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2 SALT REVENUE DEPARTMENT FOR THE OFFICIAL YEAR 1893-94,
3 setting of the pits, and as there i¢ abundance of brine in them,
4 the next crop will be better, but not as good as it would be
5 could the pits be cleaned out. It is much to be regretted that
6 labour to elean out the pits is unobtainable, as there could be no
7 better time than the present, as the springs are so vigorous and
8 there would be therefore no risk of the pit remaining dry after
9 the water in it had been drawn off to allow of it being cleaned.”
10 “ There is nothing to add to the history of previous years
11 regarding the Kharwal community. With but few exceptions,
12 they are improvident to a degree, difficult to manage, and
13 it is impossible to induce them to take proper care of their
14 own property. I have had considerable difficulty in dealing
15 with them, and have had to force them to provide for the
16 proper setting of their pits. Left to themselves they would do
17 nothing ; they would foolishly spend every rupee they got
18 from us, and when in need of more, borrow against the next
19 crop from the baniahs.at cent. per cent. compound interest. The
20 past was a wonderfully prosperous year for the Kharwals.
21 More salt was taken from them than in any previous year, and
22 their fields gave rich returns.”
23 “The restoration of the two experimental pits was com-
24 pleted during the past year at acost of Rs. 261-8-2, which, added
25 to Rs. 236-11-5 expended in 1892-93, amounts to Rs, 498-3-7.
26 Before the rain fell last year the pit in Bara Sambra was
27 dry, and the other in Chota Sambra contained about 6 inches
28 in depth of strong brine; in neither at that time was
29 there any sign of percolation. After the rain fell both pits
30 were filled with water, and later with brine. . At the present
31 time there is in the Chota Sambra pit nearly 43 feet of strong
32 brine, which in a week or 10 days will be fit to set with
33 morali, sufficient of which, at a cost of Rs. 75, has been pur-
34 chased and stacked at the pit ready for use. This pit is sure
35 to be a success, that is, a large crop of good salt. will ‘in
36 due course be obtained. There is in the Bara Sambra pit about
37 3 feet of strong brine, but it is so rapidly diminishing that
38 it is doubtful whether there is any percolation of brine into
39 the pit. As soon as the brine approaches maturity, it will
40 be set with morali, and may in time produce a crop of salt.
41 So far, then, the experiment is a success, but a success entirely
42 due to the “excessive rain of the year—such rain as is not
43 likely to fall again, and therefore, in my opinion, the ques-
44 tion of the failure or otherwise of the brine, springs is just
45 where it was before these pits were restored.”
46 “The following are figures of the annual rainfall regis-
47 tered at the Pachbadra observatory during the past ten years :—
48 Inches.
49 1884-85 tae ave on ees ow 1571
50 1885-86 ten oy we ee oe §=6. 87
51 1886-87 0 oes wn eee ae =11°68
52 1887-88 me gee pes aee wos 422
53 1888-89 ase tees ~ ase ow B45
54 1889-90 as oe on ae “ee 11-08,
55 1890-91 és on ia a we 805
56 1891-92 se yee sia a we 987
57 1892-93 we ees anery wee oo 18°48 +
58 4893-94 Joe ae ese see ove 48°41
59 Average ae 1412
60 REVIEW BY SECTIONS.
61 PACHBADRA.