68
2. The definitions given by Dr. Prain might be
accepted for this State and Southern Mahratta
country generally. The words subji, siddhi and
patti are not in use here. The word bhang is in
use here, but it is synonymous with ganja. There
is no bhang here as is found in Northern India.
Round ganja is not made in this part of the
country. Chur is called here gadada.
3, 4, 5 and 6. The wild hemp plant is not
found in this part of the country, and therefore
these questions need no answer.
7. The hemp plant is cultivated in this part for
the production of ganja only. No cultivation is
made for (b), ( c ) and ( d), The hemp plant is
cultivated in the Jath State at Kumbhari,
Bagewadi, Báj, Belunki, Yeldari, Jath, Jangalgi,
Boblad, Aukla, and at Kharsundi* (Aundh State),
Mhaswad* and Lengre* of the Satara district, and
Morale* of Miraj Junior.
The total extent of hemp cultivation in this
State is about 30 acres. I have no means of
ascertaining the acreage under hemp cultivation
in the villages marked * in the above list. But I
can say from a reference to statements of crops
given in the Annual Report of the Director of
Land Records and Agriculture, 1889-90, that in
the surrounding British districts of Satara,
Bijapur and Belgaum 368, 1, and 2 acres are,
respectively, under the hemp cultivation.
8. From the statistics to hand I find that there
has been an increase in the area under hemp cultiva
-
tion; because the soil and the climate of the
western portion of Jath are favourable for its culti
-
vation, and the produce pays very well. The
increase has been since the past seven or eight years.
There has been greater demand for ganja, and
hence the increase.
9. The land called Marul (mixture of red earth
with white) is generally selected for ganja culti
-
vation. The site thus selected is well ploughed
and manured with cowdung and then it is
harrowed several times. The seed is not preserved
here, but is brought from the Khanapur taluka
of the Satara district. I am informed that the
ganja seed from Ahmednagar is considered the
best ; and the Khanapur cultivators bring it from
that district. The sowing operation commences
as soon as the rain periods called Punarwasu and
Pushia set in—that is, in the month of July. It is
popularly believed that the July (Punarwasu and
Pushia) rains are favourable for the raising of
ganja crop. Ganja cultivators are, therefore, on
the alert not to lose this favourable opportunity.
The seed is sown by means of tiffan or drill plough.
On the plants attaining the height of nearly six or
nine inches, weeding operation begins. In the
event of the plants growing too closely, they are
thinned and carefully weeded out. The method
of transplantation of ganja is not known in this
State. If the rainfall is scarce and inopportune,
the plants are watered by well irrigation twice a
week. To favour the upward growth, the lower
branches are lopped off. Trimming of the plants
commences by November. The ganja plot is
again harrowed and all weeds are removed.
At this stage the plants begin to flower, when
the services of an expert are called into
requisition. At this juncture all the stami
-
nate or male plants must be cut down and re
-
moved. This work can only be done by an expert,
who is paid at least Rs. 10 a month during the
time his services are employed. He is called
Parakhdar, because he examines all the plants
and carefully takes away all the male plants till
they disappear altogether.
10. There is not a separate class of persons
who cultivate hemp. But those among the agri
-
culturists who have means of cultivating the hemp
plant do so.
11. Never in this part of the country.
12. No.
13. In this province the cultivation of the hemp
plant for ganja appears to have been restricted to
the districts in the plain country, that is, districts
of the Deccan, the Southern Mahratta country, and
Khandesh. The climate and situation of these parts
appear favourable to the growth of hemp plant for
ganja. As in the coast districts the hemp plant is
not at all cultivated, the cultivation does not seem
common to all districts. Hot climate, friable loamy
soil, rain periods, viz ., Pushia and Punarwasu, etc.,
are the special conditions for the cultivation of
hemp plant for ganja. In this portion of this
State and generally where there is deep black soil
as in the Dón valley its cultivation for ganja
seems impossible.
14. Ganja is prepared from the hemp plant in
this State at the following places:—
(1) Kumbhari, (2) Bagewadi, (3) Báj, (4) Be
-
lunki, (5) Jath, (6) Yeldari, (7) Jangalgi, (8)
Boblad, and (9) Anklé. And, so far as I know,
this article is prepared also in the villages of
the neighbouring States and British districts.
These places are as follows:
—
Lengre, Mahaswad and Kharsundi, etc.
The extent of the produce of ganja in this State
is 150 maunds (80 tolas=1 seer and 40 seers=1
maund).
(b) and (c) are not prepared in this part of the
country.
15. The wild hemp plant is not met with in
this part of the country, and therefore the follow
-
ing particulars of the method of the preparation
relate to the cultivated plant only. When crop is
ready for reaping, a piece of ground, about 9 feet
long, is cleaned and well cowdunged. On this
place the unfertilized flowering tops of the hemp
plant are heaped. This heap is trodden by men for
16 times every day. At the end of every fourth
time, the heap is turned upside down. This
operation goes on for four days successively. This
operation brings narcotic properties in the stuff,
which is then termed ganja.
(A) Smoking. Before ganja is put into a pipe
it is rubbed in the palm of the hand with a few
drops of water ; and is then well pressed between
two palms of the hands so as to remove all water
and make it sticky.
(B) Eating. For this purpose a preparation is
made of ganja which is called fakki. The manu
-
facture of fakki is as follows:
—
Ganja is first fried in ghee and then it is mixed
with sugar in equal proportion. In this mixture
the spices, viz., cardamoms, nutmegs, cloves and
poppy seeds are added. Some people eat ganja
mixed with a little jagri.
Another preparation made for eating ganja is
m a j u m .
Ganja is first fried in ghee and
w e l l p o w -
dered. A syrup of sugar is prepared in which the
fried and powdered ganja is mixed. This mixture
is then boiled and stirred until it becomes an adhe
-
sive syrup. This syrup is then poured into a
flat vessel which is kept open in the air. When
the syrup concretes into a thick cake, it is divided
into small parts and made ready for use.
With a view to play practical jokes ganja is
used in the preparation of a dish called bhaji—a