Classification of Agricultural Land in Morni

MELVILL’s 19^th CENTURY CLASSIFICATION OF AGRICULTURAL LAND IN MORNI

KOOLAHOO

Land watered from kools (i.e., small water-courses from a stream etc.). Such land was ploughed.

BARANEE (OBUR)

Land ‘dependent on the heavens’ for moisture (rain-fed)

TODUH

Land built up into small and narrow hanging fields (bughuree) that were piled one above the other. Land was ploughed.

KHEEL

Land broken up on the high slopes of the hills after cutting down and burning of jungle and mingling of ashes with the soil. Such land was rarely ploughed and instead it was dug with a ‘kusee’ (small hoe).  It then lay fallow for a period varying from three to twenty years.

AVUL

Land that was free from stones, was manured and produced well

DOYUM

Land was dry, stony and did not produce much

FIRST KHEEL

The hill side was not very steep and the soil was deeper because of lesser erosion- crops could be grown at lesser intervals

SECOND KHEEL

The slope was sharp and the soil was washed away with rain- a longer interval was necessary between crops