MEMORANDUM BY Mn. H. V. DRAKE-BROCKMAN, OFFICIATING COMMISSIONER OF EXCISE, CENTRAL PROVINCES, ON THE CULTIVATION AND MANUFACTURE OF GANJA IN THE KHANDWA TAMIL OF THE NIMAIL DISTRICT.

Ganja is sown yearly in about 100 villages, and about 600 or 700 licenses are issued each year, Seed is locally raised in the villages of Lohari, Karki, Panjhria, and Chhirbel; this seed produces a comparatively thin plant which does not branch off so freely as that raised from the seed obtained from Dhakalgaon in Indore. Dhakalgaon seed is sold at a minimum price of Re. 1 per ser ; it has, on several occasions, gone as high as Rs. 2 per ser. The ordinary price of local seed is Re. 0-12-0 per ser. Seven or eight villages in the Dhargaon station-house circle use Dhakalgaon seed, and the ganja raised in them commands the best price at the Government storehouse.

2. " Pandhar " (chalky), " mand" (black with an understratum of yellow clay), and " kali " (rich black) are the soils most suitable for ganja rearing. The first two are the best; the last is also good, but in seasons of more than average rainfall retains too much water close to the surface.

3. Irrigation and plentiful manuring being indispensable, the same fields are used year after year. A single manuring produces an effect which endures for two or three years, so that there is no inducement to practise rotation of crops.

4. The land selected is well manured every third year in Baisakh (April to May), 16 to 20 full cart-loads being allowed per acre; the ordinary household refuse, cowdung, and ashes are used, and if the home supply is inadequate, more is purchased at the rate of Be. 1 per cart.

5. If gram or masur is not grown in the field, it is ploughed over once in January or February. In any case the ground is in Baisakh (April to May) turned over with the " hal" (" nagar" or earth-turning plough) to expose it to the sun, and then well " bakhared" to make it smooth and to break up all large clods. If it is the turn of the field to be manured, the manure is spread after the ground has been turned over, and is then worked in with the " bakhar." When the ground has been well soaked, i.e., about 15 days after the setting in of the rains, it is again turned over with the " hal " and levelled with the " bakhar." Seed is sowla on a sunny day in the latter half of Asarh (June to July), i.e., 20 to 25 days after the setting in of the rains, an instrum'ent called " sarta," which is worked along with a " bakhar," being used for the purpose.

6. For six days after sowing, a strict watch is kept, otherwise birds would do great damage when the seed germinates, which it does four days after sowing. Twenty days after sowing, i.e, when the plants are about 9 inches high, weeding of grass and thinning of plants begin ; an implement called" kolpa " is used for the former purpose. A space Of 6 to 9 inches is cleared between each plant and the next, the intervening plants being uprooted and thrown away. About six weeks after sowing, the first examination (pirakh) takes place. All the male plants (" naria " or " bhangeru ") • which can at that stage be recognised as such are picked out and thrown away. The cultivators appear to be able to distinguish the pollen-bearing sacs (" ghungri ") of male flowers even at this early stage. This examination is repeated daily for about two months. Then comes a second examination with a view to eliminate those plants which combine the signs of both sexes (" adnaria "). These " adnaria plants seem to be identical with the "abnormal female plants with some male flowers on them," of which mention is made in Chapters II and VI, Part 1 of Dr. Prain's Report.

7. There is yet another class of plant which is eliminated ; this is called "mora," and is said to be identified from its bearing a cluster of flowers on the ter,. The " moria " plants are not injurious to others, but are eliminated because they are useless for the purpose of ganja manufacture, their flowering heads being devoid of resin, and consequently of intoxicating power. Sometimes they are allowed to remain in the field ; if removal is determined upon the necessary action is taken a fortnight or so before cutting begins. These plants probably correspond with those termed" khasia " in Bengal—see Chapters I (page 2) and II (page 5) of Dr. Prain's Report.

8. During the fourth month, i.e., in October, the plants are irrigated ; rainfall will from this time onward injure them by washing away the resinous juice they contain ; whereas irrigation increases the amount of this juice. Three waterings are given, an interval of seven days being allowed between each. It will be understood that irrigation is only beneficial if effected after the rains have entirely ceased.

9. About four and a half months after sowing, i.e., generally about the 20th November, the flowering heads assume a brownish appearance, which is a sure sign of maturity. Cutting then begins. Only the " bhuttas," i.e., twigs about 12 inches in length which bear the flowering beads, are picked; they are collected in baskets and emptied into a " khala (threshing-floor). At night the whole of the day's cutting is spread out in a layer, 9 to 12 inches thick, and left exposed to the dew till the following morning. The next step is to press the pickings flat • this is done by men treading them under foot. Several heaps are formed, which are worked upon in turn, each being turned over and left to dry in the sun while another is being pressed. This process goes on for four or five days, and the ganja is then taken to covered sheds where it is stacked to a height of 5 or 6 feet, and kept down by heavy weights After remaining in this state for about a week, it is packed tightly in gunny-bags, and taken to the Government storehouse at Khandwa.

10. Seven days' previous notice of intention to cut the ganja crop has to be given to the Tahsildar, and the whole crop must be removed to the Government storehouse within 30 days of the date on which permission to cut is granted.

11. The following is an estimate of the cost of cultivating an acre of ganja and of manufacturing the crop into the article supplied to wholesale vendors :—

It must be understood that the above estimate is drawn up on the assumption that hired labour is employed for all purposes. As a matter of fact, however, the cultivators and their families themselves do almost all the work, and cash payments are limited in practice to the following .—

The rates adopted are those prevailing in the immediate vicinity of Khandwa; elsewhere the cost of cultivation would be somewhat less. The average outturn from an acre is 16 maunds, and the average selling price at the Government storehouse, Rs. 4 per maund.

12 The method employed for the cultivation of the plant for seed is precisely the same as for the production of the ordinary ganja (" mal ") as regards preparation of the soil. Male plants (‘‘ naria") are of course essential in this case ; most, however, are eliminated. " Adnaria" plants are all eliminated, as in a field of " mal " ganja. When the seeds have set, the plants are cut down, tied in bundles and dried in the sun. The seed is then threshed out by hand. Irrigation is not required, and comparatively little attention is paid to the
crop.