NOTE BY MR. B. ROBERTSON, DEPUTY COMMISSIONER, NIMAR, ON CULTIVATION AND PREPARATION OF GANJA IN NIMAR,.

Ganja is grown in 60 or 70 villages in Nimar. The cultivation is confined to the western half of the Khandwa Tahsil. The rainfall at Khandwa may be taken as an average for this tract. During the last 25 years this average has been 3216.

2. The soils in which ganja is grown are known locally as-

" Pandhar "—land near the village abadi, which is largely mixed with ashes and sweepings from the village (see Nimar Settlement Report, paragraph 307).

" Mand "—a light yellow alluvium previous to moisture (see for description, Nimar Settlement Report, paragraphs 13 and 306).

"Kali"—black soil.

The first two are the best. In very wet seasons, the third kind retains too much moisture near the surface.

3. Seed is raised in the villages of Karki, Punjhria, and Chhirbel in this district. But the best seed comes from Dhakalgaon in Holkar's territory. The latter gives a stouter and more branching plant than the local seed. Both seeds are used all over the ganja-growing tract, but Dhakalgaon ganja is more specially produced towards Dhangaon in the north. The price of ordinary seed is 8 annas a ser and of Dhakalgaon Re. 1. The production of the latter is limited, and it is much sought after and is therefore high-priced.

4. The land is plentifully manured about every third year. There is no rotation of crops, ganja being grown in the same fields year after year. The manuring takes place in April or May. The manure is spread on the surface, and mixed with the soil by " bakharing." There are in all two ploughings and two " bakharings " before the soil is ready for the seed.

5. Sowing takes place about 15 days after the rains have broken. The seed is sown by means of a hollow bamboo used along with a" bakhar. There is no transplantation in Nimar. The seed germinates in three or four days after sowing.

6. Weeding is commenced about 20 days after sowing. A hoe (kolpa) drawn by a pair of bullocks is passed along the furrows to clean the space between the rows of plants. Ordinarily this bullock "hoeing " takes place twice. The spaces between the plants are cleaned by means of a " khurpi," or small hand-hoe. About the same time, the lower leaves of the plants are broken of, leaving the lower part of the stem bare. The whole of this weeding and cleaning process goes on for about a month.

7. Next takes place the eradication of the male and certain other useless plants. The word used is " p6.rakh," meaning examination. The first plant eradicated is the male, known as "naria" or" bliangra." Then comes another plant called " adnaria," a hermaphrodite showing signs of both sexes. Other plants are known as " seoria" and " mora," both of which are generally uprooted, The " mora" is, until 15 days or so before cutting, undistinguishable from the female plant. The flower of the female plant never opens, while the " moria" flower at this time 'assumes a yellowish or reddish tinge and opens out. A certain amount of ganja can be obtained from the" mora " plant, and it is sometimes allowed to stay on in a crop of " mal " or good ganja. It possesses the faculty of fertilising itself, for it produces a seed, the result of sowing which is a crop of nothing but " mora " plants. It is needless to state that it is ruthlessly weeded out of ganja which is being grown for seed.

The " pirakh " process begins about a- month after sowing. About this time both the male and female plants begin to flower. All the cultivators possess the faculty of recognising the noxious and useless plants, and.no special class is employed for the purpose. The male and " adnaria" plants first manifest themselves. " Mona" plants, as has been noted, are not distinguishable until shortly before the crop is ripe:

8. In September, three months after sowing, the crop is irrigated. Three waterings are given at intervals of 10 to 14 days.

9. About the first or second week of November the crop ripens, the flowering heads assuming a brownish appearance. Dhakalgaon ganja ripens 15 days later than local ganja. The twigs which bear the flowering heads are broken off, collected in baskets, and carried to a threshing-floor. There they are spread out, and a heavy roller is passed over them. This is done only the first day as a rule ; after that, as the twigs begin to dry, they are pressed under foot for three or four days. By this process the twigs are almost entirely cleaned of their leaves, and only the flowering tops remain, the latter being flattened out. The produce is then known as " kalli." The " kalli " is afterwards taken to the cultivators' houses and there stacked in heaps, which are kept pressed down by a heavy weight. It remains like this for a week, after which it is packed in gunny bags, each containing from 2 to 3 maunds, and taken to the Khandwa storehouse.

10. The average outturn from an acre is from 12 to 15 maunds. The crop has in recent years been bought up by a corner of" dallals " at Khandwa, the ordinary price ranging from Rs. 5 to Rs. 7 per maund, according to quality. The average money outturn per acre is thus about Rs. 80 or Rs. 90, and the money cost of cultivation is estimated at Rs. 60. The selling price per =And at the Khandwa storehouse is at present as high as Rs. 15 or Rs. 16 per maund.

Statement showing extent of ganja cultivation in Nimar during the last 20 years.