237
8, 9 and 10. No cultivation to my knowledge
in Bhagalpur.
11. I never heard of this.
12. No reason to suppose this.
15. I n e v e r h e a r d of a n y o n e u s i n g t he w i l d I n Bhagalpur I know that a slightly
intoxicating drink is made from steeping the
leaves in water, and I know that some prepara-
tion of the resinous substance is used in sweet-
meats by the better class of Hindus.
16. I never heard of any one using the wild
bhang for smoking.
23. No, not to my knowledge.
24. They drink it in Bhagalpur.
See my
answer 3.
25. I should say not.
29. No, I do not know bhang massala.
42. From what I heard at Bhagalpur I was led
to the belief that the preparations of bhang for
drinking and for the sweetmeat majum are quite
harmless and very mildly intoxicating.
43. No.
51. I should say it does not influence crime
one way or the other. I mean concerted crime.
53 Excessive use of ganja may incite to unpre-
meditated crime.
87. Evidence of MR. W. C. FASSON, District Superintendent of Police, Bogra.
1. As District Superintendent of Police of
Bogra, in parts of which ganja is cultivated, in
which also the wild bhang grows; by enquiries
from Police officers and Babu Kasi Chunder
Guho, Officiating Inspector, who has long experi-
ence of Bogra District; and by enquiry from
cultivators.
2. Flat ganja is called "chepti"; round ganja
is called "gol". The formation of seeds is not
entirely prevented. Seeds may be seen in the
manufactured article, and cultivators say they get
a sufficient quantity each year for the next year's
sowings. Round ganja, after being rolled under
foot, is squeezed by hand; and it is not dried so
long as flat ganja. Yes, the definitions may be
accepted, but charas does not appear to be produced,
or rather preserved, separately; and chur, locally,
is only accidentally produced by breakage.
3. In the south of Dinajpur District ganja is
cultivated (e.g., Mahadebpur Thana) and in the
Nawabganj and Adamdighi thanas of Bogra dis-
trict. The wild hemp grows generally in sandy
soils in these districts.
4. Bhang, sidhi and patti appears to be the
names used. I gather that the wild plant so called
is the same as that which is cultivated, but is
different in appearance, because, probably, of the
extirpation of male plants among the latter.
5. A sandy soil is necessary, and excessive rain-
fall is injurious. Both wild and cultivated plants
appear to require these conditions, for the former
is not to be found in clay or sticky soils.
6. I am informed that it is dense.
7. In this district it is cultivated for the pro-
duction of ganja only. The wild hemp is used for
bhang.
8. I have no information.
9. The land used for ganja must be repeatedly
ploughed between Falgun and Bhadra months; it
must be sandy; it is only used once in four years
for ganja, sursa being the only advantageous
alternate crop; and it is manured with cow-dung
and the refuge "sursa" plant in Choitra and
in Bhadra. The above refers to the land on which
the plants are raised from seed. Sowing takes
place in Bhadra, and in Assin. When the plant
is about six weeks old, it is transplanted into land
that has been well ploughed, but not manured.
Manure is scattered over this ground after the
transplanting is effected. Flowers appear about
the month of Paus, and, in* Magh, the "poddars"
visit the lands to pick out "bhang from ganja,"
* Some villagers said that the poddars could do their work in
Kartik.
as the villagers put it. Any wild hemp found
growing near the land is at once exterminated.
10. They are not a separate class.
11. The villagers say that they collect the seeds
which fall in the process of manufacture, for the
next year's sowing.
12. I have no such information,
13. In this district. It is restricted to the
thanas of Adamdighi and Nawabganj. Other
parts of the district would be suitable, but are
more distant from Naogaon.
14. Ganja and bhang are used and prepared
in Bogra, but ganja only from the cultivated
plant.
15. The methods of preparation in use are (1)
for flat ganja; (2) for round ganja; and (3) for
bhang or siddhi.
(1) The cultivated ganja, having flowered,
is cut down close to the ground (i. e.)
stalks, leaves and flowers are taken
in Falgun.
It is then arranged
in circular heaps (each plant radiat-
ing from the centre of the circle, the
flowers being near the circumference)
upon a bamboo mat; and another mat
being placed on the heap, weights are
placed on it, or the members of the
cultivator's household sit on it, so
that the heap of plants is subjected to
considerable pressure for one day.
(The above process is adopted after
one day of sun drying). The heap is
rearranged, each plant being turned
upside down, and is again pressed (on
the third day) between the two mats.
The resin is washed off the mats, and
then the plants are arranged in long
shallow heaps (on a series of mats),
and over these the cultivator, his
family, and any friends he can impress
into his service, walk up and down,
treading the plant into the flat con-
dition which makes it "chepti" or
flat ganja.
(2) Round ganja is only dried for half-a-day,
is not pressed between mats, and,
instead of; being trodden on and
flattened, is rolled under foot and then
compressed in the hands. In both
cases the leaves remain on the stalks
till the process is complete, and are