KULITTALAI TALUK.
The Kulittalai taluk lies to the south of the Cauvery in the south-west of the district. For the most part, it is a fairly level plain broken here and there by isolated hills, but in the south rise some clusters and fairly continuous rang-es of larger heights. The branch of the South Indian Railway from Trichinopoly to Erode runs along its northern border parallel with the Cauvery.
The taluk is the largest but most sparsely populated in the district. It contains 40 square miles of forest, and 21 square miles of cultivable waste belonging to Government. Of the assessed area, 50 square miles are irrigated, 23 from wells, 20 from Government channels and 7 from tanks. The dry land is poor, as much as 83 per cent, of it being assessed at a rupee or less per acre, and only one per cent, at over two rupees. The wet land is of better quality. The soil is nearly all red, and there is very little black or alluvial land. The land revenue is the smallest in the district, and the taluk is poor, the incidence of the income-tax being very light. Cholam is the most important crop, but rice, varagu, cambu, and ragi all cover large areas, and horse-gram, yellow gram, gingelly and castor are far more widely grown than in most other taluks. Other statistics will be found in the separate Appendix.
A well-known cattle-fair is held at Irumbudippatti, hamlet of Sivayam, from which sheep and goats are exported to Colombo. Weaving of a good class is carried on to a fair extent at Kulittalai, Lalpettai and Nangapuram, and a few Odakkarans make good mats at Mayanur and Katlai, the work at the latter of these being held in some repute. Brass vessels are largely manufactured at Tuvarankurichi, and bells and ornaments of bell-metal are made by a few smiths at Vengampatti, hamlet of Karuppattur. There are two wood-carvers and one stone-cutter at Kulittalai. Togaraalai is well known for its manufacture of margosa oil, and glass bangles are made in considerable quantities at ValanAdu and at Edayapatti, hainlet of Puttdnattam. The Manmgtipuri and Kadavur zamindaris are ancient pAlaiyams with histories of some interest. These and other places are referred to in the following
