236
REPORT OF THE INDIAN HEMP DRUGS COMMISSION, 1893-94.
[APP.
NOTE BY MR. B. ROBERTSON, DEPUTY COMMISSIONER, NIMAR, ON CULTI-
VATION AND PREPARATION OF GANJA IN NIMAR.
Locality and climate.
Ganja is grown in 60 or 70 villages in Nimar. The cultivation is confined to the west-
ern half of the Khandwa Tahsil. The rainfall at Khandwa
may be taken as an average for this tract. During the last
25 years this average has been 32.76.
Soil.
2. The soils in which ganja is grown are known locally
as—
" Pandhar "—land near the village abadi, which is largely mixed with ashes and sweep-
ings from the village (see Nimar Settlement Report, paragraph 307).
" Mand "—a light yellow alluvium previous to moisture (see for description, Nimar
Settlement Report, paragraphs 13 and 306).
" Kali"—black soil.
The first two are the best. In very wet seasons, the third kind retains too much mois-
ture near the surface.
Seed.
3. Seed is raised in the villages of Karki, Punjhria, and Chhirbel in this district. But
the best seed comes from Dhakalgaon in Holkar's territory.
The latter gives a stouter and more branching plant than
the local seed. Both seeds are used all over the ganja-growing tract, but Dhakalgaon ganja
is more specially produced towards Dhangaon in the north. The price of ordinary seed is
8 annas a ser and of Dhakalgaon Re. 1. The production of the latter is limited, and it is
much sought after and is therefore high-priced.
Ploughing and manuring.
4. The land is plentifully manured about every third year. There is no rotation of crops,
ganja being grown in the same fields year after year. The
manuring takes place in April or May. The manure is
spread on the surface, and mixed with the soil by " bakharing." There are in all two plough-
ings and two " bakharings " before the soil is ready for the seed.
Sowing.
5. Sow ing takes place about 15 days after the rains have broken. The seed is sown by
means of a hollow bamboo used along with a " bakhar."
There is no transplantation in Nimar. The seed germinates
in three or four days after sowing.
Weeding.
6. Weeding is commenced about 20 days after sowing. A hoe (kolpa) drawn by a pair
of bullocks is passed along the furrows to clean the space
between the rows of plants. Ordinarily this bullock " hoe-
ing " takes place twice. The spaces between the plants are cleaned by means of a " khurpi,"
or small hand-hoe. About the same time, the lower leaves of the plants are broken off,
leaving the lower part of the stem bare.
The whole of this weeding and cleaning process
goes on for about a month.
Eradication of male and useless plants.
7. Next takes place the eradication of the male and certain other useless plants. The
word used is "parakh," meaning examination. The first
plant eradicated is the male, known as " naria" or "bhangra."
Then comes another plant called "adnaria," a hermaphrodite showing signs of both sexes.
Other plants are known as "seoria" and "moria,"
both of which are generally uprooted.
The " moria" is, until 15 days or so before cutting, undistinguishable from the female plant.
The flower of the female plant never opens, while the "moria" flower at this time assumes
a yellowish or reddish tinge and opens out. A certain amount of ganja can be obtained from
the "moria" plant, and it is sometimes allowed to stay on in a crop of "mal" or good
ganja. It possesses the faculty of fertilising itself, for it produces a seed, the result of sowing
which is a crop of nothing but " moria " plants. It is needless to state that it is ruthlessly
weeded out of ganja which is being grown for seed.
The "párakh" process begins about a month after sowing. About this time both the
male and female plants begin to flower. All the cultivators possess the faculty of recognising
the noxious and useless plants, and no special class is employed for the purpose. The male
and " adnaria" plants first manifest themselves. " Moria " plants, as has been noted, are not
distinguishable until shortly before the crop is ripe.
Watering.
8. In September, three months after sowing, the crop is irrigated. Three waterings are
given at intervals of 10 to 14 days.