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(b) Jammalamadugu Taluk—(1) Gandicota.
• (c) Pulivendala Taluk—(1) Vempalli.
The cultivation in Cuddapah town is for home
consumption only : in other places it is cultivated
for sale : between four and five acres in Cuddapah
Taluk form the area of the present cultivation.
I hear that in Jammalamadugu and Pulivendala
it is between seven and eight acres.
8. There has been considerable decrease in the
extent of cultivation owing to (a) personal annoy-
ance, (b) pecuniary loss since the introduction of
taxation.
(a) Personal annoyance.
Prior to the introduction of tax for ganja there
was a cultivation of larger area ranging from 20
to 25 acres in the different places. The raiyat
was then at liberty to sell the drug to whomsoever
he liked and had not the worry and annoyance of
the contractors and the subordidate police as well.
The raiyat is now at the mercy of the contractor
to whom alone he is bound to sell at whatever
price he may fix, which is generally low. If the
raiyat does not agree to the terms, the contractor
has recourse to other places, leaving the local
commodity to rot, which results in loss to the
raiyat. The contractor gains the good-will of the
police and begins to harass the raiyat on the
pretext of smuggling, which sometimes may not
altogether be without foundation. There would
appear to have been a very close check by the
contractor upon the outturn of the product. The
raiyat heaps up the bales pending sale sometimes
in open place and other times in his house. If
from natural or other cause, such as damage by
rain and dampness and destruction by insects and
rats the raiyat removes the damaged portion and
throws it away, advantage is taken of the circum-
stance by the contractor who at once harasses the
raiyat by dragging him to court for smuggling.
Now, the police rush in. if the raiyat comes to
terms, the matter is dropped ; otherwise a case is
made out and the unfortunate raiyat has to under-
go the ordeal of a trial and to take his lot.
(b) Pecuniary loss.
The average outturn of a fair crop is said to be
40 bales per acre. Formerly each bale fetched
Rs. 3 to 4 owing to competition and freedom of
trade, but now it has fallen to from 14 annas to
Rs. 3 for reasons stated above. Further, the crop
has to be raised on a bhagayati or garden land
which is far superior to ordinary dry land. It is
an eight-month crop, which may profitably be
substituted by two dry crops and all annoyance
may thus be saved.
9. The ground is very well manured and ploughed
at the fall of the first shower, and after the
fall of the next shower it is sown by means of
seed-drills. For every two months it is weeded.
Between the 4th and 6th months, male plants
appear. These are removed as they are discovered.
The crop is occasionally watered whenever suffi-
cient moisture is wanting. On the 8th mouth it is
cut.
1 0 . N o . Y e s .
13. The cultivation is not restricted, but still it
is not carried on in all the villages. Only garden
lands of ordinary fertility are selected.
14. Ganja and bhang are prepared as explained
in answer to Question 2. Charas is not prepared
here. The extent to which ganja is prepared has
already been stated in the answer to Question 8.
1 5 . T h e r e i s n o w i l d h e m p h e r e . T h e m e t h o d
of preparing ganja (cultivated) has already been
explained.
A. Smoking.—There is no special preparation
for this. The consumer takes a small quantity
of ganja, cleans it with water five or six times,
then rubs it well on his palm until it forms into
a spongy substance, mixes it with tobacco in the
proportion of two to one, and puts it into a pipe
and smokes. This preparation is called sukka.
B. Eating. —There are three preparations for
eating, namely :—(1) Majum, (2) Ganja halwa,
(3) Bhangdalli.
1. Majum.—Prepare treacle or molasses out of
jaggery or sugar and mix with it cleaned ganja
in the proportion of 4 to 1 ; stir up the two
together till the ganja is well broken into small
pieces and becomes mixed up with the treacle ;
then cool it. It will become solid and fit for con-
sumption. This preparation is made and sold by
the contractor in small pieces.
2. Ganja halwa. —Take a convenient quantity
of ganja, remove the seeds, wash it five or six
times, and then put it into a pan and boil it in
water. In the course of boiling add a small
quantity of broken poppy-heads; when both are
well cooked add ghee. The essence of ganja and
poppy is drawn into the ghee which is extracted
and secured in a jug. Again a treacle of sugar or
jaggery is prepared with which spices, kas kas,
almond and dried grapes are mixed. A small
quantity of the prepared ghee above referred to is
then added, and the whole is properly stirred up
and cooled. This is called ganja halwa.
3. Bhangdalli.—Meat, ghee and bhang cooked
together mixed with ordinary curry massala
forms bhangdalli.
C. Drinking.—The preparation of ganja for
drinking purposes is called here subji. It is pre-
pared as follows :—Remove the seeds and sticks
from the ganja, and take it—or if bhang leaves are
available, take it—wash either six or seven times
to remove the sticky substance, grind it well with
water, make it into a pulp, get bhang massala
consisting of dry ginger, pepper, sopu, cardamoms
and rose buds, and grind all these into a pulp ;
mix the two pulps together and add sugar or
jaggery, milk, plantain fruit and spices accord-
ing to the taste, convenience and means of the
consumer.
16. (a) Yes.
(b) I do not know if it can be prepared from
the hemp plant wherever grown.
(c) I know nothing about the wild ganja.
17. (1) The respectable class of the consumers
who belong to almost all sections of the commu-
nity have generally recourse to majum and halwa
above referred to. (2) The hermit class, consist-
ing of fakirs and sanyasis, smoke. (3) The others
• take to all the preparations according to their
means and convenience.
18. Ganja and bhang leaves can be preserved
for a year with ordinary care by occasional expo-
sure to the sun. After a year their properties are
diminished. I know of no measures which can
prevent deterioration.
19. Ganja is not only used for smoking, but
also for the various purposes noted above. Charas
is not available here.
20. What class of people smoke ganja is detailed
in the answer to question 17. From what I
have been able to gather, it may be said that about
5 per cent. of the population smoke ganja. There