75
SALIENT FEATURES OF AGRICULTURAL
PRACTICE IN ATGAM
We propose to discuss under this heading the following
features :
 (1)	Rotation of crops,
 (2)	Mixed cropping,
 (3)	Use of manures,
 (4)	Quality of cultivatic__,
 (5)	Fencing,

 (6)	Seed-prqfervation,
 (7)	Introduction of new crops,
 (8)	Economy and leakage.
(i) Rotation of crops : Rotation of crops means grow-
ing of different crops on the same piece of land one after
another from year to year. This is done with a view to
avoid exhaustion of the soil. An examination of the
crops entered for the last five years in the present crop re-
gister^1 of the village in most cases did not show any regu-
lar order. However, as gathered from local sources of
information and personal inspection, we find that paddy,
a Kharif or monsoon crop, and wal, a Rabi or winter
crop, are frequently and widely grown in succession for
a number of years. Occasionally intelligent farmers,
who own sufficiently large fields and who manure them
well every year, replace this paddy-wal crop by sugarcane
every fifth or sixth year. In the generality of cases sugar-
cane is rotated at intervals of ten years. This is true of
Kyari or rice-land. With regard to Jarayat or dry-crop
land, a large portion of it is kept reserved for cutting
green grass or hay or is used as pasture. On this land,
however, diligent farmers raise Kodra at intervals of
eight to ten years. Some make a more profitable use of
this kind of soil by growing Kodra one year and following
it up with Diveli or castor-seed next year ; Kodra recurs
in the third year and subsequently the field is kept fal-
low for about five to ten years.
1 Crop   Registers   are  renewed  quinquennially.
10*