100
pulled up by the roots, tied into bundles, each contain-
ing about 100 plants and put in water. The plants are
taken out after 48 hours and the fibre from each plant
is extracted by hand. This fibre is sold sometimes in
the form of ropes, sometimes in the form of bundles.
The gross income per acre from this crop is Rs. 52.
The cost per acre to the capitalistic cultivator and to the
self-working cultivator is Rs. 42-3-0 and Rs. 15 res-
pectively. The respective net profits per acre are,
therefore, Rs. 9-13-0 and Rs. 37.
OTHER FORMS OF VEGETATION
In calculating the net agricultural income of the vil-
lage we must take note of all forms of vegetation. We
have so far considered the net returns from the principal
crops only. The forms of vegetation now left for dis-
cussion are grass and trees. With regard to the area
under grass, we have calculated Rs. 10, to be the net
receipts per acre to a self-working cultivator as shown
below :
Gross receipts per acre RS.
1800 bundles @ Rs. 10 per 1000 18
Expenses of cutting, pressing,
etc......... 8
Net receipts...... 10
Of the trees, mango trees are the most important.
Alphonzo, Payree and 'country* are the three varieties
grown here. The yield per tree is so uncertain that it
is impossible to get at any accurate figure of net receipts
per tree. Equally uncertain is the income from Babul,
date trees, tamarind trees and others found in the vil-
lage. The receipts however from this form of vegeta-
tion cannot be ignored in a study of facts. We have,
therefore, entered in individual family-schedules, the
figures of income from trees, supplied to us by the heads
of families in our house-to-house enquiry.