about 51 Ms. to
Ql. \8s. 6d. The land-tax is the same as when the field is cultivated
for rice. The want of firewood is the greatest obstacle to this cul-
tivation; the trash, or expressed stems, is not sufficient to boil the
juice into Jagory, while that operation is performed in earthen pots
placed over an open fire. If all the land in Codeal Taluc (district)
that is fit for the purpose, were employed to raise sugar-cane, it
would yearly produce 1000 Pagodas worth of cane; that is to say,
there are about 1125 Mudls sowing of land, that once in three years
might be cultivated. The quantity in the neighbouring district
on the south side of the river is much greater. The Jagory made
here is hard, but black, and of a bad quality. It sells at 3 Maunds
for the Pagoda, or at l'is. 3\d. a hundred-weight.
Between the rows of sugar-cane are raised some cucurbitaceous
plants, and some kitchen stuffs, that soon come to maturity.
On Betta, or the highest of rice-land, where the water may be
had by digging to a little depth, some people, chiefly Christians,
cultivate capsicum, and Banguns (Solatium Melongena), as a second
crop after rice. In good soils, these require to be watered once ia
three days; in bad soils, they must be allowed water every other day.
Kitchen-
stuffs.
Mmm