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AGRICULTURE AND IRRIGATION
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FIBRES
The following table shows taluka-wise acreage under fibres, in Satara District, in 1956-57:-
TABLE No. 25.
ACREAGE UNDER FIBRES IN SATARA DISTRICT. 1956-57. |
Taluka or peta |
Cotton |
Ambadi |
Sann-hemp | |
Khandala |
30 |
1 |
21 | |
Phaltan |
388 |
1 |
-- | |
Wai |
4 |
6 |
5 | |
Koregaon |
1 |
17 |
-- | |
Jaoli |
-- |
13 |
-- | |
Satara |
-- |
23 |
21 | |
Man |
500 |
55 |
-- | |
Khatav |
19 |
109 |
33 | |
Karad |
-- |
14 |
596 | |
Patan |
-- |
1 |
48 | |
Total |
942 |
240 |
724 |
Cotton.
Cotton (kapas), grows best in places where rainfall ranges
between 20 and 30 inches. The soils, in which cotton is grown, art generally very fertile. The crop occupied 942 acres in 1956-57, in the district. Its outturn was concentrated in Man and Phaltan talukas. The variety jarilla is grown in both the talukas, whereas Deviraj and Laxmi varieties are grown only in Phaltan taluka. The crop is sown in May-June. It is ready for picking after five or six months. It is grown in medium-black soil in ridges four feet apart. The distance between the plants in the row varies from six to nine inches. Normally the basal dose consists of 10-15 cart-loads of farmyard manure per acre. Top-dressing is given in the first fortnight of July and consists of 125 lbs. of ammonium sulphate and 82 lbs. of super phosphate per acre. As the plant grows, inter-culturing is
done three or four times with small blade hoes and hand-weeding is done twice. No other operation is necessary till October. The bolls open towards the end of October and kapas is picked during November-December, in three pickings, one following the other after an interval of 10-15 days. The average yield of the crop in the district is 900-1,000 lbs. This is one of the most important rotation crops in sugar-cane cultivation. The expenditure averages Rs. 250-300, and the income, Rs. 500-700, thereby leaving a net income of Rs. 250-400 per acre.
Deccan Hemp.
Deccan Hemp (ambadi) also known as Brown Hemp, is one of the fibre crops and occupied 240 acres in the district, in 1956-57. It is used both as an oil-seed and as a fibre crop. It is sown in June-July and mixed usually with bajri. The young sour leaves of ambadi are used as a vegetable and the seed is chiefly used for oil. The bark of the ambadi plant yields valuable fibre which is separated from the stalk by soaking. It is made into ropes which can be put to various uses.
Bombay Hemp.
Bombay Hemp or sann hemp (tag) occupied 694 acres in the district Bombay Hemp. in 1956-57, Karad taluka being prominent (596 acres). It is sown in June-July and ripens in August-September. Its leaves provide excellent manure, hence, the ripe crop is left standing in the field for about a month.
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