4
seems to be certain that the local production of ganja has of late years very
considerably decreased.
8. In the Punjab the Himalayan cultivation resembles that of the North-
Western Provinces, and in the south-west angle of the province there is a small
amount of cultivation for the production of bhang, and the desultory cultiva-
tion of a few plants is a widespread practice. There is no legal prohibi-
tion to the growth of hemp. It is probably, however, discouraged by the
fact that the sale of the produce is under regulation. Ganja is not smoked
in the Punjab, its place being taken by charas. The evidence and other
papers do not show that the cultivation is other than stationary. In no Native
State in the Punjab is there any artificial restriction on the cultivation of hemp.
9. In the Central Provinces a system of licensing cultivation has been in
force since 1873-74. Regular cultivation has been chiefly carried on in the
two districts of Nagpur and Nimar, but up to 1878 licenses for the cultiva-
tion of small areas were also granted in twelve other districts. Since 1890-91
i t h a s b e e n r e s t r i c t e d t o t h e w e s t e r n h a l f o f t h e K h a n d w a t a h s i l o f t h e
Nimar district. The normal area under cultivation is about 950 acres, and it
has exceeded 1,000 acres only in four years. There may be some desultory
and illicit cultivation in gardens and backyards, but it is never found in
open fields. In the Feudatory States the cultivation is not allowed, but there
may be some illicit cultivation, as in British territory.
10. In Madras accurate figures are not available and no accounts are kept;
but the cultivation of the plant is not prohibited. It is impossible to arrive at
any definite conclusion as to whether the area of regular cultivation tends to in-
crease or decrease. The area under regular cultivation in 1893-94 was given
as 345.25 acres. In the hill tracts there is no formal restriction of cultiva-
tion, and cultivators are allowed to sell the produce to licensed dealers. In
the Madras States the plant is found uncultivated in Travancore, and there
is reason to believe that the spontaneous growth is associated intimately
with cultivation, and that home cultivation may be presumed in all the States,
though it is more common in Travancore than elsewhere.
11. In Bombay the regular cultivation of hemp is carried on in the districts
of Ahmednagar and Satara, and there is a small amount of cultivation in
seven other districts. The cultivation is not burdened with any regular tax or
license. Home cultivation is rare. Since 1889-90 cultivation has shown a
steady decrease. In the Native States under Bombay there is no uniformity of
system. In Sind the normal area of cultivation is 350 acres, and there has been
a remarkable falling-off in late years in the Karachi district and the
K h a i r - p u r S t a t e . I n B e r a r t h e c u l t i v a t i o n o f t h e h e m p p l a n t w a s n o t r e s t r i c t e d t i l l
1875, in which year a license fee of R8, irrespective of area, was introduced.
In 1884 the license fee was raised to R10 per acre. The cultivation is in--
significant, and is now confined to three districts. In the last three years there
has been a tendency for the cultivation to increase, owing to the fact that
the present production is not sufficient for the home market.
12 . In Burma it does not appear that Burmans were ever given to the use of
the hemp drugs, and there is on the whole evidence that cultivation is efficiently
checked in the settled districts, though there is still some cultivation; and in
the Kachin and Shan Hills there is cultivation for home consumption, and
some quantity is smuggled into the settled country.
In Ajmere cultivation is very small, though it is under no restriction.
In Mysore the cultivation is prohibited in the station of Bangalore, but is
allowed elsewhere under license. The area of cultivation is inconsiderable and
the local production quite insignificant.
In Hyderabad no license is required for cultivation, but the produce
must be sold to the farmer of the monopoly. There are about 350 acres
under cultivation.
In Baroda there is very little cultivation.
In Coorg cultivation is allowed under license, but no one undertakes it
openly.
In Baluchistan the plant is not cultivated to any great extent.
In Kashmir the wild plant satisfies all requirements, and so it is said to do in
Nepal, though there is some evidence of cultivation in Nepal, as from 25 to 50
maunds of Nepal charas are imported into Lucknow.