REPORT ON SUGARCANE CULTIVATION IN THE TEZPUR LUNATIC ASYLUM.
1. THE c:me experimented with is of two kinds, Maugh and Tell, of which the former is support
to be the better, as it is said to contain most juice. This 1 have not tested, but when the next crop is
ready I will do so.
2. Two plots of land were planted out with cane, one in May 1883, which I shall call A, the
old crop; and the other in May 1884, which I shall call B, the new crop.
3. Plot A.—This was planted in May 1883. The first crop was reaped in Match 1884. A short
report was written along with the annual report of the Asylum for 1884. This plot is 1 bigha 4
kathas 17 lechas and 3 koras in area. The second crop was taken off from 8th to 2b'th January 1885,
and occupied the insanes altogether 19 days in cutting, crushing, and converting into goor. Altogether
13,700 canes were cut off this plot, equal to 274 bundles of 50 canes each, from which 220-i- ghuras of
juice were extracted, 'ihe ghvra is the ordinary ghura used by the natives for holding water.
From those 220^ ghuras of juice 27 ghuras of goor were obtained, each ghuvah containing on an
average 16 seers of goor. Besides the goor obtained, 53 bundles of roots, each bundle containing 50
roots, or altogether 2,650 roots, were cut and planted in beds ready to be transplanted into a new plot
of land to the north-east of the Asylum when the proper times comes, which is the end of April or
beginning of May.
4. Plot B.—The area of this plot is exactly 1 bigha. It was reaped and the cane crushed, and
goor manufactured from 27th January to 5th February 1885, occupying the insanes for ten days..
This is the first crop off this plot, which was planted in May 1884 from roots obtained from plot A.
The outturn was 163 bundles of canes, each bundle containing 50 canes, equal to 8,150 canes, which
yielded 144 ghuras of juice, from which 17£ ghuras of goor were obtained. Besides this, 65 bundles of
roots, 50 roots in a bundle, or 3,250 roots, were planted in beds, and will be transplanted about the end
of April or beginning of May into a new plot. This transplanting will take place after good rain
has been obtained. The initial cost of A was given in my former notes. The cost during the past
year has simply been the insane labour used in cutting and crushing the cane and boiling down the
juice, which may be reckoned as nil to the Asylum, as this form of labour cannot be estimated. The
cost of plot B has been the roots taken from plot A, which might have been sold at Re. 1 per 300,
or 6 bundles per rupee, plus the hoeing and cultivating of the ground, the cutting and crushing of
the cane, and the boiling down the juice, all of which was done by insane labour, and cost the Asylum
nothing. The only expense incurred was—
Rs. As.
Hire of crushing tnaoliine, @ 4 annas per day
7 4
Cost of ghuras
3 0
,, gamlus to boil juice
..
10 0
Total
20 4
The profit made mav be calculated thus—
Rs. As. P.
44£ ghuras of gur, @ Its. 4 per ghura
177 0 0
118 bundles of cauc-ioots, @ bix bundles per rupee
19 10 8
Total
1% 10 8
From this must be deducted the amount really expended, i.«., Rs. 20-4, leaving a balance of
Rs. 176-6-8. A great part of this is used in the Asylum, as gur is used instead of sugar, and the
roots are used for new land. Altogether, this cultivation is very profitable "to the Asylum. Plot A has
just been planted with dhu dhdn, as the sugarcane had two crops off it, and was useless for
further cane-growing.
The weight of cane and cane-juice was unfortunately not kept, but care will be taken to do so in
future.
R. N. CAMPBELL, M.B., Surgeon,
Superintendent, Tezpur Lunatic Asylum.
NOTES ON CULTIVATION OF AHU DHAN.
The plot of land is the same as that mentioned in the report on sugar cultivation, and is there
called plot A. Its area is 1 bigha 4 kathas 17 lechas 3 koras. The ground was cleared and hoed in
March and the dhdn sown in the beginning of April. The quantity used in sowing was 24 seers,,
which cost Re. 1. The labour of preparing the ground, sowing, and reaping was all carried on by
insane labour. Reaping was begun in August, and the total production obtained was 10 maunds,
which was sold at Re. 1-4 per maund; this realising altogether Rs. 20.
The cost was—
Rs. As.
Pure-base of dhdn
1 0
Insaue labour
1 0
By sale of 10 maundfi.,
20 0
Profit
19 0
R. N. CAMPBELL, M.n., Surgeon,
Superintendent, Tezpur Lunatic Art/lum.