1105. In 1905-06, cotton covered 476,000 acres or 34 per cent. of the cropped area, juar 423,000 acres or 30 per cent., wheat 2111,000 acres or 15 per cent., linseed 67,000 acres or 5 per cent., arhar 115,000  acres or 6 per cent., and till, rice and tiura between 20,000 and 30,000 acres ach. At settlement wheat and juar were of equivalent importance covering each 25 per cent. of the cropped area, while cotton and linseed occupied 12 per cent. each. The District thus had four staple crops, while it may now almost be said to depend on two.

Cotton (Gossypium) is the most important crop in the District and at present the source of its especial prosperity. The area under it has increased from 70,000 acres in 1863 t o140,000 at the settlement of 1892-94 and t 476,000 in 1905-06. In recent years the increase in this crop has been extraordinary as shown by the following figures:- 1897-98, 125,000; 1899-1900,159,000; 1900-01, 238,000; 1902-03, 303,000; 1903-04, 365,000; 1904-05, 404,000 acres. The principal variety is that known as jari, a mixture of our varieties G. neglected varsvera, malvensis, Roseua and Culchica. Its lint is strong but short and coarse; it gives a larger outturn than the other varieties and the plants are also more vigorous and hardy. The comparatively long-stapled variety known as bani (Gossypum indium) of which seed was distributed by Mr. Fuller in 1887. The leaves are large and entire, not divided into segments, and it is said to have a white and pink flower. The people do not grow it willingly as they say that the  outturn of lint is small compared to jari. Hinganghat bani will produce counts of yarn of 40’s and jari of 10’s and 12’s, though the cotton is frequently used for spinning lower counts than those of which it is capable. Bani has a staple of 7/8ths of an inch and jari of ½ to 3/4 this.