182

One does not know whether this departure was
conceived by all the Bulsar dealers jointly but, as the farm-
ers had expected, the Bulsar dealers did combine and be-
gan to make efforts to set up an association of gul dealers,
to defeat the farmers, on the point at issue. This
produced a greater commotion among the farmers. A
few bolder spirits among them came forward, and set
themselves to the task of founding a farmers* association
to withstand the encroachments of the merchants.

For that season Mr. Manibhai (Police Patel of Atgam),
Mr. Chhotubhai J. Desai (another resident of Atgam
who was at that time running a gul factory) and a few
others, induced merchants from Broach to purchase gul
belonging to a number of farmers of this area. In course
of time was formed the Patan ( a village about 4 miles
to the west of Atgam) Gul Company. Its career was
brilliant but brief. Gul sold through its agency, fetched
a remarkably high price. In one case it rose to Rs. 8
per maund, a record price. Unfortunately for the Com-
pany, one of the Kathiawar merchants who had pur-
chased a large quantity of gul through its agency, failed,
and all the efforts of the Company ended in smoke by
1918. Meanwhile the Bulsar dealers became wise and
resumed the old system of sale which continues to this
day.

Having thus given a few facts of the history of market-
ing, we may proceed with the marketing organization of
three principal articles of export from this area, namely,
paddy, gul and mango-fruits.

MARKETING OF PADDY
The volume of business. The average yield of paddy
per acre in this area varies, as we have already stated,
from about 25 to 35 rnaunds. Assuming 30 maunds to be
the average yield per acre, the total quantity of paddy pro-
duced in Atgam in the year of enquiry will come to more