REPORT OF THE Agricultural Research Institute and College, Pusa (Including the Report of the Imperial Cotton Specialist) 1912-13 CALCUTTA SUPERINTENDENT GOVERNMENT PRINTING, INDIA 1914 Price 7 annas or 8d. REPORT OF THE Agricultural Research Institute and College, Pusa {Including the Report of the Imperial Cotton Specialist) 1912-13 n-? CALCUTTA SUPERINTENDENT GOVERNMENT PRINTING, INDIA 1914 Aft N 71 'hf TABLE OF CONTENTS I. Report of the Director, Agricultural Research Institute and College, Pusa — I. Charge and Staff II. Work of the Institute III. Publications IY. General Administration V. Accounts VI. Visitors . II. Report of the Imperial Agriculturist — I. Administration and Tours II. Farm Cultivation III. Live-stock and Poultry IV. Pastures .... V. Clearing and Levelling . VI. Programme of work for 1913-14 III. Report of the Imperial Agricultural Chemist I. Administration and Tours II. Education III. Meteorology IV. Soil problems . V. Saltpetre VI. Sugar VII. Milk VIII. Programme of work for 1913-14 IX. Publications IV. Report of the Imperial Economic Botanist — I. Teaching, Training and Staff . II. Wheat Investigations .... Distribution of Pusa wheats in India Breeding ...... III. Other Investigations .... Tobacco ...... Gram ...... Page 1 3 5 6 8 9 11 ia 13 14 14 15 16 17 17 •20 22 22 23 24 24 26 26 26 35 36 36 38 11 IV. Fibres Methods of pollination Indigo Work done in Europe V. The development of the fruit industry of Baluchistan Fruit and Agricultural Experiment Station Renovation of a neglected fruit garden Packing Experiments Future Work VI. Programme and publications . V. Report of the Imperial Mycologist — I. Charge and Establishment II. Training ..... III. Diseases of Plants . IV. Systematic Work V. Programme of work for 1913-14 VI. Publications .... VI. Report of the Imperial Entomologist — I. Charge and Establishment II. Training . III. Research IV. Insect Survey . V. Provincial Work VI. Special Investigations VII. Demonstration VIII. Correspondence IX. Visitors X. Programme of work for 1913-14 XI. Publications .... VII. Report of the Imperial Pathological Entomologist — I. Administration II. Veterinary Work III. Agricultural Work . IV. Medical Work V. Programme of work for 1913-14 VIII. Report of the Imperial Agricultural Bacteriologist — I. Administration and Tours .... Page 38 38 38 39 43 43 46 48 50 52 55 55 55 67 67 68 70 71 71 71 72 73 74 75 75 76 76 78 78 79 80 83 84 Ill II. Soil Bacteriology .... III. Special Enquiries .... IV. Programme of work for 1913-14 Y. Publications ..... IX. Eeport of the Imperial Cotton Specialist — I. Charge and Tours .... II. Cotton in the Provinces: — • (a) North -West Frontier Province (b) Punjab (c) United Provinces (d) Central Provinces (e) Madras (/) Bombay III. Valuations IV. Programme of work for 1913-14 Page 85 90 9a 92 93 93 94 99 100 101 106 118 119 Report of the Agricultural Research Institute and College, Pusa, {Including the Report of the Imperial Cotton Specialist) 1912-13, REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR (James Mackenna, M.A., I.C.S.) I. — Charge and Staff. Charge. — Mr. Bernard Coventry, who was, on the 14th June 1912, appointed a Companion of the Most Eminent Order of the Indian Empire, held charge of the office of Agricultural Adviser to the Government of India and Director, Agricultural Research Institute, Pusa, up to the 6th March 1913, when he proceeded on ten months' combined leave, and I was appointed to officiate for him. Mr. A. C. Dobbs, Assistant to the Agricultural Adviser to the Government of India, returned on the 4th November 1912 from the six months' combined leave granted to him. Staff. — The Chemical Section remained in charge of Dr. J. Walter Leather, V.D., Ph.D., F.I.C., throughout the year. Mr. H. E. Annett, B.Sc, M.S.E.A.C., F.C.S., Super- numerary Agricultural Chemist, continued to officiate as Agricultural Chemist, Punjab, until 13th November 1912, when he proceeded on two months and 15 days' privilege leave combined with study leave for ten months and four days. The study leave was granted to enable him to 2 REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH take a course in Biological Chemistry at Cambridge Univer- sity or some other institution and visit Agricultural Experiment Stations in England and Germany in order to keep in touch with the most recent work, and incidentally to improve his knowledge of German. Mr. A. Howard, M.A., A.R.C.S., F.L.S., held charge of the Botanical Section up to the 28th April 1913, when he proceeded on six months' combined leave. Mrs. Howard. M.A., his Personal Assistant, accompanied him. From 8th May to 26th September 1912, Mr. and Mrs. Howard were, as in the previous two years, at Quetta in connection with the development of the Fruit Industry in Baluchistan, an arrangement the continuation of which for a further period of three years (i.e., up to the end of 1916) has been sanc- tioned by the Secretary of State for India. During their absence, the Second Assistant of the section has held charge of current duties at Pusa and the Third Assistant of the current duties at Quetta. During the year under report. Mrs. Floward was awarded the Kaisar-i-Hind Medal of the First Class for public service in India. Dr. E. J. Butler, M.B., F.L.S., resumed charge of the Mycological Section on his return from privilege leave on July 7th, 1912. Mr. F. J. F. Shaw, B.Sc, A.R.C.S., F.L.S., Supernu- merary Mycologist, was transferred to Coimbatore on April 21st, 1913, to act as Government Mycologist, Madras. The Entomological Section was in charge of Mr. A. J. Grove, M.Sc, Supernumerary Entomologist, till 29th July 1912, when Mr. H. Maxwell-Lefroy, the Imperial Entomologist, returned from leave. Mr. Lefroy, however, resigned his post on the 30th November 1912 and Mr. Grove was appointed to officiate as Imperial Entomologist. Mr. T. Bainbrigge Fletcher, R.N., F.E.S., Entomologist to the Government of Madras, has been nominated for appoint- ment as Imperial Entomologist. He will take up his duties at Pusa as soon as his successor arrives in Madras. INSTITUTE AND COLLEGE, PUSA, FOR 1912-13. 3 Mr. F. M. Howlett, B.A., F.E.S., continued in charge of the Pathological Entomological Section throughout the year except for a month and a half in September and Octo- ber 1912 when he was on privilege leave. The Bacteriological Section was in charge of Mr. C. M. Hutchinson, B.A., throughout the year excepting three weeks in September-October 1912, when he was on privilege leave. Mr. J. Hugh Walton, B.A., B.Sc, joined the staff as Supernumerary Agricultural Bacteriologist on 25th Octo- ber 1912. The Agricultural Section continued in charge of Mr. S. Milligan, M.A., B.Sc, throughout the year with the excep- tion of one month in September 1912, when he was on privilege leave. None of the Supernumerary Agriculturists worked at Pusa; Mr. G. D. Mehta, L.Ag., B.A., N.D.A., N.D.D., was under training in the Central Provinces; Mr. N. S. McGowan, Dip. in Agric. (Cantab.), continued to act as Deputy Director of Agriculture, Bihar and Orissa; and Mr. T. Gilbert, B.A., Dip. in Agric. (Cantab.), has been working under the Bombay Government. II. — Work of the Institute. Scientific Work. — An account of the scientific work of the Institute during the year is given in the reports of the several sections. Training. — The training of students on the lines laid down in the Prospectus was continued, and short courses were also given in Cattle management, Sericulture and Lac culture. During the year under report, five students were under training in Agricultural Chemistry. Of these one Govern- ment stipendiary deputed by the Bengal Department of Agriculture, and one private student from the Central Provinces resigned. One Government student deputed by the Agricultural Department of Bihar and Orissa was b 2 4 REPOET OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH recalled for duty at the Agricultural College, Sabour, before the completion of his course. The remaining two students (a Government stipendiary from the Travancore State and a private student from Madras) continued their course. A private student from Madras was admitted to the post-graduate course in Economic Botany on 1st October 1912. The Entomological and Mycological collector deputed by the Agricultural Department of Bihar and Orissa, and referred to in last year's report, was under training in the Mycological Section until August 17th, 1912, when his course was terminated as he was found unfit for further training. In the Entomological Section, the student deputed by the Department of Agriculture, Travancore, continued his training, and a student deputed by the Assam Department of Agriculture was admitted on November 1st, 1912, to the post-graduate course. An Agricultural Assistant of the School of Agriculture, Giza, deputed by the Egyptian Government, was given three months' training in practical Entomology. Besides the regular students mentioned above, the following visitors to the Institute worked in the Entomolo- gical Laboratory during the year : — Dr. L. H. Gough, Entomologist to the Department of Agriculture, Egypt, in September 1912, in connection with the boll-worm parasite. Mr. A. Alfieri of the Khedivial Agricultural Society of Cairo from July to September 1912, in connection with the boll-worm parasite. Lala Bishember Das, Assistant Professor of Biology, Government College, Lahore, from October to December 1912. Lala Madan Mohan Lai, Assistant Professor of Entomology, Agricultural College, Lyallpur, for three weeks during October 1912. INSTITUTE AND COLLEGE, PUSA, FOR 1912-13. 5 The Entomological Assistant of Baroda came to Pusa in April 1913 to discuss the programme of his work for the ensuing year. The Weaving Expert to the Government of Bengal and the Principal of the Weaving School, Benares, inspected the work of the Silk-House at Pusa. A course of instruction in identification, breeding and general observation of Stegomyia was given by the Imperial Pathological Entomologist in July 1912 to Medical Officers engaged in the " Stegomyia Survey." A probationary research Assistant under the Agricul- tural Chemist to the Punjab Government was deputed to this Institute to undergo training for one year in Bacterio- logical methods. He joined the Bacteriological Section on 13th August 1912. As the existence of facilities at Pusa for post-graduate study becomes known, there is a steadily increasing number of enquiries concerning them, and towards the end of the year under report several applications for admission were received from private students. Every encouragement is given to such students, and it is hoped that the thorough training they can obtain at Pusa will enable them, on leav- ing, to secure remunerative employment in the special lines they have taken. During the year under report, 19 students attended the short courses — three in " Cattle management," nine in " Sericulture " and seven in " Lac cultivation." Most of these students came from the Native States of Travancore., Bhopal, Karauli and Mysore. III. — Publications. Publications. — The issue of the Journal, Memoirs and Bulletins was continued. The demand for the Journal and Bulletins, which deal in a popular way with matters of practical interest, is steadily increasing. The Depart- ment published, during the year, 19 Memoirs and 5 Bulletins; against 14 Memoirs and 4 Bulletins in the previous year. The Provincial Departments continue to 6 REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH supply an increasing number of contributions for these publications. The first bacteriological memoir was published during the year, the section having been comparatively recently organised. A Veterinary Series was added to the scientific memoirs of this Department during the year under review, and three issues were published during the year. Two more are in the press. This series of memoirs is open to receive papers from all members of the Civil Veterinary Department and other workers in Veterinary Science in India. It has also been decided to publish as Bulletins of this Institute, veterinary papers which are unsuited for publication in the Agricultural Journal of India or in the veterinary series of scientific memoirs. One such was published as Bulletin No. 32. The Government of India have sanctioned a permanent annual grant of Rs. 29,000 for the agricultural and veterinary publications issued by the Imperial Depart- ment of Agriculture. As a result of the expansion of departments and the greater experience on the part of the staff, the number of publications continues to increase and it has been necessary to exercise the greatest economy in connection with publications. IV. — General Administration. Buildings and Works. — During the year under report the Government of India sanctioned the construction of two additional bungalows for European officers, the exten- sion of the library and the extension of the Director's office building. A proposal to install electric lights and fans in the European bungalows and the Guest House at Pusa, and to work the farm machinery electrically, is under consideration. Library. — The third edition of the catalogue of the library is under preparation. The library is rapidly be- coming overcrowded, and during the year over a thousand volumes have been added, besides several foreign bulletins, INSTITUTE AND COLLEGE, PUSA, FOR 1912-13. 7 memoirs, reports, etc. An ever-increasing number of agri- cultural publications is received in exchange from all parts of the world. Pusa Middle English School. — In November 1912, a Government Middle English School was established within the Pusa Estate for the education of the children of the subordinate staff of the Institute. The school is also open to the public in the surrounding villages. Plans and esti- mates for the school building and for quarters for teachers, are under the consideration of the Government of Bihar and Orissa, and the school is at present located in temporary quarters. As the Middle English School does not meet the requirements of the staff at Pusa, proposals have been submitted to the Government of India for raising the present school to the status of a High School and also for the establishment of a Girls' School at Pusa. General Health of the Station. — The general health of the station during the year under report was, on the whole, very good. Medical relief was afforded to 8,538 new cases of which 8,333 were treated in the out-patients' department of the hospital and 205 were admitted as indoor patients. One hundred and eighty-three cases amongst European officers and their families were attended to. The dailv average number of patients treated was 52-73 outdoor and 9-64 indoor. Three deaths occurred in hospital, one from Debility (old age), one from Empyema and one from Malarial Cachexia. An epidemic of cholera, which broke out in the villages in the immediate vicinity of Pusa during the months of April, May, and June, threatened to be a source of great danger. The disease entered the Estate during the earlier part of the outbreak and one man was attacked, but recovered. Immediate and successful measures were adopted, including the thorough cleansing and disinfection of all the wells on the Estate, to prevent the spread of the disease. 8 REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH One hundred and forty-one surgical operations were performed, of which thirty were major, and one hundred and eleven minor. The number of Estate cases treated for malarial fever was considerably less than during the previous year; this was most probably due to the fact that the inhabitants were more willing than heretofore to take quinine pro- phylactically towards the close of the monsoon. Eleven primary vaccinations and five re-vaccinations were performed during the early part of the year. Lieutenant-Colonel F. J. Drury, I.M.S., Inspector- General of Civil Hospitals, Bihar and Orissa, visited Pusa on the 7th December 1912 and inspected the Hospital and the medical arrangements. He has recommended the addition of a Female Ward to the Hospital, and proposals for its construction are under consideration. The Govern- ment of India have recently sanctioned the appointment of a midwife to be attached to the Hospital. V. — Accounts. The total expenditure during the financial year 1912-13 was Rs. 4,00,077 as under : — Its. Office of the Agricultural Adviser to the Government of India and Director of the Institute 1,43,509 Chemical Section Mycological Section . Entomological Section Pathological Entomological Section Botanical Section Bacteriological Section Agricultural Section Total 34,828 39,650 36,914 26,641 36,099 23,783 58,653 4,00,077 The above amount of Rs. 4,00,077 included expenditure under the special grant of Rs. 10,000 placed at the disposal of the Agricultural Adviser for special Agricultural Experiments. INSTITUTE AND COLLEGE, PUSA, FOR 1912-13. 9 The principal items of expenditure under this special grant were as under : — Rs. (1) Experimental cotton cultivation con- ducted bv the Imperial Cotton Specialist 2,000 (2) Contribution towards the pay of the Flax Expert engaged by the Bihar Planters' Association for 1912-13 . . . 2,750 (3) Purchase of special agricultural imple- ments and machinery .... 2,210 (4) Saltpetre experiments carried on by the Imperial Agricultural Chemist . . 380 (5) Poultry Experiments at Pusa . . . 1,210 The budget of the Agricultural Adviser also includes a grant of Rs. 1,10,000 for meeting the expenditure for three years from 1911-12 in connection with the engagement of Mr. W. Hulme as Sugar Engineer in the United Provinces for the development of the Indian Sugar Industry; and a grant of Rs. 15,000 for payment to the Indian Tea Associa- tion as a grant-in-aid. In March last, the Government of India provisionally allotted, out of the surplus of Imperial Revenue, a sum of Rs. 60,000 for improvements connected with the Pusa Institute. This special grant will be mainly utilised for the purchase of steam cultivating machinery and labour- saving appliances, the extension of the library, the development of the fruit work at Quetta, the testing of milling and baking qualities of wheats, bacteriological investigations in connection with rice cultivation, the demonstration of improved methods of saltpetre refining, the construction of a potculture-house for mycological investigations and other minor improvements. The gross receipts during the year by sale of farm produce, milk, and other miscellaneous articles, amounted to Rs. 14,663 as against Rs. 9,455 of the preceding year. VI. — Visitors. The Hon'ble Sir Charles Stuart Bayley, K.C.S.I., I.S.O., Lieutenant-Governor of Bihar and Orissa, visited •0 REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH the Institute on the 31st January 1913. His Honour took this opportunity to invest Mr. Bernard Coventry with the insignia of the " CLE." and to present the Kaisar-i-Hind Gold Medal for public service in India, to Mrs. Howard, M.A., Personal Assistant to the Imperial Economic Botan- ist. His Honour was accompanied by Lady Bayley and the Private Secretary, and the party included the Hon'ble Mr. E. V. Levinge, C.S.I., Member of the Board of Revenue; the Hon'ble Mr. H. LeMesurier, C.S.I., CLE., Chief Secre- tary to the Government of Bihar and Orissa; the Hon'ble Mr. E. N. Fischer, I.C.S-, Commissioner, Tirhut Division; Mr. W. B. Heycock, I.C.S., Director of Agriculture, Bihar and Orissa; and Mr. A. H. Vernede, I.C.S., Collector of Darbhanga. During the year under report the Hon'ble Sir Harcourt Butler, K.C.S.L, Member-in- Charge of the Education Department of the Government of India; Sir Krishna Gobinda Gupta, K.C.S.L, Member of the Secretary of State's Council; Mr. H. N. Ridley, C.M.G., M.A., F.R.S., F.L.S., F.R.H.S., retired Director of Gardens, Singapore, and many others, also visited the Institute. INSTITUTE AND COLLEGE, PUSA, FOR 1912-13. 11 REPORT OF THE IMPERIAL AGRICULTURIST (S. Milligan, M.A., B.Sc.) I. — Administration and Tours. Charge. — I held charge of the section throughout the year with the exception of one month spent on privilege leave in September. Supernumerary Establishment. — None of the Super- numerary Establishment have worked under me during the year. Mr. G. D. Mehta, Supernumerary Agriculturist, who was on deputation under the Government of Bombay, is now under training in the Central Provinces. Mr. N. S. McGowan, Supernumerary Agriculturist, is working as Deputy Director of Agriculture, Bihar and Orissa, from 23rd February 1912. Mr. T. Gilbert, Supernumerary Agriculturist, is at present working under the Bombay Government. Staff. — Mr. Judah Hyam continued in charge of the breeding herds. He was on privilege leave from 2nd January 1913 to 4th February 1913, during which period Mr. L. S. Joseph, Veterinary Assistant, acted for him. Mr. Mohamed Ikramuddin held the post of First Farm Overseer throughout the year. He has performed his many and varied duties satisfactorily. Mr. Mohamed Ziauddin Hyder worked as Second Farm Overseer until 15th May 1913, when he left this de- partment on transfer to the United Provinces Agricultural Department. Babu Kshiti Bhusan Mukerji, Senior Fieldman, left Pusa on 11th February 1913 on transfer to the Bihar and Orissa Agricultural Department. Babu Brajraj Mukerji was promoted to the post of Senior Fieldman from 11th February 1913. 12 REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH Tours. — During the year I made several short tours in Bihar and conducted the final examinations in Agriculture at Coimbatore and Lyallpur in March and April. Training. — Three students were instructed in cattle- breeding. II. — Farm Cultivation. Character of the Season. — The rainfall during the year amounted to 41-26" (i.e., from 1st May 1912 to 30th April 1913) as against 53-49" last year. Monsoon rainfall began early and continued normal up to the second week in July. The bad effects of a prolonged break during the latter half of that month were mitigated by fairly well distributed rains in August. The Septem- ber and October rainfall was, however, far short of normal. Late rains in November and February, however, improved the rabi crops considerably. The season was thus unsuit- able for rice, sugarcane, maize and wheat, but fairly good for such crops as sarson, oats, etc. Cropping. — The present double cropping system ap- pears to require the application of organic manures at more frequent intervals to ensure maximum yields. During the present year owing to the scarcity of rainfall in Sep- tember and October no increase was obtained in the wheat crop succeeding a green manuring with sunn hemp. The manure evidently became available at too late a date to affect the grain outturn. The following crops were grown : — Sugarcane, maize, wheat, sarson, guar, turnips, oats, gram, linseed, lucerne, paddy, mung, joar, khesari, oats and peas, arhar, Florida velvet beans, sweet potatoes, kudzu (a Japanese fodder), guinea grass, bajra, cowpeas, castor, indigo and jute. Experimental Cultivation and Implements. — Suitable methods of sowing and inter-cultivating sugarcane and maize have been worked out. The most economical spacings for these crops are under investigation- Implements suitable for inter-cultivation are under trial. A year's ex- perience of the heavier low-lying area has demonstrated the INSTITUTE AND COLLEGE, PUSA, FOR 1912-13. 13 great superiority of revolving harrows and sectional rollers over drag-harrows and levelling beams for dealing with this class of land- The permanent manurial experiments have been con- tinued. The green manuring experiments in collaboration with the Imperial Agricultural Bacteriologist have been altered in conformity with last year's experience. The use of crude khari salt for rice. — This salt was applied as in last year's experiments in September, but on account of the dryness of the soil had little effect. Artificial sprouting of sugarcane. — This practice proved useful against the attacks of termites. Fodder. — The following fodder crops have been under observation : — Guinea grass, lucerne, kudzu. III. — LlVE-STO-CK AND POULTRY. Breeding Herd. — During the year 13 cows and 22 young cattle have been sold. Present numbers are : — Cows. Bulls. Young stock. 89 3 137 as against 74 5 118 at the same date last year. During the last two years an attempt has been made to train the young cows to give milk without the presence of their calves. The result has been very disappointing and the practice has had to be abandoned. The average milk production of the herd has improved considerably owing to a more rigid selection of the cows. This year's additions have been all tested previous to pur- chase with regard to their milking qualities. Tuberculin Test. — The milk cows were for the first time subjected to the Tuberculin Test by the local Veterinary Department. None reacted. 14 REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH Sheep- --The lambing period has been regularized and limited with satisfactory results. Crossing with Dhumba and half-bred Gorakhpore Dhumba rams has been con- tinued. Two Merino rams have been imported for the im- provement of the quality of the wool. Some time must elapse before results of any value can be obtained. The first cross between the Gorakhpore and Dhumba breeds, however, results in an improved mutton sheep. Gorakhpore ewes are still used as the female parents in these experi- ments. Poultry. — The three breeds, White Wyandotte, Buff Orpington and Chittagong, having proved the hardiest and best generally of the large number of varieties tried at Pusa, it has been decided to maintain these and the Mammoth Bronze Turkeys on certain of the Provincial farms and they are being distributed accordingly; new blood will be supplied from England when necessary. The only breed maintained at Pusa in the immediate future will be the Buff Orpingtons. IV. — Pastures. Pastures. — A great improvement has been made in the grazing of both the low-lying and higher pasture areas through topping the grasses before seeding time with hay mowers and occasionally harrowing down the cattle drop- pings. The effect of rolling, except on newly laid out pas- tures, is slight. The economics of laying land down to pasture are being studied. A collection of the more valuable indigenous pas- ture grasses has been made. These are at present being grown as pure cultures. V. — Clearing and Levelling. Clearing and Levelling- — Thirty acres of land in the low-lying brick-field area have been reclaimed. A con- siderable amount of levelling has been done in the more suitable fields with a view to increasing the experimental area which is at present very inadequate. INSTITUTE AND COLLEGE, PUSA, FOR 1912-13. 15 VI. — Programme of work for 1913-14. Permanent Experiments. --These experiments will be continued. In the low-lying area gram will be substituted for arhar in the leguminous rotation on account of the liability of the latter crop to suffer from waterlogging in the rains. In the higher area gram will be alternated with arhar. To the green manuring series a plot will be added in which superphosphate is applied to the green manure. A special study of the maintenance of soil fertility under a double and single cropping rotation will be made. Field experiments on green manuring in collaboration with the Imperial Agricultural Bacteriologist will be con- tinued. New Crops. — A special area is being prepared for the trial of new crops. Cultivation. — Special attention will be paid to the improvement of methods of cultivation of the sugarcane crop, including subsoiling and the improvement of local drainage. New methods of dealing with heavy soils will be tried. The improvement of the methods of renewing pastures is under trial and will be continued. Breeding. — (a) Cattle. — The improvement in the milk yield of the Montgomery herd by selective breeding will be continued. (b) Sheep. — The breeding experiments are being conti- nued. The value of the Merino rams as sires for crossing is being tested. General. — It is expected that the remaining unculti- vated arable area will be reclaimed this year. 16 REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH REPORT OF THE IMPERIAL AGRICULTURAL CHEMIST (J. Walter Leather, V.D., Ph.D., F.I.C.) I. — Administration and Tours. Charge. — -This section was in the charge of myself during the whole year. Establishment. — Mr. H. E. Annett, Supernumerary Agricultural Chemist, continued to officiate as Agricultural Chemist, Punjab, until November when he proceeded on one year and nineteen days' privilege leave and study leave, and has therefore been absent during the whole year. Mr. Bhailal Motibhai Amin, third assistant, continued on deputation at the Sirseah Indigo Research Station until April 30th, when this station was closed and he re- joined his appointment in this section. Mr. A. V. Iyer, fourth assistant, was appointed Assist- ant Agricultural Chemist, Bihar and Orissa, on 3rd Nov- ember 1912. Mr. Lele was appointed in his place. Babu Narendra Nath Mitra, M.Sc, an assistant, was appointed demonstrator in Chemistry at the Thomason Engineering College, Roorkee, on 2nd January 1913. Babu Nirmal Chandra Bose, M.Sc, who was appointed in a temporary vacancy for three months, was appointed an assistant in the Bacteriological Section. The vacancies which occurred during the year have been filled up by the appointments of Babus Phani Bhusan Sanyal, M.Sc, and Har Dyal Singh, B.Sc, as junior assistants. It is naturally eminently satisfactory to find that there is such a constant demand for the services of assistants from this section, and this fact at the same time markedly assists recruitment, but on the other hand it means that of the establishment of eight assistants several are always merely under training and of no use for the general work INSTITUTE AND COLLEGE, PUSA, FOR 1912-13. 17 of the section, much less for research work. I desire to place on record my appreciation of the good services ren- dered by all, both the gazetted and non-gazetted officers, each of whom has evinced an exemplary interest in his special duty. Tours— -The following tours were made by myself : — 1. July 1912. To Assam to advise the Scientific Officer of the Indian Tea Association regarding the fitting of the new laboratories. 2. August and November 1912. To Cawnpore and Orai in order to test a new method of deter- mining soil moisture. 3. November 1912. To Marhowrah Sugar Factory to test a filter press. 4. February and March 1913. To conduct tests of sugarcane at the Parsa Factory. 5. March 1913. To the Muttra District to inspect the land included in the Nuh Jheel Project. 6. April 1913. To Cawnpore to test the effect of ex- plosives on Usar land. 7. April to May 1913. To Peshawar to test sugar- beets. II. — Education. Training. — Five students have been under instruction during the year. Of these one Government stipendiary and one private student resigned; one Government student was recalled for duty at the Agricultural College, Sabour, at the end of his first year's course, and the remaining two students are continuing their courses. III. — Meteorology. In addition to the usual data which are recorded daily on behalf of the Meteorological Department, records of (a) evaporation, (b) soil temperature, (c) drainage, and (d) pres- sure by means of a barograph have been maintained. 18 REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH The records of evaporation from a plain water surface, after being maintained for about three years, were con- cluded during the past year because it seemed that no use- ful object would be served by more extended records. The data, together with others on the same subject, have been published as a Memoir. With the aid of these data, and others obtained at Lyallpur by the Irrigation Department, an empirical formula was deduced for the calculation of the evaporation at any place in India with the aid of the usual meteorological data. The accompanying chart illustrates DAILY EVAPORATION. 10 * 6 E 4 \ o ■" \ % /I o ^ \ / / ft // \ \ J\ \ ^ s ° / ■\ \ \ ' ~\ \ / / ** v"-- V N. \ > # \ s * Jan. Feb. Men. Apl. May June July Aug. Sept. Octr. Nov. Dec. the quantity of water which becomes dissipated per day during the year at Pusa, Lyallpur and Madras. It rises to a much higher figure at Lyallpur during the hot weather than at Pusa or Madras, whilst during the cold weather the rate at Madras is higher than either of the other stations, follows : The total water evaporated per annum is as Lyallpur Pusa Madras cm. ft. 196 6-4 126 41 193 6-3 °F. °C. 109 43-0 106 41-0 102 39-0 97 36-0 INSTITUTE AND COLLEGE, PUSA, FOR 1912-13. 19 These quantities are naturally much greater than what is lost from agricultural land. At Pusa the records show that from fallow soil the annual loss is (approximately) 28", at Cawnpore 18". Where crops are growing the quantities of water which are evaporated and transpired are somewhat greater1 though the difference is not large- The data regarding soil temperatures now extend over two years and they will be written up with a view to publica- tion. They have shown that at Pusa, with a maximum hot weather temperature of, say, 110° F. (43° C.) the fol- lowing maxima are realised in fallow soil : — 1" from surface ..... 2" from surface 3;/ from surface .... 6/; from surface .... The air temperature of many parts of India rises con- siderably above that of Bihar. In the Punjab maximum temperatures of 115° to 120° F. (46°— 49° C.) are regularly registered for some weeks during the hot season and there the upper soil will naturally attain a correspondingly higher temperature than has been recorded at Pusa. It has recently been shown2 by Russell and Hutchinson that heating a soil to 122° F. (50° C.) occasions material biological changes of a beneficial nature, and that if a soil is heated for a sufficiently long time to 40° C. (104° F.) similar changes may occur. Such soil temperature records therefore become of some practical importance. At the same time it must not be for- gotten that not only is this subject a new one and at present very imperfectly understood, but also that in any case it is only the topmost 3" — 4" which are liable to such temperatures, whilst below this depth these biological changes are presumably either modified or non-existent. Also that the cultivating implements annually cause an 1 Memoirs, Department of Agriculture in India, Chemical Series, Volume II, No. 2, pages 12 — 14. 2 Journal of Agricultural Science, V, pages 152 — 220. 0% 20 REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH intermingling of these various layers or strata; so that con- clusions regarding the biological effects of India's hot weather on the soil must be made very guardedly and not in the offhand manner that has been in some instances the case. It may be assumed as certain that " hot weather weather- ing," whilst valuable in some cases, will be undesirable in others. IV. — Soil Problems. The records of drainage which are obtained by means of the special gauges fully described in the Memoirs1 have been continued. The nature of the crops grown was changed two years ago. On one gauge sann hemp, Crota- laria juncea, is grown during the monsoon and removed in September as near the end of the rains as may be without, however, leaving the land deficient in moisture, after which wheat is sown ; on another gauge sann hemp is grown during the monsoon and allowed to ripen thoroughly when it is removed, and this soil then lies fallow. It is too early to draw any conclusions, but so far the wheat crop has not suffered from want of moisture, whilst the sann hemp on the second of these two gauges which is not alternated with another crop, already shows some signs of the deterioration which is so common where a leguminous crop is grown con- tinuously on the same land. The object of the present system of cropping is to ascertain whether the marked defi- ciency of nitrate in the drainage water, which was noticed when the crops were wheat and maize, would be again ex- perienced. (Vide Memoir, Volume II, No. 2, pages 31 et seq.) Soil Moisture. — The investigations regarding the amounts of water present in Indian soils and the require- ments of crops which have been carried out for some years by this section, showed the great necessity that exists for a rapid method of determining the amount of water m soils. The usual one of drying a weighed portion of soil in an oven is comparatively very time-absorbing, and 1 Memoirs, Department of Agriculture in India, Chemical Series, Yolume I, No. 5, and Volume II, No. 2. INSTITUTE AND COLLEGE, PUSA, FOR 1912-13. 2t consequently some attention has been paid to this question during the past three years. Hitherto, however, the object has not been successfully attained. Two new methods were tried during the past year, but neither was sufficiently accurate. Water Requirements of Crops.— During the last mon- soon season a series of pot-cultures were made in order to test the effect of different proportions of water in various soils on certain crops, namely, maize and cotton. It is of course well recognised that a too low proportion of moisture in a soil will prevent a full development of a plant, but the information available as to what is a too low proportion or a too high one for any particular soil and crop is ex- tremely scanty, and practically non-existent for India. Moreover, as was to be expected, the effect of a low propor- tion in a particular soil varied with the crop. Whilst some interesting information was obtained by the pot-cultures, it seemed very doubtful whether this method is suitable for the proper solution of the enquiry; the work will probably have to be undertaken in the field. Usar Soil. — In January I was requested by the Chief Engineer, Irrigation Branch, Public Works Department, United Provinces, to examine some land in the Muttra District which it has been proposed to bring under irriga- tion, and to report as to the probability of it becoming saline. The tract is a section of khadir land on the Jumna, and the proposal includes the regulated admission of river water annually for irrigation purposes and its subsequent removal by drainage. Although the wells in the neigh- bourhood are frequently saline, the soil of this tract is generally very free from any contamination. Tests made on specimens which appeared likely to contain usar salts, showed that these consist of sulphate and chloride only, whilst the more harmful carbonate is absent. Moreover, the soil is very open and easily drained. There was no indication that if the project were carried through harm- ful results would follow. 22 REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH The Use of Explosives in Agriculture. — For some short time past the use of dynamite or other similar explosive for the breaking up of " hard pan " or the removal of tree stumps, has been recommended in the press. It is a subject which naturally lends itself to " copy," but should be ap- proached with some little consideration. Experiments have been made at Cawnpore and at Pusa by myself in col- laboration with the Chief Chemical Examiner, Ordnance Department, and the Deputy Director of Agriculture, Central Circle, United Provinces, and a separate report will be made. In any case these experiments will have to be considered preliminary, but it may here be suitably re- marked that these explosives are comparatively expensive in India at present; also that, whilst it is possible to ascer- tain immediately to a limited extent what the nature of the effect of the explosive has been in any particular case, its agricultural value can only be subsequently ascertained by the growth of trees or crops on the land. Hence in any case it will only be possible to appraise correctly the finan- cial aspect after the lapse of several years. V* — Saltpetre. After the failure which was referred to in last year's report, a test was made on a small scale with a filter-press. This press, which was borrowed locally, was not only small, but was imperfect in several of its parts. It was, however, sufficiently well repaired to test the probability of such a press being useful, and having shown considerable promise, a large sized one was ordered from Europe. This is expect- ed to arrive shortly, and further experiments will then be made. In the meantime the salt l' systems " which are in- volved, are being worked out by Babu Jatindra Nath Mukerjee, the assistant who is in charge of this work. VI. — Sugar. Date Palm Sugar. — Owing to Mr. Annett's absence no further work on this subject has been done, but the infor- INSTITUTE AND COLLEGE, PUSA, FOR 1912-13. 23 mation which he collected during the two preceding sea- sons was published during the current year as a Memoir.1 Cane Sugar. — As mentioned in my last report, tests had been made over two seasons of the experimental error which is involved when a " sample ' of cane is taken from a field or plot of this crop. Dr. Walker, the Director General of Observatories, very kindly examined the results which I had obtained, and acting on suggestions which he made to me, a third series of tests were carried out during the past season. These resulted in more definite information and showed clearly what the probable error is when the sample is taken by certain methods. The matter has been put together for publication as a Memoir and is now in the press. Sugar Beet. — Reference was made in my last annual report to the fact that some very good specimens of sugar beet had been grown at Peshawar by Mr. Robertson Brown, the Superintendent of Farms. This year I took apparatus to Peshawar and tested the fresh roots, which is naturally more satisfactory than testing them at Pusa after a long railway journey. A considerable number of individual roots were tested, as also average samples of 100 roots each from each field. A good deal of variation in size and quality was met with among individual roots, the percentage of sucrose varying from 9-0 to 20-0. The average samples tested 15-8 per cent, and 15-3 per cent, sucrose respectively, thus showing conclusively that this crop can be successfully cultivated in that part of India. The above percentage of sugar is materially better than some of the initial crops which were raised in San Francisco when the industry was first started there. I understand that the experiments will be extended considerably during the present year. There can be no doubt that this crop possesses great potentialities. VII.— MlLK. Reference was made in last year's report to a series of tests, which was being made in conjunction with my col- 1 Memoirs, Department of Agriculture in India, Chemical Series, Volume II, No. 6. 24 REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH league Mr. Dobbs, of the quantity and composition of the milk of the Montgomery herd that is maintained here. The work was continued in the autumn and it is proposed to publish the records shortly. VIII. — Programme of work for 1913-14. Major subjects : — 1. Investigations of the availability of plant food in soils will be continued. 2. Experiments on possible improvements in the re- fining of saltpetre will be continued. 3. The variations of certain physical and chemical pro- perties of individual seeds of the same plant are being ex- amined. 4. The records of the amount and nature of drainage water from fallow land and from land under crops are maintained. Minor subjects : — 5. An attempt is being made to ascertain the nature of the hydration of clay in soil. 6. The permeability of soils to water is being studied. 7- The relation of moisture in cereal grains to weevil attacks and the manner of absorption of certain insecti- cides is being examined in collaboration with the Imperial Entomologist. Education. — This requires no special comment and will be conducted according to the lines laid down. IX. — Publications . The following have been published : — ■ 1. The Date Sugar Industry in Bengal. H. E. Annett. Mem. Dej)t. of Agri. in India, Chem. Ser., Vol. II, No. 6. 2. Evaporation from a Plain Water Surface. J. Walter Leather. Mem. Dept. of Agri. in India, Chem. Ser., Vol. Ill, No. 1. INSTITUTE AND COLLEGE, PUSA, FOR 1912-13. 25 '6. The Experimental Error in Sampling Sugarcane. J. Walter Leather. Mem. Dept. of Agri. in India, Chem. Ser., Vol. Ill, No. 4 (in the press). L'G REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH REPORT OF THE IMPERIAL ECONOMIC BOTANIST (A. Howard, M.A., A.R.C.S., F.L.S.) I. — Teaching, Training and Staff. Charge. — I held charge of the section at Pusa during the year under review till April 28th, when I took six months' combined leave. The Second Assistant, Maulvi Abdur Rahman Khan, was placed in charge of the current work of the section at Pusa, and the Third Assistant, Munshi Ijaz Husain, was placed in charge at Quetta dur- ing my absence. Students. — One advanced student from the Madras Agricultural College worked in the section from October 1st, 1912, to the end of April 1913. He has, I understand, since obtained an appointment at Coimbatore in the Pro- vincial Agricultural Department. Staff. — The work of the staff continues to be satis- factory. The Second Assistant has done excellent work at Pusa while the Third Assistant at Quetta has done well. The two fieldmen, Sarup Singh and Ram Pershad, and the clerk, Babu Ram Nechhawar Lai, worked well during the year. II. — Wheat Investigations. The wheat investigations continue to extend and during the past year results of considerable value have been obtained. Distribution of Pusa Wheats in India. The growth of Pusa wheats in the various wheat-grow- ing tracts of India has now emerged from the experimental stage and the distribution of seed is in progress on a large scale in Bihar, the United Provinces, Central Provinces and, to a limited extent, in the barani tracts of the Punjab. INSTITUTE AND COLLEGE, PUSA, FOR 1912-13. 'it Extensive seed farms for the growth of these wheats are now in working order and high grade seed, true to type, is being supplied in large quantities to the public. The preliminary work relating to the improvement of the Indian wheat crop need only be referred to very briefly. One of the first practical results of the wheat investiga- tions at Pusa was the demonstration of the fact that varie- ties with milling and baking qualities, similar to those of the best wheats on the English market, could be grown in Bihar under barani conditions. By the application of modern methods of selection and hybridization these high grain qualities were successfully combined with high yield- ing power, rust-resistance and strong straw so that wheats were found which gave, on land in fair cultivation, up- wards of 2,500 lbs. of grain to the acre without irrigation. The milling and baking tests connected with this work were carried out in England by Mr. A. E. Humphries, a past President of the Incorporated Society of British and Irish Millers and a well-known authority on these ques- tions. Mr. Humphries reported that the Pusa wheats were a great advance on those exported from India and behaved in the mill and bakehouse like Manitoba spring wheats, which are in greatest demand for bread making in England and which command the highest prices on the Home mar- kets. At the same time enquiries were made in India itself as to the suitability of the new wheats as food for the people. In all cases both cultivators, landholders and the educated community preferred for their own food the Pusa wheats to those ordinarily grown in India. The next step was to determine whether or not grain quality would be affected by growing these wheats in differ- ent localities in India and particularly under canal irriga- tion. In collaboration with Mr. Leake and with the assist- ance of a large number of officers of the Agricultural Department this work has been undertaken and the same wheat has been grown for several years at a large number of stations in the various wheat tracts and the samples have been tested by Mr. Humphries in England. The fact 28 REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH: has been demonstrated that wheats of first-rate quality can be grown under canal irrigation on the alluvium and also on the black cotton soils of Peninsular India. During the past year the earlier results have received important confirmation. Pusa wheat grown in the Indus valley and on the black cotton soils has given better results in the mill and bakehouse than the same variety grown at Pusa. The general results are summed up in Mr. Humphries' last report as follows : — ' It has again been demonstrated that wheats of the highest class can be grown in India on several kinds of soil, and on land which has been irrigated. It has been shown that the high excellence of quality possessed by wheats grown at Pusa in previous seasons was not due to environ- ment or agricultural practice, for the same varieties of wheat have yielded still better results elsewhere. It is interesting to note that this high excellence of quality was found existing in wheats indigenous to India, and that in the Pusa Nursery varieties, the progeny appear to possess intact the great strength of the strong parents. I have no doubt that any or all of the wheats tested will realize, some at once, some later, relatively higher prices on our markets than the existing Indian wheats of commerce. If these new varieties yield no more grain and straw per acre than those ordinarily grown, their extended distribution as seed is desirable; if, in addition, the new varieties will yield greater quantities of grain and straw than those ordinarily grown, the position of the Indian grower will be greatly improved, and the propagation of the new kinds should be pressed forward-" The most important feature of this last series of tests was the superiority, in the mill and bakehouse, of the sam- ples of Pusa 12 from three stations in the Indus valley (Lyallpur, Mirpurkhas and Gurdaspur) over those grown in the Ganges valley. The significance of these results lies in the fact that high grain quality can be obtained in all the great wheat-growing tracts of India including the Punjab INSTITUTE AND COLLEGE, PUSA, FOR 1912-13. 29 and the black cotton soils of Peninsular India, both under dry and irrigated conditions. This is an important matter and one which must be considered in all schemes of wheat improvement. There is no longer any reason why (now that it has been shown that yield and quality can be com- bined in the same wheat) the distribution of poor quality wheats should be continued. The attention of the wheat trade at Home has been drawn to the work in progress on the improvement of Indian wheat. A meeting was arranged this summer by Mr. Humphries at Weybridge with Mr. Petrie, the London Manager of Messrs. Ralli Brothers, when samples of Pusa 12, grown at the various stations in the Indo-Gangetic plain and on the black cotton soils of Peninsular India, were exhibited. The loaves obtained from this wheat were also shown side by side with those produced from the grade known as Choice White Karachi and No. 2 Northern (Mani- toba). The loaves from Pusa 12 were almost identical with those from No. 2 Northern and were a great improvement on those obtained from Choice White Karachi flour. The opportunity was taken of obtaining Mr. Petrie's advice as to the best means of disposing of these wheats on the Home markets and of establishing the reputation of a grade of Indian wheat with superior quality. In addition, a sam- ple of Pusa 4, grown on the Hathowrie Estate in Bihar in 1912-13, was exhibited at Mark Lane at a recent meeting of the Council of the Incorporated Association of British and Irish Millers where the wheat attracted a considerable amount of attention. The present position of the cultivation of the Pusa wheats in the various wheat-growing tracts of India must now be considered. The work is being carried out by many officers of the Agricultural Department and the details given below have been obtained, partly from the publications and reports issued in the various provinces and partly by correspondence. United Provinces. — The first experiments with Pusa wheats in these Provinces were made in the Botanical area 30 REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH at Cawnpore by Mr. Leake, who showed for several years that fine samples could be grown under canal irrigation using far less water for the purpose than is ordinarily given to wheat. During the progress of this work at Cawnpore, the Allahabad Exhibition took place and at the Agricultural Conference which was held in connection with the Exhibition the Pusa wheats were shown. As a result, the Manager of the Court of Wards' Estates in the District of Kheri, Mr. Hoskins, became interested in the matter and some of the new wheats were grown success- fully by his tenants in the season 1911-12. The results obtained from these various experiments led to a demand for seed. As the land available for wheat in the Botanical area at Cawnpore was not sufficient for seed-growing pur- poses, it was decided by Mr. Leake to utilize about 100 acres of the new farm at Kalai, near Aligarh, for the pur- pose of growing seed for distribution. The first crop was grown in the season 1912-13 and the yields of the various wheats over large areas are given below. Mr. Leake states that there was a failure of the canal and consequently some damage by white-ants, and that these facts must be con- sidered in judging the outturns. Yield of Pusa wheats at Kalai near Aligarh, 1912-13. Name. Yield in lbs. per acre. Pusa 12 . 2,214 Pusa IX A 2 • 2,050 Pusa 101 . . 2,010 Pusa 4 • • 1,928 Pusa 110 . . 1,846 Pu«a IX E 9 . 1,702 Pusa 8 . 1,640 Trials were also carried out at the farms at Partabgarh and Benares where the following returns were obtained by Mr. Sharma, the Assistant Director of Agriculture ;— INSTITUTE AND COLLEGE, PUSA, FOR 1912-13. 31 Yield of Pusa wheats at Partabgarh and Benares, 1912-13. Name. Yield in lbs. per acre. Pusa 12 . Pusa 8 Pusa 106 . Pu-a 1 2 . Pusa 106 . Pusa 8 • * • • • • ■ 2,020 *) 1,960 [-Partabgarh. 1,928 j 2,04.0} 1,856 > Benares. 1,760 J The results obtained on the various Court of Wards' Estates were also successful, particularly on the Kheri estates. The season was not favourable to wheat, due to a prolonged drought and scarcity of irrigation water, fol- lowed by high winds and storms in February and March. Both Pusa 8 and Pusa 12 did well with the small amount of water the wells could supply, and being strong-strawed wheats stood up while the surrounding crops were laid by the storms. The distribution of seed in this Province is being taken up energetically by the Agricultural Department. In the Central Circle, Mr. Burt, the Deputy Director, has issued seed for about 1,800 acres, largely to Co-operative Societies and Court of Wards' Estates. A large demand for seed has also arisen in the Eastern Circle as well as in the sub- montane tracts and a good deal of seed has been distributed in these areas. More, however, could have been distributed had seed been available, but in spite of a considerable amount being supplied by the seed farm at Dholi, near Pusa, the supply was not equal to the demand and the later indents could not be met. A large amount of seed, suffi- cient for all demands, should, however, be available in the Province next harvest. Punjab. — During the past rabi season an extended trial of one of the Pusa wheats (No. 12) has been carried out by Mr, Southern, the Deputy Director of Agriculture, at the 32 REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH Gurdaspur Experiment Station. The object of the trial was to compare the behaviour of this white wheat with high grain quality, with Punjab Type 13, a low grade red wheat which was found to be the best yielder of the local kinds. The trials were in duplicate on plots from two to three acres in area and the yields obtained are given in the following table : — Trial of Pusa 12 and Punjab 13 at Gurdaspur, 1912-13. Name. Yield in lbs. per acre Pusa 12 • • • • 1,570 Punjab 1 3 i • • • 1,16] Pusa 12 . • • • 1 ,006 Punjab 13 • • • 1,08L The season was an unfavourable one for wheat. The monsoon ceased in August and no more rain fell before sowing time. After a single day's rain in November, there was a long drought, the Christmas rain failed and the crops were drying up when the storms of February and March improved matters- Hot winds in April, however, ripened off the crop too rapidly and the local variety was poor and shrivelled. Pusa 12, however, gave a very good uniform sample in spite of the unfavourable conditions and a good yield. This is the second time Pusa 12 has done well at Gurdaspur. Seed of this wheat is now being sold to zemin- dars in the barani tracts and it will be interesting to know their experience with this variety. Pusa 12 has also been grown under canal irrigation by the tenants of the Lyallpur farm who obtained 1,744 lbs. of grain to the acre. The grain is of superior quality and it is probable that this wheat will do well when tried by the cultivators of the Chenab Colony. INSTITUTE AND COLLEGE, PUSA, FOR 1912-13. 33 Bihar. — The main lines of progress in Bihar during the past year relate to the organisation of seed farms and the supply to the public of well-grown seed, true to type, at a reasonable price. In connection with the Bihar Planters' Association an arrangement has been made with Mr. Edward Danby to grow a large area of Pusa wheats on the Dholi and Bowar- rah estates near Pusa so that a large amount of good seed will be available. This arrangement has been carried out successfully and about 600 acres of wheat were grown in the rabi season of 1912-13. Care was taken to rogue the plots, to keep the various kinds separate and to sell for seed only dressed grain of a high grade. The price charged was one rupee per maund above local bazaar rates and the whole seed supply was sold off at once immediately after harvest. Orders for upwards of 1,000 maunds could not be filled. These arrangements are being continued and during the present wheat season about 700 acres have been put down for seed wheat on these estates. The advantages of this method of seed supply are obvious. The expansion of the work is ensured at practically no cost to Government and the estates where the crop is grown to perfection for seed serve as useful demonstration areas to all interested in wheat growing. Further, the profits obtained by the estates should attract the attention of cultivators and zemindars to the advantages, to all concerned, which follow from a supply of good seed. The returns obtained on this seed farm over large areas are given in the table below. The season was not favour- able to wheat. Damage was done by abnormal heat after sowing time and also by a series of storms in February and March which laid the neighbouring crops. Most of the Pusa wheats, however, having good straw, stood well and in spite of the season gave good yields. Great advantage was obtained on this and other estates in Bihar by harrow- ing the young crops by means of lever harrows. 34 REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH Yield of Pusa wheats at Dholi and Bowarrah, 1912-13. Name. Average yield in lbs. per acre. Pusa 100 Pusa 4 Pusa 8 Pusa 12 Pusa 6 2,050 1,846 1,880 1,640 1,635 In addition to the seed farms near Pusa under the immediate control of the Imperial Economic Botanist, the distribution of these wheats has been taken up by the Bihar Agricultural Department and seed has been grown at Sabour, Dumraon and Bankipore. Seed for about 200 acres has been distributed by Mr. McGowan in the Bhagal- pur Division while the successful trials of these wheats in the Patna Division will be continued- The yields obtained on the light lands of the Sabour farm are given below. Yield of Pusa wheats at Sabour, 1912-13. Name. Pusa 7 Pusa 12 Pusa 8 Pusa 106 Yield in lbs. per acre. 1,809 1,664 1,512 1,087 Many of the indigo estates in Bihar are now taking up wheat growing and there is a considerable amount of local seed distribution in progress. It is impossible to obtain returns of these operations and to say what is the total area under wheat. During the year two new Pusa wheats have been tried on estates in Bihar, namely, Nos. 4 and 6. The former is an early maturing wheat with strong straw which is very suit- able for sowing with Java indigo. This wheat did well in 1912-13 and returns from 1,558 to 1,912 lbs. of seed to the acre were obtained on the various estates where it was grown. At Belsund factory Pusa 6 gave 1,640 lbs. of seed INSTITUTE AND COLLEGE, PUSA, FOR 1912-13. 35 to the acre which Mr. Reid considered very good for the year. Central Provinces. — The results obtained in the Cen- tral Provinces at the Raipur and Tharsa farms by Mr, Clouston during the past year amply confirm the earlier successful trials of these wheats on the black soils which are referred to in detail in the annual report for 1911-12. A somewhat extraordinary result was obtained at Tharsa with Pusa No. 7 where the yield was 1,240 lbs. to the acre. As the outturn of the local kinds seldom exceeds 600 lbs. to the acre a yield of 1,240 lbs. to the acre is quite exceptional. The actual results of the growth of these wheats by the cultivators in the Eastern Circle have not yet been received as Mr. Clouston is on leave, but it is understood that they have been successful. So far only one wheat, Pusa 4, has been tried at Hoshangabad. The results were satisfactory. This kind is also being tried at Jubbulpore by Mr. Evans who has this year asked for a further supply of seed- The results of the recent milling and baking tests of Pusa wheats grown at Raipur, Tharsa and Hoshangabad are of considerable importance. The behaviour of these samples was somewhat better than that of the same wheats grown at Pusa and other stations in the Gangetic plain. As high grain quality is now shown to be possible on the black cotton soils of the Peninsula, a great improvement in the wheats grown can easily be accomplished. Wheat Breeding. Practically all the first set of improved wheats obtained at Pusa by selection and hybridization have been tried on the large scale in various tracts in India and the most suitable of these are now being grown for distribution on various seed farms. These wheats will be grown on, at Pusa, in pure culture, so that when necessary the seed farms can be re-stocked with a fresh supply of seed of any parti- cular variety. d2 36 REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH During the testing of these early selections and hybrids, considerable progress has been made in the work relating to a new set of crosses which promise to give still better results than the earlier ones. The object in view in this work has been to improve the best of the Pusa wheats in stand- ing power, rust resistance and also in general hardiness. For this purpose crosses between Indian wheats, with good grain quality, and various English and American varieties were made in England in 1910 and two series of these hybrids are now in the fourth generation. This is by far the most promising material yet obtained at Pusa and it is more than probable that the strong straw, rust resist- ance and general vigour and hardiness of the English parent has been, as it were, introduced into Indian wheats. The fixation, isolation and testing of new wheats from these series is not likely to be a long process. Experience continues to confirm the paramount importance of standing power in any further progress in the improvement of the Indian wheat crop. III. — Other Investigations. Tobacco. — Substantial progress has been made during the year in the tobacco investigations at Pusa. The only type of Indian tobacco found suitable for cigarettes in Bihar, when cured by the country method, is one known as Type 28. This was grown on a fairly large scale on the Dholi Estate during the last tobacco season and the crop was cured on the ground — an assistant being lent from Pusa to show the factory staff how to proceed. The yield of cured leaf to the acre was very satisfactory and the product was taken over by the Indian Leaf Tobacco Development Company at Dalsing Serai. This year a larger area is being grown on the Dholi Estate. The spread of the cultivation of this kind is now a matter of price. If the growers are able to obtain a premium for this kind from the Company to repay them for the extra care required in the curing process the area will expand. On the other hand? it must be remembered that there is no competition INSTITUTE AND COLLEGE, PUSA, FOR 191243. 3? on the part of the local trade for this tobacco when grown for cigarettes and at present the Company can to all intents and purposes make its own terms. This year a good deal of seed of this kind has been distributed not only to planters in Bihar, but also to Government farms in the Central Provinces and in the United Provinces. Experience in tobacco growing in Bihar discloses the fact that every year the growers suffer a large amount of loss of crop and waste a good deal of labour. Both can be avoided. These losses are due to the primitive methods of growing the seedlings, to the frequent loss of the majority of the first sowings and to numerous casualties after trans- planting, resulting in a very uneven crop. Experiments were made during the past year with a view to remedy this state of affairs. The seed beds were partially sterilized by making fires on the surface before sowing and also by heat- ing the upper soil in pans. The results were exceedingly promising — the seedlings on the partially sterilized beds were much stronger than the rest and were ready for trans- planting about a week before the others. These experi- ments are being extended and other methods of partial sterilization such as steaming are being tried. A paper dealing with the results obtained on the in- heritance of characters in this crop has been written by the Personal Assistant. This work is of interest from several aspects. It was undertaken with a view of obtaining some general idea of the best method of attacking the problem of the improvement of the quality of the Bihar tobaccos — more particularly from the cigarette tobacco standpoint. From the practical point of view the possibilities of obtaining better tobaccos by breeding have been shown to be certain, and several promising sorts have been isolated during the progress of the work. From the scientific aspect it has been shown that, provided proper precautions are taken, the inheritance of quantitative characters, such as those relat- ing to the size and shape of a tobacco leaf, follows the Men- delian scheme. In this paper the results obtained on the inheritance of the factors concerned in the size and shape 38 REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH of the leaf are new, and mark an advance in the application of modern methods of plant breeding to crops of economic importance. Gram.—- The selection experiments with gram referred to in the last annual report have been continued. The season was not very favourable to gram as the seed bed was too wet due to the storms of November followed by heavy rains at flowering time. The high yielding white gram, which in 1912 was valued at Rs. 5-8 per cwt. f. o. r. Bom- bay, again did well at Pusa and seed of this and of some of the other kinds is being tried in Bihar and also on various Government farms in the Central Provinces and in the United Provinces. Fibres. — A good deal of work was done during the year on fibre plants, particularly with regard to the inheritance of characters in Hibiscus Sabdariffa. This is being con- tinued and it is expected to publish the results obtained during the coming year. In the case of Hibiscus cannabinus the promising kind, known as Type 3, has been grown for fibre with satisfactory results. Seed of this kind will be offered to the various Pro- vincial Departments of Agriculture during the present year. Methods of pollination- — Observations on the methods of pollination in the various crops grown at Pusa have been continued and an effort will be made next year to publish the results. Indigo.— In consequence of the decision to close the Sirsiah Experiment Station, the work on indigo formerly carried out there was transferred to the Botanical Section at Pusa at the end of the last financial year. Six small tubes of selected indigo seed were received from Sirsiah and these have been sown at Pusa. In addition, a large number of indigo experiments were started at Pusa in October 1912 in continuation of those begun the year before. The indigo industry, which is now in a declining condition, presents three problems for immediate solution. In the first place, the best methods of growing Java indigo so as to avoid the INSTITUTE AND COLLEGE, PUSA, FOR 1912-13. 39 loss of plant during the late monsoon due to " wilt " have to be worked out at an experiment station and then tried on the large scale on estates. Secondly, the best way of grow- ing good seed of this crop in Bihar has to be discovered. At present, the seed supply is erratic and often far below the demand. Lastly, the methods of pollination have to be investigated with a view to deciding whether or not there is any scientific basis for the idea that this crop will repay the application of modern methods of selection and breed- ing. Considerable progress has been made in this work, particularly on the successful treatment of ' wilt ' and some results of undoubted value have been obtained. If possible, a separate report will be submitted early in 1914 dealing with the position of the investigations to date. In connection Avith the work on indigo some reference should be made to the relations which have arisen between the Botanical Section and the Bihar Planters' Association. Since the Tirhut Exhibition was held at Pusa in January 1912, two addresses have been given to the Planters' Asso- ciation at Mozafferpore dealing with the various improve- ments in local agricultural practice discovered in the Botanical area at Pusa in the course of the plant breeding work. These addresses, which were given at the request of the President, were well received and were, during the pre- sent year, published in the form of a bulletin entitled Some Aspects of the Agricultural Development of Bihar. Particular attention has been drawn to the value of hot weather cultivation in Bihar, to the annual losses due to want of drainage combined with erosion by rain wash, to the value of green manuring with sunn on the higher well- drained lands and to the use of labour-saving devices in the shape of small cultivators, lever harrows and improved ploughs. IV.- — Work done in Europe. While on leave in Europe during the present year a cer- tain amount of work was accomplished relating to the in- vestigations in progress at Pusa and Quetta. 40 REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH Agricultural Exhibitions. — Two large Agricultural exhibitions were visited, namely, the Royal Agricultural Show at Bristol and the Agricultural Exhibition at Munich in connection with the ' Oktoberfest.' At Bristol some attention was paid, at the request of the Government of India, to the Overseas section — a new departure at the Royal Show in which the assistance of India was requested. Government decided not to partici- pate at present but to ask two of the officers of the Agricul- tural Department to submit a joint report on the nature and objects of this section of the Exhibition. Exhibits were sent not only by the Self-governing Dominions (Aus- tralia, Canada and South Africa), but also by some of the Local Governments of the Dominions (Victoria, South Aus- tralia, Queensland and Western Australia) and by various Crown Colonies (Federated Malay States, British West Indies and British Guiana) and Rhodesia. In addition, various Companies dealing with emigration sent large ex- hibits, such as the Orient Line, the Dominion Settlement Association, the Canadian Government Emigration Depart- ment, the Canadian Northern Railway and the Canadian Pacific Railway. India was represented by a small stall sent by the Department of Agriculture, Bengal. The fea- ture of the Overseas section as a whole was the inducement held out to emigrants — labourers, small holders and farm- ers— to settle in the new countries. The exhibit of pro- ducts was evidently a subsidiary matter and it was clear that the advantage to India of participating in such an Exhibition in the future would be almost negligible in pro- portion to the trouble and expense involved. Some time was devoted both at Bristol and at Munich to the modern developments in the manufacture of agricul- tural implements which is not without interest to India at the present time now that the Co-operative movement is spreading and the purchasing power of the cultivator has been increased by union and is no longer limited by his individual resources. At Bristol particularly and to a less extent at Munich, the feature of the display of implements INSTITUTE AND COLLEGE, PUSA, FOR 1912-13. 41 was the attention that is now being paid to the design of chief machines of light draught suitable for small holdings. A large number of small firms are engaged in the business and as the tendency in Great Britain is all in favour of small holdings, it seems probable that among the imple- ments designed several will be found of use under Indian conditions. There were also many designs of portable petrol engines of small power for agricultural purposes including several threshers driven in this manner. The contrast between the small handy implements exhibited at Bristol and the collection of heavy agricultural machines at the recent Allahabad Exhibition was most striking. Fruit packing. — Some attention was paid to the pro- gress in the methods of packing fruit which is going on in connection with the produce sent to the London market. Some new packing materials were observed which are said to be very successful. These will be tried during the next year at Quetta and if found useful under Indian conditions will be brought to the notice of those concerned. It is quite probable that the cost of the present packages used at Quetta can be materially reduced and work in this direction is already in progress. Experiment Stations. — Visits were paid to the four leading experiment stations in Great Britain — Rotham- sted, Merton, Cambridge and Long Ashton. Very import- ant work is in progress at Rothamsted, particularly on the factors influencing the fertility of soils and on the accurate determination of the products of assimilation in leaves. The feature of the plant breeding station at Merton in addition to the great variety and interest of the problems in hand is the high standard of cultivation reached both in the green houses and also in the numerous plots outside. Everything was thriving and well grown and one left with the impression that Great Britain possesses at least one modern experiment station characterised by real vitality. At Cambridge some time was spent with Professor Biffen in going over the plant breeding work on wheat and other crops which is now being greatly extended. An area 42 REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH of land is being taken up for plant breeding purposes only, where the new varieties can be grown on a moderately large scale before being issued to the farmers. At Long Ashton near Bristol, a visit was paid to the Fruit Experiment Station in connection with the National Fruit and Cider Institute wiiere a good deal of useful and interesting work has been done. At most of the experiment stations in Great Britain extensions are in progress due to the funds set free by the Development grant. There is a marked tendency to endow agricultural investigations, to make the work continuous and to render it independent of what may be described as irregular and precarious support. The progress of the work under the Development Commission cannot fail to be of interest to all concerned with the task of improving the rural economy of India. Wheat. — The opportunity was taken of several consult- ations with Mr. Humphries relating to the work in hand on the improvement of Indian wmeats and the testing of the resulting samples. Visits were also paid to Mark Lane and the Baltic and the most reliable advice available in London was obtained as to the best way of introducing the new Indian wheats to the trade and marketing them to the greatest advantage. In all these matters Mr. Humphries was invaluable and he spared no pains to help the work in every way. Publications. — A memoir on the inheritance of charac- ters in tobacco was passed through the press in England with a view of comparing the work done in Calcutta and London and the corresponding cost. The result was to show that printing and illustration work is both cheaper and better in London while the labour of passing a paper through the press there is materially reduced. Drainage. — The opportunity was taken of examining the methods of drainage in use in northern and central Italy and the care taken in these tracts in freeing the arable land of excess water. The method adopted is iden- tical in principle to that wTorked out in the Botanical area INSTITUTE AND COLLEGE, PUSA, FOR 1912-13. 43 at Pusa, but in some details the Italian practice is an advan- tage. Steps are being taken to improve the Pusa method. The progress that has taken place in Italian agriculture during the last fifteen years is remarkable not only in general cultivation, but also in the spread of the co-opera- tive movement. In many respects the conditions in Italy are not dissimilar to those in India and might easily repay detailed investigation. V. — The Development of the Fruit Industry of Baluchistan. The present report deals briefly with the work accom- plished up to September 1912 relating to the development of the fruit industry of Baluchistan and with the chief lines of progress which experience suggests should be taken up in the near feature. It will be convenient to deal with the matter under the following main heads : — Fruit and Agricultural Experiment Station. An area of 25 acres of land with two shabanas of water of the large Sirkhi karez has been acquired by the Local Administration for the purposes of a fruit and agricultural experiment station on the Sariab Road about two miles from Quetta. The purchase was completed at the end of August 1911 (with the exception of one of the shabanas which was bought in June 1912) and since that time the farm build- ings, offices and boundary wall have been erected, a well sunk, and considerable progress has been made in the laying out of the area in large terraces to facilitate irrigation. Three artesian bores have been sunk which give a total flow of 1,500 gallons per hour. A fourth bore is being put down to the water-bearing gravel at the 150' level. An experi- ment in pumping from one of these artesian bores by means of an oil engine is in progress and will, it is expected, be completed shortly. At the present time, bricked water channels are being laid down and various other permanent improvements are in progress. Four pairs of Sibi cattle 44 REPORT OP THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH have been purchased and a supply of implements collected. Progress has been made in the enlistment and training of the staff. While most of the year has been taken up with pre- liminary spade work in connection with the laying out and levelling of the land previous to planting in November 1912, nevertheless a few results have been obtained. These are as follows : — 1. The raising of nursery stock. — the usual practice in Quetta up to the jDresent, both in the Government gardens and in those of zamindars, in the raising of new trees has been to side-bud on two or three years' old stocks, the time taken in raising budded trees being two or three years. This year it has been found that if the seedling stocks were ring-budded in May and June, strong plants can easily be raised ready for planting within a year of the sowing of the seed of the stock. This is an important matter from the point of view of the revenue of the station and also from the standpoint of a large supply of good trees for replacing the old fruit gardens and for new planting. The supply of good and abundant planting material for the Province will in future years be a simple matter. 2. The saving of water. — The most important direction in which the agriculture of Baluchistan can be improved is in the saving of water and in making the greatest pos- sible use of the present supplies. Attention has therefore been paid to this matter and results of importance have been obtained. By means of surface cultivation after the winter rains, it has been found possible to conserve the mois- ture in the soil to a very considerable extent and this can easily be applied to the growth of wheat and fruit trees. It has already been taken advantage of in the raising of nursery stock and in the growth of tomatoes. The soil of the valley is also suitable for furrow irrigation so that there is every prospect that by means of this method of watering, combined with clean weeding and surface cultiva- tion, the present water supply of the valley can be shown to be able to produce at least twice the crops grown at present. INSTITUTE AND COLLEGE, PUSA, FOR 1912-13. 45 3. The use of green manure in Baluchistan. — Closely bound up with the conservation of moisture by surface cultivation and improved methods of irrigation is the supply of organic matter to the soil so as to increase its water-holding capacity. The geological history of the Pro- vince suggests that the soil is likely to be deficient in organic matter. This is confirmed by the local agricultural prac- tice in which large quantities of manure are employed. The easiest method of adding this organic matter would be to grow some leguminous plant on the winter rains and when irrigation water is available and to turn this into the ground in April and May. The best crop for the par- pose appears to be clover (shaftal) and accordingly some of this was put down in the autumn of 1911. Two or three cuts were obtained, which were sold to the Military Dairy, and the next crop was ploughed in as a green manure. The soil was greatly improved and it is practically certain that this crop will prove of great value in the Province, as it will not only improve the tilth and fertility of the soil, but also increase its water-holding capacity. A good deal of work remains to be done to find out the best methods of utilising this crop to the greatest advantage in the rural economv of the Province. 4. The arrangement of fruit gardens. — At the present time there is little or no arrangement in the fruit gardens in the valley and there is no separation of the trees into early, mid-season and late so as to facilitate watering and picking. There is no order or method so that a vast amount of unnecessary work is done in gathering the fruit and a good deal of water is wasted, as it is almost impossible to water a few trees without irrigating the whole garden. To obviate this, a beginning has been made in the collec- tion and propagation of the best local varieties which will be planted out systematically. A sufficient supply of trees has been raised this year and care has been taken to keep accurate nursery records. A few French trees have been imported and it has been arranged to introduce all the best kinds from the South of France next February so that 46 REPOET OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH the experiment station will possess a wide range of kinds, many of which it is hoped will be useful for propagation. This collection will be of the greatest use in the future development of fruit-growing in Baluchistan. The Renovation of a Neglected Fruit Garden. At the request of the Hon'ble Colonel Ramsay, C.S.I., C.I.E., Agent to the Governor General in Baluchistan, the southern portion of the Quetta Residency compound — an area of about 14 acres — was taken up as an experiment in renovating and replanting a derelict and neglected fruit garden. The land was taken over in October 1911, but a supply of convict labour was not arranged for till July 1912 so that this portion of the work has been delayed to some extent. Progress, however, has been made and this garden is being cleared, graded and the land brought into cultivation. As much as possible will be sown with shaftal this autumn and some of the plots will be ready for plant- ing in trees in November 1913, the trees, which are ready now, being grown on in the nursery till that date. Not- withstanding the bad state of this area when taken over, there is little doubt that it can be made to yield a good return provided the water supply from the Barnes and Tari karezes can be ensured and the present thefts of water prevented. The revenue of the year is expected to reach at least Rs. 1,000 which is more than the working expenses. This should increase considerably when the new trees come into bearing and till that time a large revenue should be obtained from shaftal. During the present year two results of importance were obtained in this area : — 1. Tomato cultivation. — Except in the private garden of the Agency Surgeon (Colonel Duke), the cultivation of tomatoes does not appear to be understood in Quetta although the crop is easily grown. It was therefore decid- ed to try an experiment on a large scale with tomatoes trained on the two-branch system of Colonel Duke combined with furrow irrigation, as is practised at Pusa in the case of INSTITUTE AND COLLEGE, PUSA, FOR 1912-13. 47 tobacco. A preliminary trial of this system was carried out at Pusa last cold weather, where it proved a great success. On repeating the experiment at Quetta, the as- sistant in charge failed to raise a proper supply of seedlings by the time I arrived in May, so that a miscellaneous collec- tion of seedlings left over in the gardens of various vege- table-growers had to be collected and the best made of this very inferior planting material together with a small supply of plants raised by the Overseer of the Residency Garden. The plants, however, did better than was expected and up to the time of writing (September 19th) the income from an area of four-tenths of the acre has exceeded Rs. 600. About half of the fruit is not yet ripe and of this a good deal has already been destroyed by the early frosts. There is no doubt, however, that if the tomato seedlings are raised at Sibi and planted in good time for the whole crop to ripen before the cold weather sets in, the income from an acre of tomatoes (sold at Rs. 3 per maund) would result in a clear profit of Rs. 1,500 per acre at least. The amount of water required is small and the expenses of training and pruning are not very great. The experiment will be continued next year and will be conducted by Hira Lai, the Overseer of the Residency Garden. The experiment has greatly impressed the local growers, and has attracted a good deal of attention. Several vegetable-growers propose to take up this method of growing the crop next year. 2. The transport of tomatoes. — In order to test the demand for Qnetta tomatoes in the Calcutta market, twelve crates of fruit have been exposed for sale in the shop con- nected with the Great Eastern Hotel. Packed in crates holding 24 chip baskets, each holding one seer, the fruit reached Calcutta in excellent condition and was sold at twelve annas per basket. This leaves a margin of profit of Rs. 12 per crate of 24 seers. 3. The yellowing of peach trees in Quetta. — In the Civil Station of Quetta, the peach trees have, as a rule, very yel- low foliage, often accompanied by excessive gumming. Such trees are said to die very quickly and this experience has 48 REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH been confirmed by the death of many trees this year which showed these symptoms markedly last year. Over-watering and want of cultivation do not appear to be the cause of the yellowing and there are no indications of insect or fungoid disease. The early symptoms appear to be iden- tical with the mysterious disease in the Eastern United States known as " Peach yellows," but the later symptoms of Yellows," namely, premature ripening and reddening of the fruit with very poor flavour, are not developed. The yellowing is therefore fortunately not due to kt Peach yellows." The next point to settle was whether or not the yellowing is caused by unfavourable soil conditions. Evi- dence was obtained during the summer indicating that the yellowing is due to the soil and that green manuring with shaftal may prove to be the best remedy. The yellow condition does not appear to be propagated by buds taken from affected trees, as both these trees and trees with green, healthy foliage gave rise to budded plants which appeared equally healthy. Experiments are in progress to test these ideas still further and definite evidence on the subject should soon be forthcoming. Packing Experiments. During 1911, a considerable amount of attention was paid to the improvement of the present methods of packing fruit at Quetta with a view of making the most of the present railway transport to India- The results obtained were dealt with in detail in the progress report of 1911 and can be shortly recapitulated as follows : — 1. Returnable packages for long journeys in India are unsuitable on account of the cost of returning the empty boxes and on account of the frequent mistakes on the part of the Railway Company in charging the wrong rates. 2. All packages must be designed to prevent as far as possible thefts in transit by the railway servants. The frequent occurrence of these thefts is a great obstacle to the extension of the Quetta INSTITUTE AND COLLEGE, PUSA, FOR 1012-1 3. 49 fruit trade as the expense and trouble of sealing numerous small packages is very great. It should be possible, if the matter is strongly represented to the Railway Board, to fix the responsibility for the packages on certain in- dividuals and to prevent cases of thefts in a manner which would not make it worth while to continue these malpractices. 3. Except for short distances, cheap non-returnable packages seemed to be the best, especially in the case of small consignments to private individuals. 4. The packages most likely to be useful at Quetta ap- peared to be (a) non-returnable peach crates with 3" and %\" chip cubes for the five seer rail- way rate, (b) Grape boxes suitable for the 2% and 5 seer rates, (c) Non-returnable and re- turnable crates holding 24 chip baskets, each holding about one seer, the whole coming under the 30 seer rate, (d) Cheap climax baskets for selling fruit at the markets and at the various gardens. 5. The best packing material appeared to be sunn fibre imported from Oudh in pressed bales. This was cheaper and better than cottonwool and also easier to handle than wood wool which also received an extended trial. Care must be taken to use onlv clean well-retted sunn for this purpose. During the present year a supply of these packages likely to be of most use in Quetta was made to order by the British Basket Company of Glasgow and shipped to Karachi. They were placed on the market at Quetta and sold at prices sufficient to cover all expenses including that connected with their sale. All the packages were taken up by the Indian fruit traders and about half the supply imported, was sold. In all about £45 worth was supplied to the trade. It is expected the rest will be disposed of E 50 REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH next year and that the expenses connected with the importa- tion will be completely recovered. Experiments on the transport of grapes were taken up on a small scale in 1912 and it was found possible to send these to Calcutta packed with sunn in the non-returnable crates. The prices realized were Rs. 2 per seer which gives a very good return. Unfortunately the supply of cork dust ordered for the grape packing experiments did not arrive in time, but it is hoped to carry out tests with this material later on. As a result of the experiments of 1911 and 1912 it may be said that most of the fruit packing questions have been solved and that packages better and cheaper than anything to be produced locally have been brought to the notice of the trade. For a year or two it will be necessary for Govern- ment to finance the supply of these packages after which it will be best to get an agency established in Quetta and for the trade to supply itself. Mr. Bliss has agreed to take up the agency when the time comes. Future Work. As most of the initial difficulties connected with the scheme have now been overcome and a beginning has been made with the work, it is not out of place to indicate the lines of future progress and to sum up the present position. The prospects of success of the fruit scheme are exceedingly favourable and there appears to be no reason why the project should not fulfil the expectations of its promoters. As results accumulate and as the water-saving devices become known, there is no doubt that the lessons of the experiment station will be taken up at once. The present methods are haphazard and all that is done after the plant- ing of the trees is to apply water in the most wasteful method that could be devised and take whatever crop hap- pens to be produced. None of the zemindars realize the possibilities of the valley and there is no doubt that an area under fruit and other crops properly managed would revolutionise the present practices. What is possible in INSTITUTE AND COLLEGE, PUSA, FOR 1912-13. 51 the valley has been clearly indicated by the tomato experi- ment of this year and equally striking results are possible with other fruit crops. What is wanted is the application of scientific principles to crop production and the only way of doing this is for Government to continue to act as the pioneering agency and to show the way. As regards the future the following are the chief lines of work which remain to be developed : — 1. Propagation.- — More attention will be necessary in the raising of young trees for planting. A greater range of stocks is desirable and the trees should be trained while in the nursery. A large selection of kinds should be raised so as to prolong the season of each fruit and the losses to the Province in the past from the distribution of bad stock should be prevented in the future. 2. Improvement in yield and quality. — Great advances in the yield and quality of fruit are necessary before the industry can be developed. At present the yield of fruit per acre is very small and the quality is not good. Varie- ties which require good cultivation like peaches are very short-lived and the prevalence of the yellowing of the leaves indicates that these trees are not properly grown. Pruning is hardly understood at present and the trees carry only a small proportion of poor fruit compared with what is easily possible. 3. Water conservation. — The great need in agriculture in Baluchistan is the saving of water. In this connection the preliminary work which has been done on surface cul- tivation, furrow irrigation and the increasing of the water- holding capacity of t"ie soil by green manuring should be developed and the j ossibilities of water-saving demon- strated by actual exanples. 4. Vegetable growing.— Good vegetables can be grown at Quetta at a time when there are no supplies to be had in the plains. It has been demonstrated that tomatoes can be sent to Calcutta at a good profit and there is little doubt that this line of work can be extended considerably in the i'uture. e2 52 REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH 5. Fruit packing. — The work on fruit packing should be continued, particularly with regard to grapes for which there is likely to be a great demand in India at good prices. Moreover, grapes grow well in Baluchistan and appeal to both Europeans and Indians in Hindustan. The importa- tion of packages should be supervised for a year or two until the trade is in a position to supply itself. Possibly later on cool vans will be available for the Calcutta market and whole van-loads can be sent to that city. 6. Collection of varieties. — The work on the collection of the best indigenous varieties together with good kinds from France and the United States should be continued till the experiment station is really well stocked. The best of these trees should be propagated and the young trees made available to the public. 7. Training. — In addition to the purpose of the ex- periment station as a model for the Province it can easily be made use of as a training ground for mails and zemin- dars. The object aimed at should be to pass a number of men every year through the station and to train them in all branches of the work. In this way the standard of agri- culture will gradually rise and fruit-growing will be placed on a higher plane. Detailed proposals on this subject are being submitted to the Local Administration. VI. — Programme and Publications. Programme of work for 1913-14- 1. Training. — The training of advanced students in this section will be continued. 2. Plant breeding and plant improvement- — During the year the following crops will be studied : — wheat, tobacco, oil-seeds, fibre plants and indigo. (a) Wheat. — The production of improved and rust-resistant types by selection and hybridisa- tion will be continued. The co-operative ex- periments on the influence of the environment on the milling and baking qualities of Indian INSTITUTE AND COLLEGE, PUSA, FOR 1912-13. 53 wheats, which are being conducted in collabo- ration with Mr. H. Martin Leake, Economic Botanist to the Government of the United Pro- vinces, will be continued. The botanical survey of the wheats of Baluchistan and the agricul- tural survev of the wheats of Bihar will be completed. (b) Tobacco. — The production of new varieties by se- lection and hybridisation will be continued, as well as the testing and curing of the varieties already isolated. The detailed study of the in- heritance of characters in tobacco is being con- tinued by the Personal Assistant. (c) Oil-seeds. — The study of the oil-seeds of India will be continued on similar lines to those adopted in the investigations on wheat. (d) Fibres. — The isolation and testing of pure races of the fibre plants of India will be continued. The study of the inheritance of characters in these crops is being continued. (e) Fruit. — The fruit experiment at Pusa will be con- tinued on the lines laid down in the first Fruit Report. During the months May to September the work connected with the development of the fruit industry of Baluchistan will be continued. Publications. Some progress was made in the publication of results and a certain number of completed pieces of work were written up during the year. A good deal, however, re- mains to be done to bring the publication of results up to date. The following papers were written or published during the year : — 1. Some Aspects of the Agricultural Development of Bihar. Bulletin No. 33, Agricultural Research Institute, Pusa. 2. The cultivation and transport of tomatoes in India (with G. L. C. Howard). Bulletin No. 1, Fruit Experiment 54 REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH Station, Quetta. (Reprinted in the Agricultural Journal of India, Vol. VIII, Part III.) 3. Some improvements in the packing and transport of fruit in India (with G. L. C. Howard). Bulletin No. 2, Fruit Experiment Station, Quetta. (Reprinted in the Agricul- tural Journal of India, Vol. VIII, Part III.) 4. The improvement of crops (with G. L. C. Howard). Agri- cultural Journal of India, Vol. VIII, Part II. 5. Yield and quality in wheat (with H. Martin Leake and G. L. C. Howard). Agricultural Journal of India, "Vol. VIII, Part II. 6. Natural root-grafting. Agricultural Journal of India, Vol. VIII, Part II. 7. The improvement of Indian wheat — a paper read at the Punjab Agricultural Conference, Lyallpur, November 4th, 1912 (with G. L. C. Howard). Agricultural Journal of India, Vol. VIII, Part I. 8. Sesam, Sesamum indicum, L. Die Zuchtung der land- wirtschaftliehen Kulturpflanzen, Bd. V, Paul Parey, Berlin, 1912. 9. Deccan-order Ambari-Hanf [Hibiscus cannabinus, L.J. Die Zuchtung der land.ivirtschaftlichen Kulturpflanzen, Bd. V, Paul Parey, Berlin, 1912. 10. Hibiscus Sabdariffa, L. Die Zuchtung der landwirtschaftli- clien Kulturpflanzen, Bd. V, Paul Pare}", Berlin, 1912. 11. Indischer Sunn-Hanf (Crotalaria juncea, L.). Die Zuch- tung der landwirtschaftliehen Kulturpflanzen, Bd. V, Paul Parey, Berlin, 1912. 12. Kugelfruchtige Jute [Corchorus capsularis, L.). Die Zuchtung der landivirtschaftlichen Kulturpflanzen, Bd. V, Paul Parey, Berlin, 1912. 13. Langfruchtige Jute {Corchorus olitorius, L.). Die Zuchtung der landwirtschaftliehen Kulturpflanzen, Bd. V, Paul Parey, Berlin, 1912. 14. Studies in Indian Tobaccos. No. 3. The inheritance of characters in Nicotiana tabacum, L. (G. L. C. Howard). Memoirs Department of Agriculture in India (Botanical Series), Vol. VI, No. 3. 15. On the inheritance of some characters in wheat — I (with G. it. C. Howard). Memoirs Department of Agriculture in India (Botanical Series), Vol. V, No. 1. INSTITUTE AND COLLEGE, PUSA, FOR 1912-13. 55 REPORT OF THE IMPERIAL MYCOLOGIST (E. J. Butler, M.B., F.L.S.) I. — Charge and Establishment. I was on privilege leave for the first six days of the year, since when I have remained in charge of the section Mr. F. J. F. Shaw continued to hold the post of Supernu- merary Mycologist until April 21st, when he left to take up his acting appointment as Government Mycologist, Madras- He was confirmed in the service during the year. Mr. J. IT. Mitter, Second Assistant, officiated as Assistant Professor of Botany in the Agricultural College, Lyallpur, until the end of August when he was appointed Assistant Professor of Botany, Muir Central College, Allahabad. The vacancy thus caused was filled by promotion in order of seniority, S. Pasupati Iyer coming in as Second Clerk. All the staff have worked well. II. — Training. Babu K. C. Banerji, B.A., L.Ag. (Nagpur), a stipen- diary student from the Agricultural Department, Bihar and Orissa, was under training until August 17th. III. — Diseases of Plants. The investigation of diseases of plants caused by fungi, and the more routine work of dealing with enquiries regarding the identity and treatment of crop diseases, formed, as usual, the greater part of the work of the section. (1) Rice diseases. — The disease of this crop in Eastern Bengal, locally known as ufra, has assumed serious pro- portions. The districts known to be affected are Noakhali, Tippera and Dacca. In these districts paddy is the staple food crop, occupying over 70 per cent, of the cultivated area or some 24 to 3 million acres, with an outturn of about 56 REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH 1,100,000 tons of clean rice. Both the main winter crop, or " aman," paddy and the autumn, or " aus," crop suffer, but the damage is much greater in the former, as its long growth period allows of a progressive increase of the parasite. The most severely attacked varieties are those grown in the lower lands, subject to early inundation and where transplantation is not possible. A large part of the rice grown is of this class ; the transplanted varieties, grown on higher land, occupy a smaller area and do not seem to get the disease. The lower land is under water for a considerable period every year and gets little cultiva- tion, being often allowed to remain covered with weeds and stubble after harvest until the first spring showers. The organism, an eelworm of the genus Tylenchus, mentioned in last year's report as the suspected cause of the disease, has been found during the year to be constantly present in every case and attempts to induce the disease experiment- ally by inoculating healthy paddy with it have been fully successful both at Pusa and at Dacca. The worm is one previously undescribed and, up to the present, has been found only on paddy suffering from ufra, or in the stubble from the diseased crop. On the living plant it is active, feeding and reproducing freely; after the death of the plant it assumes a passive condition, lying coiled up within the sheaths and glumes, and in this state can remain alive, if kept dry, for many months. Activity is resumed, at Pusa, about April. The length of the life cycle is not yet known, but there are several generations during the growth period of the crop and the rate of multiplication appears to be very considerable. Experiments have been undertaken, in collaboration with the Bengal Department of Agriculture, to devise methods of fighting this disease. Paddy probably suffers less than any other cereal from epidemic diseases and every effort will have to be made to check the spread of ufra. The losses caused by it are very great; in some cases the crop is not worth harvesting, in many others it is reduced to half or a quarter of the normal. In the districts referred INSTITUTE AND COLLEGE, PUSA, FOR 1912-13. 57 to nothing else can replace paddy as a food crop, and in cer- tain parts the distress that has been caused is undoubtedly very great. The most hopeful method of attack appears to be the destruction, by burning, of the stubble from diseased fields, and the Bengal Department has arranged to expend a considerable sum in experiments in this direction. A small area has been selected near Comilla for further ex- periments, especially in cultivation and trial of varieties. The enquiry will be treated as the most important on which this section is engaged, and efforts will be made in particular to fill up the gaps in our knowledge of the life history of the parasite. An account of the work up to date has been included in a Bulletin on rice diseases, now in the press, and a less technical paper has been contributed to the Agricultural Journal. Amongst other diseases of rice investigated during the year, " bunt " (caused by Tilletia horrida Tak.) was found to be widely prevalent in Burma, though usually in such small amount as to cause little loss. Its detection was the result of complaints received from Germany, of the pre- sence of black spores in rice meal imported from Rangoon and Moulmein. The disease is one which may well increase in virulence as time goes on and it is useful to know that we have a safe and assured preventative in a seed steep, similar to one employed against the allied wheat bunt. The false smut of rice [caused by Ustilaginoidea virens (Cke.) Tak.] was found to occur throughout a large part of the rice-growing tracts of India. It does rather more damage than bunt, but still not enough, usually, to repay treatment. This is fortunate, for no treatment is known, and experiments to follow out the life history of the fungus and ascertain how it infects the host plant have failed. These experiments will be continued as opportunity offers. Probably more important than either of the two last mentioned diseases is that caused by Sclerotium Oryzce Catt., which I found in Burma and Madras and which also occurs at Pusa. Its symptoms are obscure and it can 58 REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH easily be overlooked, as its chief effects are to cause exces- sive late tillering of the plant and partial sterility of the ear. Its further investigation was taken up by Mr. Shaw, who has established the parasitism of the fungus and studied its behaviour in artificial culture. The disease is probably one of the causes of the condition known in Burma as gwa-bo, in which an undue proportion of the ears are light or partially sterile and which is said to represent a very great aggregate loss. I found on local examination that most of the loss was attributable to insect pests, chiefly borers, and that fungus injury was probably too slight to be of economic significance. Mr. Shaw has prepared an account of his investigation, which is in the press as a Memoir. (2) Sugarcane diseases. — The " red rot " of sugarcane (caused by C olletotrichum falcatum Went.), which is the worst fungus disease of this crop in India, has been under study at Pusa for a number of years. Various difficul- ties which were met with have delayed the writing up of the results, but sufficient information has now been ob- tained to justify publication. A Memoir, prepared jointly by myself and A. Hafiz Khan, Third Assistant, to contain the results of experimental work since 1906, has been sub- mitted for publication. The experiments have been chiefly directed to obtain information as regards methods of infec- tion. It has been securely established that the most com- mon method in Northern India is by the planting of infected setts from a previously diseased crop, a method that has been recently controverted in Louisiana and the West Indies. The failure of sett selection which has been observed on several occasions, has been shown to be due to the presence, in severely diseased crops, of a percentage of infected canes which do not show the characteristic warn- ing symptom of reddening in the pith. In attacks of ordinary severity this percentage is negligible, but in severe epidemics it is advisable to avoid the use of any cane from the diseased crop for seed. It has been further shown that sound setts may be infected after planting, though in INSTITUTE AND COLLEGE, PUSA, FOR 1912-13. 59 Northern India the parasite appears to die out rapidly in the soil and there is not much danger from this source, unless there is carelessness in allowing rotten canes to lie on the fields after harvest. Infection by air-borne spores through wounds in the stem, such as those caused by boring insects, was found to be uncommon, though accepted as the usual method in most other countries where the disease is prevalent. The leaf scars at the joints, left after the leaves are removed in stripping or wrapping the cane, are stated by some observers to admit the parasite, but it was found that this did not occur if the leaf had reached maturity and came away readily. On the other hand the shoot and root eyes at the joints can be infected and through the latter, especially, the fungus has no difficulty in gaining an entry into the cane pith. The most probable origin of the infective matter was found to be a form of the fungus which is parasitic on the midrib of the leaf, and which had been overlooked by most observers. From these results, backed by field observations, it is concluded that the most important precaution to be taken against the disease is to select the setts used for planting, so that only those with unreddened pith are used. The effect of sett selection in keeping the disease from reaching epidemic severity has been very satisfactory in several Bihar estates and elsewhere, and it should be made a routine practice. In very severe attacks sett selection may fail, and it may be necessary to introduce new seed from outside. Care must be taken at the same time to remove early cases of the disease, in order to avoid risk of infec- tion through the shoot and root eyes, and also to destroy rotten canes and trash after harvest, so as to prevent in- fection of the setts at or after the time of planting. Finally it is pointed out that the " thin " canes, in which India is so rich, are almost immune to the disease; that the comparatively little damage caused by red rot in Java may be due to the fact that many of the best Java canes are the progeny of crosses between Indian thin canes and the locally grown thick kinds; and that there is every 60 REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH reason to hope that similar results can be obtained in India by hybridization. Three minor sugarcane diseases, caused by undescribed species of fungi, have also been under study, and the work was advanced sufficiently by the end of the year to allow of the results being written up. One of these, occurring at Samalkota and Jorhat, is possibly that referred to in last year's report as resembling sereh. They will be more fully dealt with in the next report. Phytophthora investigations. Mr. J. F. Dastur, First Assistant, completed his iuvesti- gations of a new species of this destructive genus, which was found attacking castor, and published a detailed de- scription of it in the Memoirs. The parasite causes the most injurious fungal disease of this crop known, and is especially harmful to eri-silk worm breeders. On seedling plants it causes a " damping off," which may affect 30 to 40 per cent, of the seedlings; older plants are attacked chiefly in the leaves. A full account of the morphology of the parasite is given, the chief interest centring in the dis- covery of a new type of reproduction. Shortly before the publication of the paper, this discovery was anticipated by a British Mycologist, working with an allied species. The growth of the fungus in artificial culture was successfully attempted. A very complete series of inoculation experi- ments was carried out, potato, tomato, brinjal, til and several other plants proving susceptible to attack. The study of Colocasia blight (caused by Phytophthora Colocasice Rac.) was commenced by Mr. G. S. Kulkarni, Mycological Assistant of the Bombay Department, when a student at Pusa in 1909, and completed by myself during the year. We published a joint account of it in the Memoirs, giving details of the characters of the disease and the morphology and biology of the fungus. The intensity of the attack is closely dependent on the character of the monsoon, being worst in wet years. In addition to the already known damage caused by rotting the leaves, the INSTITUTE AND COLLEGE, PUSA, FOR 1912-13. 61 parasite was found to infect the corms and to cause consi- derable injury after the crop is lifted. Pure cultures were grown in 1912, and a large series of inoculation experiments carried out, but the species is much more restricted in its choice of hosts than the castor parasite. A serious outbreak of potato blight (caused by Phytoph- thora infestans de Bary) occurred in the Gangetic Plain, where the disease has not been reported since 1902. The outbreak is probably to be attributed to the fact that the local seed supply failed, in a great measure as a result of damage caused by the potato moth. A large import of hill seed occurred at the beginning of the cold weather and no doubt introduced the fungus, which is endemic in the hills. Mr. Dastur has obtained pure cultures of the para- site and is testing its temperature relations, as this appears to be likely to prove the most important factor in its con- trol. Rhizoctonia. The results of Mr. Shaw's work on this genus of soil- dwelling parasites, referred to more fully in last year's report, were published during the year. He has continued his investigations, particularly with forms parasitic on lucerne and Delphinium. It is evident that great confu- sion of species exists in the published literature of the genus and his researches should do much to clear this up. It is of interest to record that a severe attack of opium poppy blight, which has generally been supposed to be caused by Peronospora arborescens, was found to be due last season to Rhizoctonia. It is hoped that Mr. Shaw will be able to continue his work on this, after his return from Madras. Wheat rust. Wheat rust was prevalent in Bihar last season and some interesting observations were made in selected areas at Pusa, on the influence of soil moisture and density of growth on the disease Orange rust (Puccinia triticina) 62 REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH appeared early and spread uniformly, without much rela- tion to position in the field or density of the crop. Later on it became more intense where the crop was heaviest and tallest, but was soon masked by yellow rust (Puccinia glumarum). This did not appear in any quantity until the crop was nearly full grown but then developed with great intensity wherever the crop was tall and dense. Black rust (Puccinia graminis) was late in appearing and did not show any regularity in distribution. In February and March, Dr. Leather kindly made some determinations of soil moisture and air humidity in two plots, one with a light, thin crop where rust was slight, and the other where the crop was heavy and rust severe. The soil moisture was much better in the latter, especially from the 3rd to the 6th foot in depth. The humidity was taken within the crop, about 4 inches above ground level, the first test, lasting for 7 to 8 hours, being made on February 14th, in dull and humid weather. In the thin crop the relative humidity was 57*3 per cent, and the mean air temperature was 26° C. In the heavy, badly rusted crop, the relative humidity was 76-7 per cent, and the mean air temperature 23° C. A second test was made on February 21st, the crop having been much laid by a storm on the 15th and the day being fine with a dry west wind blowing. No appreciable differ- ence was found in the two plots. The intensity of the attack of yellow rust and the later stages of orange rust thus varied directly with the soil moisture and the air humidity within the crop. The early stages of orange rust would not be exposed to the influence of the latter factor, as at that period the crop is too small to cover the ground closely. By the time black rust appears, transpiration has much diminished, as the crop is then almost ripe; the air temperature is higher and the drying west winds have usually set in. Hence the late rust is not much exposed to differences in air humidity. Of the two factors the immediately important one is apparently the humidity of the air within the crop, but INSTITUTE AND COLLEGE, PUSA, FOR 1912-13. 63 this again is connected with the soil moisture, as it must depend largely on the density of the crop and the vigour of transpiration. Ground-nut diseases. The cultivation of ground-nut in the Bombay Presi- dency underwent a progressive decline between 1895 and 1903. This decline was attributed in 1902 by Mr. Mollison, then Inspector General of Agriculture, to the extension of disease in the crop. In that year I found a fungal disease (caused by Septogloeum Arachidis Rac.) was doing great damage. Attempts to check it by spraying failed, and the only hope seemed to lie in the introduction of early matur- ing and resistant varieties. Recently the cultivation of ground-nut has again expanded and various reports led me to believe that this disease had diminished- On visiting the Presidency I found that this was the case to such a degree, that I had considerable difficulty in finding any attacked plants. Coincident with the decline of the disease there has been a change in the varieties of ground- nut grown. The Bombay Department of Agriculture introduced a number of foreign varieties in 1901 and the following years, and these have almost replaced the old varieties, except in the Poona District. It is difficult to avoid the conclusion that the introduction of the new varieties is connected in some way with the decline of the disease, though a direct connection is hard to establish, since the old varieties, still grown near Poona, are now equally free from attack. It would, however, be interest- ing to know how far natural crossing has occurred between the new and the old varieties, as in this there is a possible explanation of the difficulty. I think that Mr. Mollison and the Bombay Department are entitled to claim the credit of having successfully fought one of the worst diseases of cultivated crops which I have seen in India. The area under ground-nut in the Deccan rose from 56,000 acres in 1902-03, to nearly 200,000 acres in 1911-12. 64 REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH Cotton and Sesamum wilts. A wilt disease of cotton (caused by Fusarium vasin- fectum Atk.) is probably the worst fungal disease of this crop in the United States and has been reported from most other cotton-growing countries. It has been known for some years that a similar disease occurs in the Central Provinces. Sesamum is also attacked by an allied disease, and an attempt was made to isolate the parasites concerned, establish their identity and make as complete a study of the diseases as possible. I found cotton wilt extends over a large area from the Central Provinces to Belgaum, being especially prevalent in the Berars, where it has been care- fully observed by Mr. Clouston. Sesamum wilt extends from Hoshangabad, where Mr. Evans gave me much useful information regarding its distribution and field characters, into parts of Bombay. Fungi of the genus Fusarium were isolated from both crops and have been maintained in pure culture. The first attempts to test their parasitism failed, possibly because the season was already too far advanced, and the work is, consequently, being repeated. Anthracnose of Sisal hemp. This disease was investigated by Mr. Shaw, who estab- lished the parasitism of the fungus (C olletotrichum Agaves Cav.) previously suspected to be its cause. It was found to infect species of A gave readily and to produce a charac- teristic leaf disease. An account of the work was pub- lished in the Agricultural Journal of India, January 1913. Collecting and burning diseased leaves, and spraying with Bordeaux mixture, are measures which are recommended as likely to prove efficacious in checking the disease. Indigo disease. The work mentioned in last year's report was continued, but led to no useful results. Neither Mr. Shaw nor myself, working independently, was able to obtain any evidence that the so-called disease is caused by any definite parasite. Some half a dozen species of fungi were isolated from INSTITUTE AND COLLEGE, PUSA, FOR 1912-13. 65 plants in various stages of " disease," but none of these proved capable of reproducing it, As they were mostly belonging to the class of weak parasites, capable of infect- ing the host plant only when the latter has been weakened by some other agency, it was concluded that the cause of the trouble lies deeper. Since it is practically certain that it is not mycological, the enquiry was abandoned, and a note giving a summary of the work, and the reasons for this step, was submitted to the Bihar Planters' Association, and circulated amongst the members. Forest tree diseases. This section, as usual, assisted the Forest Department in examining and reporting on specimens of fungus diseases of forest trees, mostly received through the Imperial Forest Botanist, As this is rather a specialised branch of mycology and as the work of the section has grown too much to allow of all enquiries being; dealt with equally fully, arrangements were made with the Forest Botanist, denning what assistance we were prepared to give. Under present circumstances, it will not usually be possible to undertake any definite research into the causes of undescribed diseases of trees, but where the parasite is already known, or is allied to known ones, assistance can be given. The Forest Botanist was supplied with all the information available in this section on the obscure " spike " disease of sandal. Green parasites. Mr. Shaw continued his investigation of the flowering plant Striga, which is parasitic on the roots of jowar, sugarcane and other Graminew in India- He also took up the study of an allied plant, Sopubia, which attacks several cereals. When the work was commenced, little was known regarding these interesting plants, but the result of work on South African species of Striga has recently been pub- lished. It is still necessary to compare the Indian species 66 REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH with those of South Africa and the investigation of Sopubia, about which nothing whatever is known, is equally important. The economic aspect has not, as yet, been con- sidered in South Africa, and this side of the enquiry is of primary interest to us. Other plant diseases. The section has, as usual, been consulted by the Scienti- fic Department of the Indian Tea Association on several occasions. It was also consulted by the Australian Prickly Pear Commission, on the diseases of that plant in India, and by the Agricultural Department of British East Africa, on coffee leaf disease. A serious disease of betle pepper, which causes great loss in certain parts of India, is being investigated and appears to be caused by an un- described species of Colletotrichum, of which the perfect stage has been obtained in culture. Experiments in check- ing anthracnose of plantains were continued. The treat- ment of oat smut by formalin steeping was successfully demonstrated on several estates in Bihar, and is being taken up satisfactorily. Work with Pennisetum smut was continued, but the life history of the fungus has not yet been worked out. A disease of maize, hitherto unknown outside Java, appeared at Pusa last year. It is exceed- ingly destructive in Java, but our knowledge of the life history of the parasite [Sclerospora Maydis (Rac.) Butl.] is imperfect and an attempt was made, and is being con- tinued, to obtain fuller information on this point. An account of it was published in the Memoirs. The " damp- ing off " of seedlings (caused by Pythium de Baryanum Hesse) was found for the first time in India last year, though common in temperate climates. Its studv in culture was undertaken, and an account of it published in the Memoirs. The rotting of stored potatoes is being investi- gated at the instance of the Economic Botanist, Bihar and Orissa; much of the loss has been found to be due to Rhizoctonia. INSTITUTE AND COLLEGE, PUSA, FOR 1912-13. 07 IV. — Systematic Work. The additions to the herbarium continued steadily, the total number of mounted sheets added being 780. Most of these were Indian, the most important outside contribu- tions being from Berlin and Manilla- A considerable num- ber of parasitic fungi were named for the college collec- tions of the Provincial Departments of Agriculture, for other colleges, and for the Forest Research Institute. Large collections of Indian fungi were distributed to in- terested persons. The Hypocreacece of our collections were kindly named by Mr. T. Petch, Government Mycologist, Ceylon. The perfect stages of the rusts of sugarcane, cotton and fig were discovered during the year and will be described shortly. Mr. Shaw has commenced the system- atic study of some soil fungi. V. — Programme of work for 1913-14. (1) Research and experimental work. — The continued investigation of the disease of paddy, known as ufra in Bengal, will be regarded as the most important individual item of the work of the section. Other diseases of paddy will be studied as occasion arises. Of sugarcane diseases, the study of which will be con- tinued, the most important in view is the sereh-like disease at Jorhat and elsewhere. It is hoped to ascertain definitely whether it is caused by a fungus, and, if so, whether it is identical with a new disease of which an account will shortly be published. The wilt diseases of cotton and sesamum are major diseases, the investigation of which will be continued. The work on potato blight may also require to be treated as an investigation of importance, if the disease again recurs, and the same applies to the opium poppy blight, referred to in the body of the report. Besides the investigation of the last-mentioned disease, Mr. Shaw may be able, on his return from Madras, to progress with his sutdy of some green parasites, of which f2 68 REPOET OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH a more precise knowledge than is at present available is greatly required. His work on soil fungi is likely to extend over a considerable period and is not of such im- mediate importance as the other enquiries, but it probably has a bearing on such questions as the decomposition of green manures, and may give valuable results. Minor investigations are those of the anthracnoses of plantain and betle pepper, smut of Pennisetum, maize- mildew and further work on diseases of castor. (2) Training. — This will be continued on the lines in- dicated in the Prospectus. Short courses will also be given if any students of the Institute wish to attend. (3) The routine work of advising on plant diseases will be continued and assistance will be given as usual to the Provincial Departments of Agriculture, the Forest Depart- ment, Planters' Associations and the general public. (4) It is hoped to make further progress with the pub- lication of descriptive lists of Indian fungi, and, if time permits, the preparation of a 5th part of " Fungi India? Orientalis " will be taken up. This will be the most im- portant item of the systematic work. VI. — Publications. 1. Preliminary Report on TJfra disease of Rice in Noakhali District, E. J. Butler. Bull, of the Bureau of Agricul- tural Intelligence and of Plant-diseases, 3rd year, No. 7, July, 1912, p. 1661. 2. The Morphology and Parasitism of Rhizoctonia, F. J. F. Shaw. Mem. Dept. of Agri., Bot. Ser., IV, No. 6, Sep- tember, 1912. 3. Anthracnose of Sisal Hemp, F. J. F. Shaw. Agri. Journ. of India, VIII, No. 1, January, 1913. 4. Report on Mycology for 1911-12, E. J. Butler. Annual Report of the Board of Scientific Advice, April, 1913. 5. On Phytophthora parasitica nov. spec, a new disease of the Castor oil plant, J. F. Dastur. Mem. Dept. of Agri., India, Bot. Ser., V, No. 4, May, 1913. INSTITUTE AND COLLEGE, PUSA, FOR 1912-13. 69 6. Colocasia blight, caused by PJtytophthora Colocasice Rac, E. J. Butler and G. S. Kulkarni. Mem. Dept. of Agri., India, Bot. Ser., V, No. 5, May, 1913. 7. Pythium de Baryanum Hesse, E. J. Butler. Mem. Dept. of Agri., India, Bot, Ser., V, No. 5, May, 1913. 8. The Downy Mildew of Maize [Sclerospora Maydis (Rac.) Butl.], E. J. Butler. Mem. Dept. of Agri., India, Bot. Ser., V, No. 5, May, 1913. 9. Diseases of Rice, E. J. Butler. Bull. 34, Agri. Res. Inst., Pusa (in the press). 10. Ufra disease of Rice, E. J. Butler. Agri. Joum. of India, VIII, No. 3 (in the press). 11. A Sclerotial disease of Rice, F. J. F. Shaw. Mem. Dept. of Agri., India, Bot, Ser., VI, No. 2 (in the press). 12. Red Rot of Sugarcane, E. J. Butler and A. Hafiz Khan. Mem. Dept. of Agri., India, Bot. Ser., VI, No. 5 (in the press). 70 REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH REPORT OF THE IMPERIAL ENTOMOLOGIST (A. J. Grove, M.Sc.) I. — Charge and Establishment. I held charge of the section from July 1st, 1912, until the 29th, when Mr. H. Maxwell-Lefroy, Imperial Entomolo- gist, returned from leave. Mr. Lefroy, however, resigned his post on the 30th of November 1912 and I took over charge from him on that date to officiate under orders of the Government of India until a new appointment was made, and have continued to hold charge since then. The First Assistant, Mr. C. S. Misra, was away on privilege leave from January 2nd until April 2nd, 1913. He has continued to be in charge of the field work on the Pusa Farm and the Botanical area, and has also instructed the long course students- The giving of two short courses in Lac Cultivation and the arranging of the general lac work has been in his hands. As well as this routine work, he has undertaken investigations on the occurrence of bollworms and their parasites in the experimental plots on the farm, arranging for the despatch of parasites to Egypt, and has also continued his work on economic Aleurodidm and Coccidcp. The Second Assistant was on privilege leave from the middle of November to the end of December. He has remained in charge of the Insectary and assisted in the special investigation on indigo " Psylla." He has also done much useful work with the European and Indian bees. Mr. Dutt was on privilege leave from January 2nd to March 2nd, 1913. He has remained in charge of the economic collections and correspondence, a part of the General Collection {Hymenoptera), and the preparation and distribution of coloured plates and lantern slides, and has taken up a study of Hymenopterous parasites of crop pests. Mr. D. Nowrojee took privilege leave for 18 days during October and November 1912. He has remained in charge of the General Collections and has continued in- INSTITUTE AND COLLEGE, PUSA, FOR 1912-13. 71 vestigations on the biology of beetles affecting stored pro- ducts. Mr. M. N. De has continued in charge of the Silk House and has carried out the hybridisation work with Mulberry silkworms and has also assisted in the prepara- tion of sample silk pieces with both Eri and Mulberry Silk. II. — Training. The private student deputed by the Department of Agriculture, Travancore, continued his training until March 14th when he returned to his State for three months to study the particular pests of the State and returned on July 4th to work up the material he had collected and to continue his training. A student, deputed by the Assam Department of Agriculture, was admitted on November 1st, 1912, for training. A student from the Agricultural Col- lege, Giza, Egypt, was admitted on August 1st at the re- quest of the Government of Egypt for a three months' train- ing in practical entomology. Nine students have attended the short courses in Sericulture. Seven students attended the two short courses in Lac Cultivation, five in June and two in October. III. — Research. The investigation into the so-called " Psylla " disease of indigo was carried on and the practical results have been published- General enquiries into the biology and habits of insect pests have been continued and among those studied may be mentioned Painted Bug, Anar Butterfly, Termites (White-ants) and Bollworms and their parasites. An investigation has also been commenced, at the request of the Punjab Government, into methods for preserving wheat stored in bins from damage by beetles. IV. — Insect Survey. Additions have been made to the general collections during the year. Specimens of Orthopiera sent to Mr. Kirby, Homoytera to Mr. Banks, Ichneumonidce to Mr. 72 BEPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH Morley and PsyUidm to Mr. Crawford for identification have been received back. Specimens of Coleoptera (Longi- cornia) were sent to Mr. Gahan and Cantharidce to Dr. Wellman for identification. V. — Provincial Work. With the appointment of Entomological Assistants to the Provinces, Pusa is less in touch with the work done in the Provinces except in such cases where the Entomolo- gical Assistants submit monthly reports and where direct guidance is asked for. Also with the appointment of a European Entomologist to the Government of Madras, the necessity for controlling the work in that Presidency from Pusa no longer exists. It is to be regretted that Pusa is not in closer touch with the provincial work and the matter is under consideration, for it is advisable that there should be as complete co-ordination of the entomological work in India as possible in order to prevent duplication. In the Central Provinces the rearing of Eri worms was continued and an effort was made to study sugar- cane borers and the effect of growing maize as a trap-crop for them. In Bihar and Orissa the campaign against the greasy Cut- worm, Agrotis ypsilon, was successfully carried out. Arrangements were also made to make more traps locally and to start work against the Cut- worm at Bhagai- pur and Colgong during the following year. Potato stor- age experiments were made at Bettiah, Bihar, Bhagalpur and Colgong, and demonstration godowns were started at Colgong and Bhagalpur. The rearing of Eri worms was continued and eggs were distributed to the local zemindars. In Baroda, work on checking the " Katra " and the sesamum stem-borer was continued. Field demon- strations were also given in several villages to check cotton bollworms, the sesamum stem-borer and the tobacco stem- borer. Arrangements were also made to start lac culti- vation on Babool in the State and to procure Babool brood- lac locally. INSTITUTE AND COLLEGE, PUSA, FOR 1912-13. fr3 VI.— Special Investigations. (1) Insecticides.- — Various proprietary preparations have been received for trial and reported upon. Many of these are found either to fall short of what is claimed for them or to be unsuitable for use in India. (2) Sericulture.- — The experiments with European Uni- voltine races have been continued and have given satisfac- tory results. The eggs which, as reported last year, were sent to places in the hills, where the temperature is not so extreme as on the plains, for storage during their dormant period, have turned out very well and given as good results as those which were cold-stored in a refrigerator in Calcutta. The hybridisation work with mulberry worms has been continued and more satisfactory results have been obtained. Eri silkworms were again reared with good results, except during the hot dry months when con ait ions are extremely unfavourable. With this industry there is great need for better organisation both with regard to the dis- tribution of seed and the disposal of cocoons. Efforts have been made to make arrangements whereby small rearers can dispose with advantage of the small quantities of cocoons they produce, but much closer co-operation among the rearers will be necessary before this can be done satis- factorily. The necessity, too, of a certain supply of reliable eggs has been felt this season and it is hoped that arrange- ments to overcome this difficulty may be made in future. Requests for mulberry and castor seeds, disease- free Mulberry and Eri eggs, samples of cocoons, yarn, cloth, pamphlets, etc., have been received from numerous appli- cants, whose requirements have been supplied as far as possible. Sample pieces of both Eri and Mulberry silk cloth have been prepared and dyed with alizarin colours to show Indian weavers the possibilities of these silks. Exhibits were sent to Muzalferpore, Bankipur, Malda, Banjettia, Ellore, Calcutta and Bangalore. (3) Lac culture. — Two short courses in lac cultivation were given. The collection of lac insects from Forest 74 REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH Officers for the determination of the species of lac insects has been continued and the series from most ranges are now almost complete. Ser and Kusumb plants, inoculated with lac insects, were again sent to Japan. Brood-lac was sent to Ceylon. Numerous enquiries about lac cultiva- tion were received and answered. The Bulletin on the " Lac Cultivation in the Plains of India ''' is being trans- lated into Hindi and Urdu. Experiments to determine other food-plants of the Ber lac have been carried out and are still in progress. (4) Apiculture. — The experiments with European bees have been continued, but this year particular attention has been directed to obtaining fertilized queens. A large number of experiments were made and in all twenty-five queens were reared, but of these only two were successfully fertilized. Although this result seems rather poor, a large amount of valuable experience was obtained and it is hoped that when the proper season again comes round more successful results will be obtained. The experiments with the Indian bee, Apis indica, were continued, but much progress was still impossible owing to the lack of suitable appliances. A foundation mill has now been obtained and it is hoped that during the next honey flow a satisfactory test of their honey-gathering qualities will be made. VII. — Demonstration. Owing to lack of funds no new coloured plates were issued during the year. Additional copies of the plates already published were issued to the Directors of Agricul- ture, Bengal and the Central Provinces, and to the Prin- cipal, Agricultural College, Nagpur. Sets of coloured lan- tern slides were supplied to the Director of Agriculture, Bengal, Principal, Agricultural College, Nagpur, Entomo- logical Assistant, Baroda State, and the Assistant Profes- sor of Entomology, Agricultural College, Lyallpur. The Department of Agriculture, Bombay, have indented for a large supply of coloured plates and arrangements have been made to supply these. INSTITUTE AND COLLEGE, PUSA, FOR 1912-13. 75 A demonstration of the use of spraying machines was given at various Indigo Factories in Bihar in connection with the treatment of indigo " Psylla." VIII. — Correspondence. Much time is still devoted to dealing with the numerous applications received for information, advice and the like, in the many branches of entomological endeavour dealt with by this section, but such correspondence is still given the greatest possible attention because of its great utility to officials and the general public. Eighty parcels of speci- mens were received from various applicants during the year and the fullest information possible was supplied in each case. IX. — Visitors. The Hon'ble Sir K. G. Gupta, K.C.S.I., Member of the Secretary of State's Council, and the Hon'ble Sir Charles Bayley, K.C.S.I., Lieutenant-Governor of Bihar and Orissa, visited the section in November and January res- pectively. Dr. L. H. Gough, Entomologist to the Depart- ment of Agriculture, Egypt, worked in the Laboratory in September and visited Baroda and Cawnpur during August with the First Assistant, to make arrangements for the despatch of bollworm parasites to Egypt. Mr. A. Alfieri visited Pusa from July to September on behalf of the Khedivial Agricultural Society of Cairo in connection with bollworm parasites. Lala Bishembar Das, Assistant Pro- fessor of Biology, Government College, Lahore, worked in the Laboratory from October to December. Lala Madan Mohan Lai, Assistant Professor of Entomology, Agricul- tural College, Lyallpur, spent three weeks in the Laboratory during October. The Entomological Assistant of Baroda visited Pusa in April to discuss his programme of work for the ensuing year. Mr. N. N. Pillai, Weaving Expert to the Government of Bengal, visited the Silk House during April. Mr. Cook, Principal of the Weaving School, Benares, inspected the dyeing work carried out in the Silk House. 56 REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH X. — Programme of work for 1913-14. As previously, investigations into crop pests and sug- gesting of remedial measures will be continued, and ac- counts of their life-histories, etc., will be published as material accumulates. The short courses in lac cultivation and Eri and Mulberry silk cultivation will be given as formerly, and also the training of students in general ento- mology. The cultivation of lac for experimental and de- monstration purposes will be continued. The work with Mulberry silkworms will be carried on. Eri worms will be reared and help and advice on both Eri and Mulberry cul- tivation will be afforded as far as practicable. Experi- ments with European bees, especially from the point of view of queen raising, will be continued. It is hoped that it will be possible to test the honey-gathering qualities of the Indian bee, Apis indica, during the coming spring. In- secticides and apparatus, sent in for trial, will be tested and reported upon. The field experiments with wheat and sugarcane will be continued. If funds are available more coloured plates will be published and the work of preparing lantern slides will be continued. Where desired, help will be given to the Provincial Assistants in their work, and in case of serious outbreaks of pests special assistance will be given. The special investigations with insects attacking stored wheat will be continued as also the experimental work with cotton bollworm. XL — Publications. 1. Tetrigiute (Acridiiiite) in the Agricultural Research Insti- tute, Pusa, with descriptions of new species. Dr. Bl. L. lhtA*~€&C4C Gough. Mem. Dept. of Agri., India, Ent. Ser., VoL IV, No. 2. 2. The Big Brown Cricket [Brachytrypes Achatinus, Stoll). C. C. Ghosh. Mem. Dept. of Agri., India, Ent. Ser., Vol. IV, No. 3. 3. Life-histories of Indian Insects. — IV (Hymenoptera). G. R. Dutt. Mem. Dept. of Agri., India, Ent. Ser., Vol. IV, No. 4. INSTITUTE AND COLLEGE, PUSA, FOR 1912-13. 77 4. Inquiry into the Insecticidal action of some Mineral and other Compounds on Caterpillars. H. M. Lefroy and R. S. Finlow. Mem. Dept. of Agri. in India, Ent. Ser., Yol. IY, No. 5. 5. Cultivation of Lac in the Plains of India. C. S. Misra. Bull. 28, Agri. Res. Inst., Pusa. [Second Edition in the press.) 6. Directions for the Cultivation of Eri Silk. Bull. 29, Agri. Res. Inst., Pusa. (Second Edition in the press.) 7. Litchi Leaf Curl. C. S. Misra. Agri. Journ. of India, Yol. VII, Pt, III, July, 1912. 8. The " Psylla " disease of Indigo in Bihar. H. M. Lefroy. Agri. Journ. of India, Yol. YIII, Pt. I, January, 1913. 9. The Red Spider on Jute. C. S. Misra. Agri. Journ. of India, Yol. YIII, Pt. IY [in the press). 10. Life-history of Helicomitus dicax. C. C. Ghosh. Bom. Nat. Hist. Soc. Journal (in the press). 11. Instructions for rearing Univoltine Mulberry Silkworms. M. N. De. Bull. 39, Agri. Res. Inst., Pusa (in the press) . 12. Life-histories of Indian Insects. — Lepidoptera. C. C. Ghosh. Mem. Dept. of Agri. in India, Ent. Ser., Yol. Y, No. 1 (in the press). Publications in preparation : — Memoir on Indigo Psylla. Memoir on Orthoptera. Memoir on Coleoptera. Memoir on Heterocera. Memoir on Hemiptera. Memoir on Insects Injurious to Indian Agriculture; revised edition. Memoir on Indian Economic Aleurodidse. Bulletin on Fruit Pests. Bulletin on Bees and Bee-keeping. Vernacular translation of Bulletin No. 28 (revised edition) on the " Cultivation of Lac in the Plains of India," 78 REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH REPORT OF THE IMPERIAL PATHOLOGICAL ENTOMOLOGIST (F. M. Howlett, B.A., F.E.S.) I. — Administration. I was in charge of the section throughout the year, but spent two months in September and October on privilege leave. Of the work which is summarised in this report, I owe not a little to the stimulus of frequent correspondence, conversation and collaboration with many medical officers more or less directly engaged in entomological work. The probable severance of these relations in the near future is to me a source of regret. II. — Veterinary Work. In January I circularized all Provincial Directors, enquiring whether there was any veterinary research in progress which I could assist from the entomological side, or any special direction in which they would suggest that entomological investigation should be prosecuted- The majority replied that the services of an entomologist were not at present required; Madras, Burma and the Centra] Provinces referred to the collection of possible Surra- carriers, and the Central Provinces also mentioned the parasites of sheep. Major Holmes proposes an investigation of the insect carriers of Surra at Kathgodam. An assistant has been given special training in order that he may assist by carry- ing on the rearing of Tabanidas and other blood-sucking Diptera which will be required in this enquiry. A large collection of Ticks, mostly from Veterinary Officers of the different provinces, has been consigned to Professor Nuttall at Cambridge, there to be examined and identified in connection with Professor Nuttall's mono- graphs on the subject which are now appearing. INSTITUTE AND COLLEGE, PUSA, FOR 1912-13. 79 An attempt was made to repeat the observations of Hindle and Merriman on the smell-reactions of Ticks (Argas and Hyalomma), but I was unable to obtain the same results. The matter is one of considerable interest, and I propose to return to it. III. — Agricultural Work. This was practically confined to the subject of fruit-flies of the genus Dacus. A poison-spray method, which depends for its efficacy on the habit of the peach-fly (D. Zonatus) of sucking tenta- tively at any little drop of moisture on a leaf, was tried with excellent results. The proportion of affected peaches in the sprayed plots was approximately 2 per cent, over the whole period of picking, in place of the usual 45 — 60 per cent. The cost of the method is very small compared with the value of the crop, and should this year's results be con- firmed by another season's work, they will have a very con- siderable commercial importance. In the course of experiments on the chemotactic reac- tions of male fruit-flies I have found that these insects are strongly attracted by certain compounds allied to Eugenol (C10H12O2). These compounds thus constitute a means of detecting the presence of the flies in a given locality with a degree of certainty quite unattainable by any ordinary method of observation. Using this chemical test in the course of a tour in March through Bihar, the United Provinces, the Punjab, and the North- West Frontier Province, I found that the North- Western limit of the distribution of peach-fly practi- cally corresponded with the South-Eastern limit of success- ful peach-growing. Mr. and Mrs. Howard have shown that under the climatic conditions which obtain at Pusa it is possible to grow first-rate peaches. That peaches are not largely or profitably grown in the Southern and Eastern portions of the Gangetic Plain and in various districts in Southern 80 REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH India is, I believe, due very largely or entirely to the abun- dance of peach-fly, 50 per cent, or more of the crop being almost invariably maggotty- It thus appears probable that the application of the poison-spray method may result in opening up, for the profitable cultivation of sound peaches, large areas where such cultivation is at present impossible owing to the ravages of the fly. IV. — Medical Work. The two genera concerning which information was chiefly desired by the Medical Department were Stegomyia and Phlebotomus. A course of instruction in the identification, breeding and general observation of Stegomyia was given in July to Medical Officers engaged in the " Stegomyia survey." The life-histories of all the species occurring at Pusa have been worked out in their main features. Careful obser- vations have been carried on throughout the whole year on the seasonal prevalence of the different species, and it has been established as a practical certainty that all species are normally in the habit of tiding over periods of drought as dry eggs, even though these periods may be of six months or even longer duration. Anti- Stegomyia operations have been carried out at Pusa, with a very marked result on the numbers of these mosquitos, which in past years have been invariably very troublesome in the rains. This year it is rare to find them in the bungalows. The methods adopted have been the filling up with earth or plaster of Paris of all known or probable breed- ing-places, particularly holes in trees and cut bamboos, and the simultaneous provision of ' trap-breeding-places " in the form of bamboo- joints filled with water which are emptied out as soon as larvae make their appearance in them. I regard this trapping method as a distinct advance on mere indiscriminate destruction, and with modifica- tions it might be found a valuable aid in anti-malarial operations. INSTITUTE AND COLLEGE, PUSA, FOR 1912-13. 81 Coloured plates were prepared illustrating all stages of the life-history of the different species of Stegomyia and allied genera occurring at Pusa, and a set of maps was also constructed, largely from information received from Medical Officers on the Stegomyia survey, showing the known distribution of the different species in India. These plates and maps, together with specimens of the mosquitos in different stages and other exhibits, were sent at the request of the Medical Department to the Inter- national Exhibition at Ghent to form a part of the Indian exhibit in the section of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. A typical collection of mosquitos and other human para- sites was also sent to Dr. Marzinowsky of Moscow. A large number of observations have been made as to the action of different chemical substances on the eggs and larvae of mosquitos (Stegomyia scutellaris, Myzomyia rossii, and Culex fatigans and microannulatus). It has been found that ordinary powdered Calomel (mercurous chloride) has many of the properties of the ideal larvicide, and this substance certainly merits a more extended trial to ascertain its cost and efficacy under field- jonditions. The action is comparatively slow, but "sure and apparently lasting, while the amount which it is neces- sary to use is so minute that treated water is in no way harmful or uncomfortable for ordinary use by men or cattle. Observations have also been made on the method of feeding and the nature of the food and digestion of mos- quito-larvae, and on the respiration and oxygen-consump- tion of larvae and pupae. Methods of colouring mosquitos for identification in flight- determination have been tried with success as far as permanence and ease of identifica- tion are concerned, both carmine powder and gentian- violet giving good results. The breeding of West Indian " Millions," obtained in the first instance from the Officiating Sanitary Commis- sioner of the United Provinces, though quite successful under " semi-domestic ' conditions, has been a failure when G 82 REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH the fish have been transferred to large pucca tanks. This seems to be owing to the attacks of the larvae of large Dytiscid water-beetles which are common here, and which destroy the young fry and even the adult fish. It is prob- able that the native Haplochilus is, under Indian condi- tions, at least as effective a larva-destroyer. With regard to sand-flies (Phlebotomus) the life- histories of Phlebotomus papatasii, P. argentipes, and P. minutus have been worked at. Attention was mainly directed to P. minutus, which is the commonest species at Pusa, and a large amount of time has been spent in the difficult task of discovering natural breeding places. The preliminary results of this enquiry were presented in a paper read at the Malaria Conference at Madras. By combining these results with those obtained in a series of experiments on the predilections of the larva and of the fly for various foods and for different hosts, it ap- peared probable that there was some connection between the fly and the wall-lizards or Geckos commonly found on tree-trunks and the walls of bungalows. Subsequent ob- servations have shown that this supposition is correct, and that there is undoubtedly a close connection at several points between these reptiles and P. minutus. In a paper contributed to the " Indian Journal of Medical Research " I have put forward the view that the " real " hosts of this sand-fly are lizards, and that the connection with man may be of a secondary nature. Attention has lately been directed to the hosts attacked by P. argentipes, as little is known of the biting habits of this species, but no very definite results have yet been obtained. P. papatasii will be most easily investigated in the Punjab or North- West Frontier Province, where it is far commoner than at Pusa. The results obtained through the excellent work of Professor Newstead and Captain Marett in Malta will probably be found applicable to India, and can be taken as a basis for further investigation of the habits of this species. INSTITUTE AND COLLEGE, PUSA, FOR 1912-13. 83 At the end of the rains I spent some time in Poona in company with Captain Morison, I.M.S., and inspected the breeding-grounds of Muscid flies which were suspected of a connection with a form of enteritis prevalent at Poona. Experiments on marked flies were carried out to ascertain how far the city trenches were responsible for the very great abundance of flies in the city and cantonments. An assistant was deputed to remain at Poona and assist Captain Morison in the investigation of breeding-places and the other entomological work necessary. An assist- ant was similarly deputed to assist Major Greig, I.M.S., in his investigation of typhoid fever at Puri, and the part played by flies in its transmission. In collaboration with the Medical Officer at Pusa observations are being made on the flies responsible for the cases of myiasis which are somewhat common in the district- One assistant attended the malaria class, under Captain Hodgson, I. M.S., at Delhi. A large number of mosquitos and other insects, sent in mainly by Medical Officers, have been identified. I gave a series of lectures with practical instruction on methods of drawing and illustrating. In November I had the pleasure of attending the Malaria Conference at Madras and read three papers : — " The yellow- fever mosquito." " The breeding-places of Phlebotomus." " Insect psychology and its bearing on methods of control." Two papers have been contributed to the first issue of the " Indian Journal of Medical Research " : — " The natural host of Phlebotomus minutus." " Insect life-histories and parasitism." V. — Programme for 1913-14. Fruit-flies and Parasitic Insects. g2 84 REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH REPORT OF THE IMPERIAL AGRICULTURAL BACTERIOLOGIST (C. M. Hutchinson, B.A.) I. — Administration and Tours. I held charge of the section throughout the year except- ing three weeks' privilege leave in September, when Mr. Joshi was in charge. The staff was considerably strengthened by the sanction of the following additional appointments : — Supernumerary- — Mr. J. H. Walton, B.A., B.Sc, was appointed as Supernumerary Agricultural Bacteriologist, and joined this section on 25th October 1912. Assistants. — Two posts of Assistants on Rs. 75 — 125 each were sanctioned; one was given to Mr. C. S. Ram Aiyer, B.A., an Assistant in this section; and the other to Mr. N. C. Bose, an Assistant in the Chemical Section. Mr. Bose was appointed in this section on 18th April 1913. Mr. N. Dayal Singh was appointed in this section, as Field- man, on 1st May 1913. Mr. Vishwanadham, Second Assistant, was on privilege leave from 25th March 1913 to 27th April 1913. Mr. Ram Aiyer, Third Assistant, was on privilege leave from 8th July 1912 to 20th August 1912. The outside laboratory building was completed and work commenced in it in June 1913; Mr. Vishwanadham, Second Assistant, has been put in charge of this building. It is primarily intended for pot-cultures and work on ammoni- fication and nitrification in soil media; an important feature is the locally made pressure sterilizer capable of sterilizing six large or twelve smaller sized culture pots simultaneously under 40 lbs. steam; this will also be available for use by the Mycological Section. The compound attached to this building will be used for experimental plots; pits for growing rice under varying INSTITUTE AND COLLEGE, PUSA, EOII 1912-13. 8& conditions of water supply have been made and are now in use; green manure (sann) has also been grown for experi- mental purposes. Tours- — To Muktesar to discuss various matters con- nected with bacteriological technique in India with the Imperial Bacteriologist. To Muzaffevpore to attend meeting of Bihar Planters' Association. To Nagpur to examine soil conditions and obtain sam- ples from sewage treated area. To Bettiah to investigate potato disease. To Sirseah to consult Mr. Bergtheil on the subject of indigo disease. II-- -Soil Bacteriology. Nitrogen supply in the soil as affected by intervention of bacteria has been the principal subject of enquiry; in the previous year attention was confined to the conditions under which organic nitrogen of manures and residues is converted into ammonia and nitrates; this line of enquiry affords sufficient work to occupy the whole time of any establishment for many years, but it has been considered advisable to add to it an investigation of the natural con- ditions under which nitrogen is taken from the air and added to the soil in this country. This if carried out thoroughly would also involve a very large amount of work, but it seems advisable in dealing with such a question as soil bacteriology in this country, where no work on this subject has been carried out before, to make preliminary enquiries, however superficial, on similar important ques- tions, in order to gain some idea of the most useful direc- tion in which to pursue the subject more fully. This is the more necessary on account of the still early stage of de- velopment of soil bacteriology as a science, and the fact that many fundamental theories connecting bacterial action with soil fertility have not yet been accepted as axiomatic. It is perhaps unnecessary to emphasize the importance of the question of nitrogen fixation, but it may be pointed out 86 REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH that there is very good reason for supposing that upon tnis depends the ultimate prosperity of a country, the mineral wealth of which not being commensurate with its agricul- tural area and population debars it from the purchase of adequate supplies of nitrogen from external sources. At the present time the need of nitrogen in India is becoming increasingly greater owing to the introduction of intensive cultivation, although up till now the soils of this country as a whole have been preserved from undue depletion by the generally superficial and extensive nature of the cultiva- tion employed, which has prevented large crops from being taken off the land, alter the reduction of the original virgin soil to the normal level of fertility by the growth of crops. At the same time deportation of nitrogen in the form of produce exported from areas in which it was grown has not been excessive, and in the case of rice much fertiliza- tion of the soil takes place by deposition of organic matter carried down from jungle tracts by the irrigation water. Nowadays, however, this state of affairs is being rapidly altered owing to the expansion of Indian trade, which not only transports foodstuffs from agricultural districts to feed the increasingly large populations of cities, but carries enormous quantities of produce out of the country, including not only cereals, oilseeds and fibres, but bones and hides which represent nitrogen collected from very extensive areas of land. If now, in addition to this con- stant drain upon the nitrogen resources of the soil, inten- sive cultivation is introduced, meaning the more rapid conversion of non-available plant food, especially nitrogen, into the available condition, depletion will certainly follow, differing in intensity from such a result in temperate climate as the average soil temperature in India differs from that in Europe, but in an even higher degree. This difference due to temperature has been observed and mea- sured in this laboratory as affecting ammonification, nitrification, and the formation of carbon dioxide by oxi- dation of the organic matter of the soil, and is not one of a slightly higher degree, but may easily attain to an increase INSTITUTE AND COLLEGE, PUSA, FOR 1912-13. 87 in rate of one hundred per cent, or more; the concurrent loss of nitrogen is not to be measured, therefore, only by the increased crops taken oft' the land, but by losses in the form of ammonia and of nitrate washed out during the rains from fallows in we'll drained areas. A further point must not be overlooked; on the credit side of the nitrogen account must be placed the addition of this element to the soil through the intervention not only of leguminous plants, but of nitrogen-fixing members of the soil flora such as Azotobacter and Clostridium; the physiological activity of these organisms, however, is strict- ly limited by soil conditions, and especially in the case of the former by the supply of carbohydrate food, so that should intensive cultivation, carried out without regard to this aspect of the case, lower the supply of organic matter beyond the optimum point for nitrogen fixation by the above-mentioned organisms, this source of nitrogen would be cut off, and the discrepancy already existing between the two sides of the account would be further increased, probably in geometric proportion. During the past year Azotobacter has been found in all Indian soils examined, including those of such widely differ- ing character as may be found in Sind, Nagpur, and Assam ; pure cultures of A . Chroococcum from such various sources exhibited nitrogen-fixing power very similar to that recorded from European strains, its physiological activity depending upon appropriate supplies of water, air, lime and especially of carbohydrate food. It is intended to carry out a general survey of Indian soils to get some idea of the distribution of this and similar organisms and the conditions under which they may most readily carry on nitrogen fixation in these soils. The green manuring experiment begun in collabora- tion with the Imperial Agriculturist during the previous year was carried on, and will continue in 1913-14. The successful use of a green manure crop was found to depend almost entirely upon the incidence of the rainfall succeed- ing the burying of the crop, partly owing to the loss of 88 REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH soil moisture by transpiration during the growth of the green manure, and partly to the necessity for providing a considerable percentage of soil water to ensure the proper decomposition of the buried material. Further experi- ments during the current season include a special method of dealing with a green manure crop designed to avoid the loss due to want of sufficient soil moisture to ensure com- plete decomposition after burying; this method consists in hastening the initial stages of decomposition by steeping the cut crop in water and then fermenting it in heaps, under which conditions the less readily decomposed cell walls and lignified tissues are rapidly attacked by bacteria favoured by semi-anserobic conditions; the fermented material is then used in the same way as farm yard manure. The advantages of this method, in addition to the principal one of eliminating the uncertainty of the rainfall as a factor in decomposing the buried green material, include the pos- sibility of applying the fermented manure at the best rate per acre and at the best time for producing its optimum manurial effects; at the same time it is not necessary to grow the green manure crop on the land which is to carry the " rabi " crop intended to benefit by its manurial effect; in some cases this might be of great advantage with regard to the depletion of the soil moisture consequent on trans- piration during the period of growth of the green manure crop. This method of dealing with a green manure crop closely resembles the practice in indigo-growing districts of manuring tobacco and other soils with the refuse (*' Seet ") from the indigo factory, which is obtained by steeping the cut indigo plant in water for some 24 hours and subsequently allowing the sodden plants to lie in heaps in which fermentation goes on; the rotted material thus produced is generally applied to tobacco lands, the rented value of which depends almost entirely upon the local availability of the indigo " Seet." The field experiments with green manure in 1912-13 included the growth of a " rabi ' crop (wheat) on the experimental area. In no case was there any increase in INSTITUTE AND COLLEGE, PISA, FOB 1912-13. bP yield from the green manured plots, and in many there was a decided falling off. There can be no doubt that this result was due to the failure of the generally expected rainfall in September and October (locally known as the " Hathia ") as it was found on examination that the buried stems of the green manure had failed to undergo complete decom- position. Laboratory experiments showed that the nitrate formed from the buried plant tissues increased in amount up to the end of eight weeks from the time of turning into the soil, provided the water supply was kept up to at least 16 per cent, of the soil weight, but after this period a steady dimi- nution took place, so that after twelve weeks a smaller quan- tity of nitrate than that present at the end of the eighth week was invariably found. The cause of this loss was not discovered, although it may be conjectured that it was due to the demands of the soil organisms for nitrogen, but its invariable occurrence is interesting as helping to explain the already well-known fact in held practice that too long an interval between the burial of a green manure and the sowing of the succeeding " rabi " crop is prejudicial to the latter so far as any improvement which may be expected from the use of the former is concerned. The results of the first year's experiments on green manuring will be published in the form of a Bulletin. Further work on the occurrence of bacterio-toxins in soil, their relation to infertility, and the action of tillage, drainage, and manurial application in neutralizing them, was carried out. Biological analyses of various soils were made and further modifications of the method introduced; this sub- ject, is still in a very early stage of development, especially so far as interpretation of results is concerned, but it is hoped that further experience and modification of the method will lead to its successful application to the solu- tion of various soil problems. At present it is possible to determine the optimum moisture content of a soil for 90 REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH certain biological processes necessary for fertility, to as- certain approximately the organic manures most suitable for application, with the important reservation that the sample experimented on may not be truly representative of the area to be treated; this source of error is greatly mini- mised by the use of large samples and the introduction of the method of using soil media in place of inoculating liquid media with small samples of soil; thus in the old method one gram of soil was generally used as inoculum and the biologic activity of the soil as a whole was judged therefrom, whereas in the method now used, estimations of nitrifying and ammonifying capacity and efficiency, and general biologic activity, are made with samples vary- ing from 400 grams to 1,200 grams. III. — Special Enquiries. (1) Sewage Farms. — At the request of the Principal of the Agricultural College, Nagpur, a series of investiga- tions was commenced with a view to determining the effects of the application of sewage upon the biological condition of the soils of the College Farm. I visited Nagpur and inspected the farm soils and the sewage installation, and discussed with Mr. Allan and Mr. Plymen, the general arrangement of the experimental plots to be put under treatment. An arrangement was made for sending periodic samples to Pusa for examination, and at the same time Mr. Plymen agreed to carry out chemical analyses to determine nitrate at Nagpur. (2) Rice. — An experiment was arranged to determine the effect of soil toxins upon the growth of the rice plant; this was in connection with the work of the Imperial Mycologist upon the ' Ufra ' disease of this crop, as it was considered possible that the incidence of this disease might depend upon adverse soil conditions- Rice was grown in pots in soil to which large quantities of mus- tard cake were added, it having been found that the initial stages of decomposition of this manure give rise to bodies which are toxic to plants. The pots were arranged so that INSTITUTE AND COLLEGE, PUSA, FOR 1912-13. 91 *>'" ■' ■ . . in one set lack of drainage should allow of accumulation of the toxins produced, whilst in the other continuous per- colation removed them in solution. The results completely verified expectation, as not only was growth seriously in- terfered with in the undrained pots, but the root forma- tion in the drained set showed that the toxins carried down by the percolating water had inhibited root growth m the lower soil, whereas in the undrained series more root development took place below than above. No symptoms of " Ufra " appeared, but Dr. Butler has now demonstrated conclusively the connection between this disease and the presence of nematodes in the plants, nor does it appear that soil conditions adverse to healthy growth render the plants more liable to attack. (3) Tobacco. — The work on Tobacco Wilt in the Rang- pur District was concluded and a Memoir on the subject published in the Bacteriological Series. (4) Indigo. — Plants of Java variety were grown and kept under observation for symptoms of wilt in order to determine a possible bacteriological origin of this disease; this work will go on through current season. (5) Potato Rot. — An extensive series of investigations was carried out, mainly by Mr. N. V. Joshi, First Assist- ant, as to the cause responsible for the very common rotting of tubers in store. The Economic Botanist to the Govern- ment of Bihar and Orissa, at whose instance this work was undertaken, provided samples from various godowns in Bihar, and others were received from Poona. Two rotting bacteria were found to be present invariably, and these appear to be normal in Indian soils. It was found that rotting could take place in presence of these bacteria either if the dry tubers suffered mechanical injury or if the uninjured tuber were kept under conditions in which its surface could remain moist for a few hours. Thus tubers stored in sand to keep out potato moth can be attacked if the rotting organisms are present, either through bruising due to careless handling or by reason of the sand not being perfectly dry, or by contact between a rotting 92 REPORT OE THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH potato exuding moisture and a sound one; tins last possi- bility necessitates frequent examination of stored tubers and picking out of rotten ones. Various antiseptics were tried on a small scale, of which copper sulphate proved the best; this will be tested along with other preventive measures in the ensuing season. IV. — Programme of work for 1913-14. A. — Biological aspects of soil under — (1) Treatment with green manures. (2) Rice cultivation. (3) Sewage. (4) Varying methods of tillage. JB. — Disease of indigo and solanaceous plants. C. — General work on biology of soils and biological analysis. D. — Training of students. V . — Publications . 1. Rangpur Tobacco Wilt. C. M. Hutchinson. Mem. Dept. of Ay ri. in I ltd /a, Bact. Ser., Vol. I, INTo. 2. 2. Drainage in Rice Soils. C. M. Hutchinson. Agri. Jourti. of India, Vol. VIII, No. 1, January, 1913. INSTITUTE AND COLLEGE. PUSA, FOR 1912-13. 93 REPORT OF THE IMPERIAL COTTON SPECIALIST (G. A. Gammie, F.L.S.) I. — Charge and Tours. I held charge of the appointment of Imperial Cotton Specialist throughout the year. During the month of October 1912 I visited the North- West Frontier Province to discuss present and future operations in cotton cultivation with the Revenue Com- missioner and the Superintendent of Farms. In Novem- ber I attended the annual meeting of the District Agricul- tural Associations at Akola, where I met the Director and Deputy Director of Agriculture of the Central Provinces and then went on to Nagpur to confer with the Economic Botanist regarding his work on the improvement of his pro- vincial cottons. In December I accompanied the Director and Deputy Director of Agriculture, Bombay, on a tour to all the experimental stations in Guzerat where we had ample opportunities of discussing matters on the ground greatly to our mutual benefit and understanding. In March I was on tour with the Director and Assistant Deputy Director of Agriculture in the Southern Mahratta Country and here again we had an opportunity of settling many points of interest in the fields. In April and May I was on tour in Guzerat with the Deputy Director of Agriculture. The intervening periods throughout the year were spent at head-quarters, supervising my own ex- perimental station, arranging for the distribution of seeds required by many correspondents and also for the valua- tion of samples of cottons received from all parts of India. II. — Cotton in the Provinces. (a) North-West Frontier* Province. — The following are my notes drawn up after a visit to this province. The 94 REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH local variety of cotton is so productive and in every way so suitable to this province that I would not suggest replacing it by any other variety — either Indian or foreign. It is a mixture of varieties of the neglectum type and we agreed that the plants with narrow lobed leaves and pendulous lint should be selected and of these the best plant should be taken as the parent of the future stock. The red flowered cottons (Multan) may prove to be remunerative if they ripen in time, but, as this is doubtful, I should emphasize the necessity of the Department confining its trials to one type of plant. The value of this advice will be fully appre- ciated when seed in sufficient quantities is available for distribution. Then there is only one sort to deal with and mistakes and mixtures cannot possibly creep into the work. The American cottons, as plants, are well grown but will not ripen their bolls. So far as we can at present judge, there are no great possibilities for exotic cottons in this tract, but there need be no discouragement on this score as the local product is quite satisfactory. (b) Punjab. — Samples of 22 varieties were submitted to Messrs. Tata, Sons & Co., Bombay, for valuation and I append a copy of their report. These cottons have been grown on the Lyallpur Farm for several years and it is now time that some action should be taken in the selection and multiplication of the most promising for distribution to cultivators. Valuation furnished by Messrs. Tata, So7is 8f Co., Bombay, on the 22 samples of cotton grown on Lyallpur Farm, on loth May 1913. Remarks. This cotton equals Middling American in colour, staple and strength, only it is slightly coarse to the feel. It can spin 40s. We value it at Rs. 350 per candy, say the price of Middling American cotton laid down in Bombay. Slightly shorter than No. 1 in length of fibre ; in all other respects it is equal to the above. It can spin 30s — 32s. Value Rs. 335. INSTITUTE AND COLLEGE, PUSA, FOR 1912-13. 95 Valuation furnished by Messrs. Tata, Sons fy Co., Bombay, on the 22 samples of cotton grown on Lyallpur Farm, on 15tlt May 1913 — contd. Serial Sample No. No. 7 8 9 20 72F 110F 111F 126F 161F 168F 179F 10 199F 11 112F 12 211F 13 226 F 14 232F 15 233F 16 275F 17 280F 18 281F 19 282F Remarks. 266F This is really an excellent cotton of a quality superior to Middling American. It can easily spin 50s and our valuation is Rs. 400 per candy. This cotton is hardly superior in spinning quality to Fine Surats. The fibre is weaker than No. 2 and cannot spin over 22s. Value Rs. 350. It resembles No. 1 in all respects, only the fibre is slightly stronger. It can easily spin 40\ For strength of staple we value it Rs. 10 over the price of No. 1, say Rs. 360. This cotton resembles Fine Surats in its spinning quality. It is stronger in fibre than No. 4 and can spin 24s. Value Rs. 325. It is slightly superior to No. 1 and can easily spin 40*. We value it at Rs. 360 per candy. It is the exact counterpart of No. 4. Will spin 22s. Value Rs. 320 per candy. This cotton lacks in body and has a different appearance than any of the above. It has, however, a soft feel though the fibre is of variable strength. On the whole, it can spin 24s and may be valued at Rs. 325 per candy. Equals No. 2 in all respects. Can spin 30s— 32s. Value Rs. 335. Same as above. Will spin 30s— 32". Value Rs. 335. Equal to No. 6 in all respects. Will spin 24s. Value Rs. 325. It is equal to ordinary Fine Broach, only it is superior in colour. It will spin up to 20s. Value Rs. 295 — Rs. 3 being added to the price of Broach for colour. Same as above. Will spin up to 20s. Value Rs. 295. Equal to No. 2. Will spin 30s— 32". Value Rs. 335. Equal to No. 1. Can spin 40s. Value Rs. 350. This is an excellent cotton equal to No. 3. Will spin 50s. Value Rs. 410. We have added Rs. 10 to the value as we find that it is all round slightly better than No. 3. Equal to No. 1. Will spin 40s. Value Rs. 350. Equal to No. 3. It is an excellent cotton. Will spin 50s. Value Rs. 400. Equal to Surats in spinning quality. It is like No. 6. Will spin 24s. Value Rs. 325. 96 REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH Valuation furnished by Messrs. Tata, So/is Sf Co., Bombay, on the 22 samples of cotton grown on Lyallpur Farm, on 15th Ma y 1913 — concld . Serial No. Sample No. Rkmabks. 21 22 Deshi cotton, zamindari sample, has all the characteristics of Sind Punjab cotton. It can spin up to 10* and we value it at same price as Fine Sind Punjab Ginned, namely, Rs. 245. American cotton, zamindari sample, shows good deal of variation in the length as well as the strength of the fibre. It seems that pro- per attention was not paid to this cotton on the zamindari land, hence the deterioration. We pull out a sample from a handful of this sample which can easily spin 24s while another handful from the same sample gives a staple which can hardly spin 20s. We therefore conclude that this "Mixed Staple" will not spin beyond 20s and we value it at Rs. 315, say, Rs. 5 lower than our quotation of Surats. Basis of prices on 13th May 1913 : — Rs. Middling American . 350 per candy of 784 lbs. Good Tinnevelly . 330 ., „ ,; „ Fine Surat . . 320 „ „ „ „ ,, Broach . • 292 „ „ ,, „ In forwarding this report I added the following remarks : — " These cottons have now been successfully grown on the Botanical Experimental Farm for the past five years so. that their suitability for your conditions has been abundantly established. From a practical point of view the distribution of the seed and subsequent supervision of the product of 20 selections is not possible and it would be as well to determine how few of these should be ultimately maintained. Variety. 7F Remarks. . Last year was compared with and valued equal to the best Surat cotton, or Rs. 45 per candy less than Good Middling American. This year it is valued as equal to Middling American laid down in Bombay at Rs. 350 com- pared on the same day with Good Tinnevelly, Rs. 330 ; Fine Surat, Rs. 320 ; and Fine Broach, Rs. 292. INSTITUTE AND COLLEGE, PUSA, FOR 1912-13. 97 Variety. 70F t 72F 110F Remarks. 111F 112F 126F 161F 168F 179F 199F 211F 226F 232F 233F 275F 280F 281F 282F 266F Last year this Was compared with the best Broach and valued at Rs. 5 more ; this year it is reported to be worth Rs. 335 or Rs. 15 less than 7F. Last year was reported to have a characteristic and style of Best Surat, being slightly better than 7F in length of fibre, and it was valued at Rs. 5 higher than 7F, i.e., Rs. 325 per candy. This year it is said to be an excellent cotton of a quality superior to Middling American and its valuation is Rs. 400 per candy. Last year this cotton was said to resemble the superior grade cottons grown in the Central Provinces such as Warora and Hinganghat on account of its being slightly dull in colour and was valued at Rs. 5 lower than Warora. This year the cotton is found to be hardly superior in spinning quality to Fine Surats and is valued at Rs. 320 (Rs. 350 in the report being an error). Last year was found to be equal to 7F. This year the same conclusions have been arrived at, but on account of the fibre being slightly stronger it is valued at Rs. 10 more- Last year was the same as No. 11 IF, but a shade shorter in the length of fibre, therefore valued at Rs. 5 less ; this year it equals No. 70F. Last year it was said to be midway betwean the best Broach and Surat and valued at Rs. 10 more than Fine Broach. This year reported to resemble Fine Surats in spinning quality and valued at Rs. 325. Last year was considered to be the best of its kind grown in Indian soil and acclimatized in India. Valued at Rs. 385 against Rs. 365 for Good Middling American. This year it has been reported to be slightly superior to 7F and valued at Rs. 360, Middling American being Rs. 350. Last year and this year also reported to be hardly superior to Fine Surats. Last year reported to be equal to Fully Good Middling American. This year found to be lacking in body and with fibre of variable strength. Something has evidently happened to this number and it should be discarded. Last year valued at Best Broach style of cotton. This year it is said to be equal to 70F. This could be thrown out. Equals No. 126F and need not be kept up. Last year reported to be of the style of inferior cottons of the Central Pro- vinces. This year is said to be equal to Ordinary Fine Broach. Last year and this year also reported as equal to 226F. Last year reported to be equal to 226F and this year equal to No. 70F. There is some discrepancy which should be inquired into. Last year said to be Broach style of cotton ; this year is said to equal No. 7F. This year said to be equal to 72F or perhaps Rs. 10 better. Reported to be equal to No. 7F. Equal to No. 72F. Equal to No. 126F. IT 98 REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH " Basis of valuation on 10th May 1912 : — Per candy of 784 lbs. American Good Middling . . .7^. c.i.f. Rs. „ ... 365 Net. Fine Navasari ...... 340 „ Surat ...... 320 ,, „ Broach ...... '285 ., Warora-Hingang'hat (Central Provinces) 290 „ „ Wardha ...... 285 „ „ Yeotmal (Beravs) .... 280 „ Good Tinnevelly 320 " Basis of valuation on 13th May 1913 : — Per candy of 784 lbs. Middling- American ..... 350 Good Tinnevelly 330 Fine Surat .' 320 ,, Broach ...... 292 " Zamindari sample of Deshi cotton has all the charac- teristics of Sind Punjab cotton. ' American zamindari sample is reported to show good deal of variation in the length as well as the strength of fibre. It is valued at Rs. 5 lower than Surats. " An analysis of the report of your samples brings to light the fact that Nos. 72F, 161F, 280F and 282F in point of quality are by far the most desirable and it is quite probable that no harm would be done if these are mixed and treated under one number. You will then have a cotton which would meet the requirements of manufac- turers for a high grade class of cotton grown in India. The only important doubt which remains in regard to these is whether their production is on a par with the quality; but this is a point which you have no doubt worked out, If the production is really satisfactory, I would strongly re- commend you to do as I have already suggested; mix these numbers already given, test them on a large field scale — and if the result is still satisfactory the seed could be produced on seed farms for distribution in large quantities to selected cultivators. If you wish to keep them up, a number of the inferior types in your list could also be INSTITUTE AND COLLEGE, PUSA, FOR 1912-13. 99 amalgamated; for instance, from the point of quality alone there is no particular reason for keeping separate Nos. 126, 168, 211, 266. " You should bear in mind that, unless you distribute the seed of only one variety or type into each tract or district, you will soon receive complaints of mixed cotton from the traders and the cultivators will suffer." (c) United Provinces of Agra and Oudh. — The follow- ing valuations of Messrs. Tata, Sons & Co., on samples from Mr. Burt, are interesting as they show the strong possibili- ties of ultimate success in the cultivation of American cottons in the United Provinces. Until we apply the crucial tests of acreage outturn, percentage of cotton to seed, and other factors to these varieties it is obviously unsafe to say whether all or any of them are really profit- able to grow, and it is to be hoped that the United Pro- vinces Department of Agriculture will soon furnish us with the required information. The experiments in pro- gress on the indigenous varieties are identical with those we have carried out to a definite conclusion in Berar and Khandesh. Valuation furnished by Messrs. Tata, Sons 8f Co., Bombay, on the four samples of cotton from Caumpore} on 16th July 1913. Serial No. Remarks. Dharwar American.. — Dharwar American seed sown in Cawnpore soil shows marked improvement in staple, though the colour has deteriorated. We value it at Rs. 290, say Rs. 25 more than the price of Dharwar simply for its staple. Cawnpore American acclimatized.- — The above remarks apply to this sample too, only the staple is slightly shorter than that of No. 1. Value Rs. 285, Rs. 20 above the price of ordinary Sawginned Dharwar. Boyd.- — This cotton is equal in all respects to Middling American. We value it at 6fc£. per lb. laid down in Bombay, the equivalent in rupees being Rs. 350 per can ly, Bombay terms. Black Rattle. — This is a specially long stapled American cotton, equal to It" Bender American in staple and to Good Middling in class. We value it fully f d. higher than Middling. Taking Middling at 6f d. this cotton is fully Worth l\d. per lb., rupee equivalent being Rs. 400 per candy, Bombay terms. Basis of value. — Fine Khandesh, Rs. 230; Good Sawginned Dharwar, Rs. 652; and Middling American, Rs. 350 per candy H 2 100 REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH (d) Central Provinces. — I have reported so often and so fully on the excellent work done in this province that I have now little further to say. The outturn of the hardy indigenous varieties is so satisfactory and the product meets the demand of its market so well that there is no incentive to push the claims of longer stapled cottons, more specially as the conditions of soil and climate do not by any means favour these. An experimental farm for their cultivation may, however, be established in Western Chhattisgarh where conditions seem more favourable to exotic varieties. Valuation furnished by Messrs. Tata, Sons § Co., Bombay, on the 9 samples of cotton from the AJcola Farm, on 8tJi January 1913. Serial No. Name of variety. Remarks. 1 Berar Jari Ordinary Akola type of cotton. It is slightly harsh in feel. Value Rs. 318. 2 Rosea No. 1 Slightly superior to No. 1 in staple. Value Rs. 322. 3 Cutchica No. 1 Equal to No. 1. Value Rs. 318. 4 Vera It is better than No. 2, both in feel and length of staple. Value Rs. 325. 5 Mai vensis Midway between Nos. 2 and 4. Value Rs. 323. 6 Bani No. 3 It has all the characteristics of stapled Berars cotton. It is silky and has a long, strong, even fibre. Value Rs. 355. 7 Saugor Jfj-i A short stapled Oomra equalling Dhamangaum cotton in style and colour, but the staple is shorter. With Dhaman- gaum at Rs. 330 We value this at Rs. 325. 8 Bhuri I . A long stapled cotton equal to No. 6, but slightly weaker in fibre. Value Rs. 345. 9 Bhuri II . Same as No. 8, but the fibre is more weak. Value Rs. 340. N.B. — We have compared Nos. 8 and 9 with a sample of Cambodia cotton which we have purchased lately at Rs. 325, and we have based our valuation of these two samples on this comparison. Basis. — F. Akola good at Rs. 320 per candy. Some of the cotton varieties from the Northern Division of the Central Provinces, already alluded to in previous INSTITUTE AND COLLEGE, PUSA, FOR 1912-13. 101 reports, have again been reported on from samples sent by Mr. G. Evans, the Deputy Director. The following are Messrs. Tata's valuations; 10th April 1913 :— Serial No. Name of variety. Remarks. 8 9 10 11 to 18 Saugor Jari (white flowered). Saugor Jari (yellow flowered). Chhapara . It is softer in feel than Khandesh, but inferior in staple. Value Rs. 268. (Basis Fine Khandesh, Rs. 272.) Better in staple than No. 8, and we value it same as Fine Khandesh, viz., Rs. 272 per candy. This sample may be classed as between Nos. 8 and 9. Value Rs. 270. These 8 samples may be classed as Khandesh cotton. Nos. 11 and 12 are inferior in class and we value them at Rs. 265. Nos. 13, 15, 17 and 18 are worth Rs. 270 per candy. Nos. Hand 16 show improvement in staple and we value them at Rs. 275 per candy. (Basis Fine Khandesh, Rs. 272.) Nos. 8 and 9, Saugor Jari, white and yellow flowered respectively, again show the superiority of the staple from yellow flowered plants. No. 10 is another local form discovered by Mr. Evans and its value lies midway between that of Nos. 8 and 9. (e) Madras. — The following valuations of samples from the Nandyal and Hagari Experimental Stations show very graphically the rapid deterioration which takes place even in Indian cottons when their environment is altered. The necessity for a continuous importation of the seeds of such cottons is clearly demonstrated. Valuations furnished by Messrs. Tata, Sons 8f Co., Bombay, on 21st September 1912. Serial No. Name of variety. Remarks. 1 Northern Shows no improvement in Nandyal soil. It looks like Kumpta, but being picked from selected plants, the fibre is longer than that of Kumpta. With Kumpta at Rs. 290 we value this cotton at Rs. 310. 102 REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH Valuations furnished by Messrs. Tata, Sons Af Co., Bombay, on 21st September 1912 — contd. (Serial Name of No. variety. 2 to 9 Northern 10 Cambodia 11 19 20 and 21 22 23 24 25 and 26 27 Do. 12 to Selected 18 Broach Lalio and Kanvi Kumpta . Black-seed. Western. Surat Broach Surat Kanvi and Lalio. Broach Hagari Remarks. These are from the general crops and are very much alike except Nos. 2 and 6, which show a slight falling off in fibre. All are inferior to No. 1 in staple. Value Rs. 300. Grown at Cumbum, the cotton has much deteriorated both in colour and staple. The fibre is variable. AYe compare it with Westerns, and Good Westerns at Rs. 265. We value the sample at Bs. 260. Grown at Samalkot, it resembles Kumpta and find it equal to No. 1, only slightly inferior in colour. Value Rs. 305. They ecpial the best class of Westerns. No. 12 has a slightly reddish tint, but is better in staple. Nos. 17 and 18 are slightly inferior in staple. With Westerns at Rs. 265, we value No. 12 at Rs. 275, Nos. 13 to 16 at Rs. 270, and Nos. 17 and 18 at Bs. 265. Grown on Bellary soil, it has deteriorated and has adapted itself to the characteristic of the soil &nd has changed into Westerns. We value it at Rs. 270, say Rs. 5 better than ordinary Westerns. Grown on Bellary soil, both have deteriorated and have taken the appearance of Westerns. AA'e value them at the price of Westerns, say Rs. 265. The Bellary soil destroys the originality of an exotic and forces it to adapt itself to the soil and condition of the district. Kumpta, too, looks like Westerns, but the length of the Kumpta staple is maintained, hence we value it Rs. 10 better than AA'esterns, say Rs. 275. The best indigenous cotton both in colour and length of fibre. Value Rs. 275. Compared with No. 19 it has not deteriorated on Bellary soil as the seed was recently imported. Value Rs. 280. Compared with Nos. 20 and 21 they show less deterioration because the seeds are comparatively new. Value Rs. 270. Compared with No. 24 it is slightly longer in length of fibre and we value it Rs. 5 higher, say Rs. 285. In forwarding this report I ventured to suggest the following recommendations : — Nandyal (1 to 9 of my numbers). — All are worth experi- menting with on a large scale to test their actual produc- tion and ginning percentage. They are 10 to 20 per cent. INSTITUTE AND COLLEGE, PUSA, FOIL D12-13. 1U3 superior to Kumpta and 30 to 40 per cent, to Westerns, so that a decided step in improvement has already been taken Nos. 2, 6, 7 should be abandoned on account of their low percentage. Hagari. — The value of the selections Nos. 12 to 16 is equal to that of the best class of Westerns. Those which show a further falling oft" in the ginning percentage this year should be given up. No. 17 might be given another chance, but a low price accompanied by a falling percent- age is against 18. Of No. 23, the black seeded cotton, Messrs. Tata, Sons say it is the best indigenous cotton (of these samples) both in colour and length of fibre. The ginning percentage is so low that the production would have to be high before the crop would pay to grow. As its quality is so highly spoken of, experiments with it should be persevered in as the percentage might improve. Looking at the results of experiments conducted for several years with 3 types of Guzerat cottons, it is obvious that only Broach should be maintained and Kanvi and Lalio abandoned as they are of an inferior type. The result of the acclimatization of these is that they have adopted the characteristics of their new locality. Cotton from recently introduced seed is superior in price and gin- ning percentage, but without figures of production on a field scale it is impossible to say further than this. But, granting that these are also superior, it would be the safest policy to bring in annually a large proportion — say 30 per cent. — of freshly introduced Broach seed into the cotton districts supplied by the seed farm at Hagari. We recommend that this seed should be obtained from the Experimental Farm at Surat. The long growing season of the Guzerat varieties is perhaps the most vital objection to their introduction un- less it be found possible to sow earlier as is done in the case of Broach cotton in the Dharwar District. 104 REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH Koilpatti Farm. — The following are the valuations furnished by Messrs. Tata, Sons & Co. and the Chamber of Commerce, Bombay : — ■ Valuations. Serial No. Corre- sponding pedigree No. of the Koil- patti Farm during 1911-12. Valuation by Messrs. Tata, Sons & Co., Bombay, on 19th December 1912. Valuation by the Chamber of Commerce, Bombay, 8th February 1913. Karunganni A type — Single Plant Selection. 1 24 2 2 3 1 4 22 5 17 6 16 7 15 8 3 9 6 10 5 11 8 12 7 13 14 14 13 15 12 16 11 17 10 Out of the 17 samples examined, we findNos. 1, 11, 12, 13, 14 and 16 superior to the average type of F. G. F. Tinnevelly cot- ton, especially in length of staple. We value them Rs. 25 higher than the price of F. G. F. Tinne- velly. The rest of the samples show a slight superiority over the average F. G. F. Tinnevelly and we value them Rs. 10 higher. Samples 11 and 12 considerably superior to any other. Value about Rs. 370 per candy of 784 lbs. (if available in quan- tities) with fully good fair Tinnevelly at Rs. 328. Nos. 13 and 14 second best, about Rs. 30 per 784 lbs. over fully good fair Tinnevelly. Nos. 1, 6 and 3. Value about Rs. 25 above fully good fair Tinnevelly. Nos. 2, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9 and 10. Value about Rs. 15 above fully good fair Tinrevelly. Nos. 15, 16 and 17 somewhat better in staple than the 2 — 10 series, but lower in class. Value about Rs. 10 above fully good fair Tinnevelly. Karunganni C type — Single Plant Selection. 1 i 2 2 3 3 4 5 5 6 r. 7 7 8 The colour of these samples is not so bright as that of A type. Tt shows a tinge of red and is creamy white. In appearance, feel and length of staple, it is equal to average F. G. F. Tinne- velly and we value it at the price of F. G. F. Tinnevelly cot- ton. All samples have a reddish tinge. Nos. 2, 3 and 5 are somewhat better in staple than fully good fair Tinnevelly and per- haps slightly higher in value. Remaining samples are of about the same value as fully good fair Tinnevelly. All camples show a rather rough fibre. INSTITUTE AND COLLEGE, PUSA, FOH 1912-13. 105 Valuations — contd . Serial No. Corre- sponding pedigree No. of the Koil- patti Farm during 1911-12. Valuation by Messrs. Tata, Sons & Co., Bombay, on 19th December 1912. Valuation by the Chamber of Commerce, Bombay, 8th February 1913. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Karunganni A-C types — Under Field Scale. IF. IF. 1 F. 2F. 2F. 3F. 3F 4F. P. C. C. P. c. c. p. p. Except Nos. 2 and 3, the other six samples are equal to ordinary F.G.F. Tinnevelly and we value them at the price of that cotton. Nos. 2 and 3 are decidedly better in appearance and length of staple and may be valued at Rs. 15 over the price of average F. G. F. Tinnevelly cotton. Basis. — F. G. F. Tinnevelly equal to Rs. 328 per candy of 784 lbs. laid down in Bombay. We consider Nos. 6 and 8 the best on account of staple and value such cotton about Rs. 15 higher than fully good fair Tinnevelly. Nos. 4 and 7 we consider second best and about Rs. 10 higher than fully good fair Tinnevelly. Nos. 2, 3 and 5 are ab jut equal to fully good fair Tinnevelly and No. 1 not up to fully good fair Tinne- velly. Basis. — Fine Broach M. Gd. Rs. 330. Good Kumpta M. Gd. Rs. 335. Fine Navasari M. Gd. Rs. 360. The work of this station is confined to the improvement of Karunganni which previously existed as a mixture in the fields with an inferior variety called Uppam. The valua- tions show that considerable progress has been made. My assistant, Mr. D. P. Mankad, who visited this locality last year, says that in Duraswamipura village, about 4 miles from the Koilpatti Farm, cultivators have been growing a neglectum mixture which they call Pulichi paratti. It is very important that the Department should take steps to check the introduction of such inferior varieties into this tract. The cultivators consider that the chief advantage of Uppam as compared with Karunganni lies in its shorter growing season, greater uniformity in ripening and supe- rior hardiness. Mr. Mankad has the following remarks on the cultiva- tion of Cambodia cotton in Madras and these throw light on the causes which have led to the loss of reputation of this staple. IOt> REPORT OF THE A< HUOULTURAL RESEARCH : During the past few years the cultivation of Cambodia in the Madras Presidency flourished remarkably well in garden soils commanded by well irrigation. The lands then were well ploughed and the cultivators paid special attention to its cultivation, including manuring, etc. Now- a-days, however, any land is put out under this cotton and the methods of cultivation are rough and ready. ' All the fields under Cambodia were found to contain plants of Uppam and Karunganni types to a considerable extent. It is this admixture of inferior Madras cottons which has been noticed by the trade and has rendered Mad- ras Cambodia unsaleable as high class cotton. This ad- mixture not only tells upon the ginning percentage, but also on the quality of the fibre which is of vital importance in the trade. 'If some steps are not immediately taken to keep Cam- bodia kapas perfectly pure from local kapas, the present state of affairs will become still worse and this high grade cotton will fall permanently to the level of the local cottons in price." (/) Bombay. — Dharwar and Gadag Experimental Sta- tions.— I supplied the following report on my inspection of the stations : — 1. Dharwar Farm, 14th March 1913. (1) There is a series of nine generations of Broach cotton showing a continuous deterioration to the Kumpta or local type. We agreed that the most practical method of maintaining the Broach character would be to renew the seed over the whole area once every three years. (2) In Kumpta selections, quantity should not be lost sight of. A particularly good strain seems to be grown in the Sangli State and seed from this locality should be tried against that locally produced. (3) Cambodia is not suitable for Dharwar conditions. (4) Cross between Kumpta and Comilla. — If possible, plants with the Comilla leaf should be selected INSTITUTE AND COLLEGE, PUSA, FOR 1912-13. 107 so that, in the event of this strain coming into cultivation, mixtures with local Kumpta could be easily detected. (5) The crosses between Soft Peruvian and Cambodia are promising. It is recommended that first selections should be reduced to one plant of each type. (6) Selected Kumpta. — The seed of this has not yet been distributed. An attempt should be made to ascertain the actual opinion of the cultivators on its merits. If they consider it superior they should show their appreciation by offering a higher rate for the seed. ^7) 68E — Cambodia (plant 24, selection). — The plants are vigorous but the bolls are small and do not open properly. It is recommended to continue the trial of this at Gadag where conditions are more suitable for Cambodia. (8) The results of manurial experiments are still in- conclusive. (9) Wind-break experiments. — The Shevri will prob- ably last for three or four years without renewal. (10) There is general dissatisfaction regarding the quality of the introduced Navasari seed. It would be as well to depute a special officer to select seed on the spot, and the extra expense incurred could be met by a proportional enhance- ment in the price of seeds sold to cultivators. Your own suggestion to obtain seed of the superior strain distributed from Surat is prob- ably a still better way out of the difficulty. 2. Gadag Farm, 15th March 1913. (1) This farm might be restricted to trials with American types of cotton. One-half of the seed of each of the selected plants of Cambodia- Soft Peruvian should be tried here. 108 REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH (2) It would simplify matters a great deal if the whole of the Cambodia was treated as being essen- tially one variety so that material for selection could be taken this year over the whole experi- mental area. This year's field results are rather disappointing and disquieting, but it is to be hoped that the cultivators will agree to give Cambodia a further trial and they ought to be warned that fraudulent mixing with Dharwar American will not go to serve their best interests in the market. (3) There are two forms of Dharwar American mixed in the fields. I would suggest that one plot of each should be grown for comparison. I should also like to have a sample of the cotton from each for expert valuation this season. I am satisfied in mv own mind that the alleged dete- rioration of Dharwar American is caused by the mixture of a superior and inferior type. (4) Two of the crosses appear to be promising : Chris- topher and Christopher, and Culpepper and Christopher. The cottons of these should be submitted for valuation. (5) The histories of the various cottons under trial in the Southern Mahratta Country have been care- fully and intelligently kept up and they now possess a distinctly appreciable value. Valuations furnished by Messrs. Tata, Sons Sf Co. on the samples from Dharwar and Gadag Farms, on the 29th May 1913. Serial No. Remarks. Samples of the Dharwar Farm, 1911-12 crop. Kumpta ordinary. Value Rs. 290. Kumpta Cross. This is an excellent cotton and shows much improvement in colour, staple and strength of fibre. In spinning quality we consider this cotton in no way inferior to indigenous Navasari cotton, only it lacks the soft silky feel and the creamy lustre of Navasari, hence we value It at Rs. 325. Of the five samples this is by far the best. INSTITUTE AND COLLEGE, PUSA, FOK 1912-13. 109 Valuations furnished by Messrs. Tata, Sons Sf Co. on the samples from Dharwar and Gadag Farms, on the 29th May 1913 — contd. Serial No. 6 7 Id II 12 to 17 18 and 19 Remakes. Broach (new seed from Navasari). Grown on Dharwar Farm, this cotton has picked up some of the characteristics of the soil and climate. Being Navasari seed it is superior to Sawginned Dharwar and Kumpta, but it has deteriorated in the Dharwar soil from its original quality as grown in Navasari. This is owing, perhaps, to the high altitude and dry climate of Dharwar. We have marked that whenever Navasari has been removed further away from the sea it shows deterioration. We value this sample at Rs. 315. Cambodia. Though superior to Kumpta and Dharwar it has lost its native lustre and strength of fibre and has deteriorated considerably on the Dhar- war Farm. Value Rs. 300. Kumpta x Ghogari. This cross is far superior to ordinary Kumpta, but it is inferior to No. 2 Cross. Value Rs. 315. Kumpta ordinary. Slightly inferior to No. 1. Value Rs. 288. Kumpta selected for qualitv. It shows improvement in colour over No. 6. Value Rs. 298. Kumpta selected for quant it v. Rs. 285. It is inferior to ordinary Kumpta. Value Kumpta Cross. It shows improvement over Nos. 6, 7 and 8, but compared with No. 2, it shows considerable falling off in colour and length of staple. Value Rs. 305. Broach old seed. It has lost all its characteristics of Broach and has dete- riorated to the level of Kumpta, and We value it at Rs. 300. There can be no comparison between this and X'>. 3, as the latter retains its character of Broach cotton, while No. 10 has entirely lost it. Kumpta x Ghogari. Confpared with No. 5 it shows a slight falling off. Thie we attribute to No. 5, being crossed on the Surat and No. 11 on the Dharwai Farm. Value Rs. 310. Samples from Oadag Farm, 1911-12 crop. Samples from Gadag Farm. These 6 samples are more or less alike and of the characteristic of Sawginned Dharwar cotton. No. 14 being machine ginned (not aawginned), shows better length of fibre over the rest which are saw- ginned. All the <> samples show variations. We value Nos. 14 and 1(5 at Rs. 300 and the rest a1 Els. 295. Of the two, No. 18 is better in length of staple ; both the samples are superior to Kumpta or Dharwar ordinary. We value No. 18 at Rs. 305 and No. 19 :.t Rs. 295. (No. 18, Dharwar American type; and No. 19, New Orleans type of 1912-13 crop.) Basis of prices — Good Sawginned Dharwar Good Kumpta Ginned Fine Broach Ginned . Good Northerns Ginned Good Cambodia Ginned Fine Navasari Ginned Rs. •288 290 290 295 ;320 3±0 110 REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH In forwarding this report I submitted the following supplementary observations : — Dharwar Farm. — We agreed that in the series of 9 gene- rations of Broach cotton it showed a continuous deteriora- tion to the Kumpta or the local type and that the most prac- tical method of maintaining the Broach character would be to renew the seed over the whole area once every three years. Messrs. Tata state as follows regarding a sample of cotton grown from Broach new seed from Navasari : — This cotton has picked up some of the characteristics of the soil and the climate. Being Navasari seed it is superior to sawginned Dharwar and Kumpta, but it has deteriorated in the Dhar- war soil from its original quality as grown in Navasari. This is owing, perhaps, to the high altitude and dry climate of Dharwar. We have marked that whenever Navasari has been removed further away from the sea it shows deterioration. We value this sample at Rs. 315 against Navasari Rs. 340." On a sample of cotton of Broach cotton from old seed (acclimatized seed) the remark is as follows : — It has lost all its characteristics of Broach and has deteriorated to the level of Kumpta and we value it at Rs. 300. There can be no compari- son between this and Broach cotton from new seed as the latter retains its character of Broach cotton, while the former has entirely lost it. This has been valued at Rs. 300 while Broach from new seed valued at Rs. 315 and original Navasari at Rs. 340." In the Kumpta selections we agreed that quantity should not be lost sight of. The sample from a plot grown with this object in view was valued at Rs. 285 while a sample of ordinary Kumpta was valued at Rs. 288 and another at Rs. 290 ; while a sample of Kumpta selected for quality was valued at Rs. 298; while of the special selections the INSTITUTE AND COLLEGE, PUSA, FOR 1912-13. Ill Kumpta Cross No. 1339 from one plot was valued at Rs. 325 and from another at Rs. 305, the market price of the good Kumpta ginned of the day being Rs. 290. Of the Kumpta Cross, which is the best cotton on the Dharwar Farm, Messrs. Tata have the following remarks : — This is an excellent cotton and shows much improve- ment in colour, staple and strength of fibre. In spinning quality we consider this cotton in no way inferior to indigenous Navasari cotton ; only it lacks the soft silky feel and the creamy lustre of Navasari, hence we value it at Rs. 325." Of the second sample of the Kumpta Cross cotton they say that when compared with No. 1 it shows considerable falling off in colour and length of staple; the valuation is Rs. 305. The discrepancy in the quality is puzzling, but it may be capable of explanation. Anyhow, valuations indicate that Kumpta Cross 1339 should be persevered with. We decided that Cambodia is not suitable for Dharwar conditions and Messrs. Tata's opinion confirms this as they say: — That though superior to Kumpta and Dharwar it has lost its native lustre and strength of fibre and has deteriorated considerably on the Dharwar Farm. It is valued at Rs. 300 against good Cambodia ginned Rs. 320." Of the Kumpta and the Ghogari Crosses 1027A and 1364, Messrs. Tata say of the former that it is far superior to ordinary Kumpta but it is inferior to the Kumpta Cross 1339 and that the latter shows a slight falling off. The first is valued at Rs. 315 and the second at Rs. 310. Gadag Farm. — We considered that it will simplify matters a great deal if the whole of Cambodia was treated as being essentially one variety, and this decision is con- 112 REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH firmed by the remarks on the six samples made by Messrs. Tata : — " That they were all more or less alike and of the characteristics of sawginned Dharwar cotton The machine ginned sample shows better length of fibre over the rest which are saw- ginned. Two samples, Cambodia 102E and 67E, valued at Rs. 300 and the rest at Rs. 295 against Rs. 288 of good sawginned Dharwar and Rs. 320 good Cambodia ginned." In conclusion, with reference to my statement that alleged deterioration of the Dharwar American cotton is caused by the mixture of an Upland and the New Orleans type of cotton, it seems that I am so far correct as Messrs. Tata value the former at Rs. 305 and the latter at Rs. 295. I hope that this year one full plot under each will be grown for comparison. As regards the Cambodia cotton experiments which have been conducted in this tract, 3,500 acres were sown during the past year. Continuous rain during the seedling stage caused so much wilt that many plants died. The shoot borer would not allow the plants to grow until very late. The continuous east winds for six months (which is con- sidered bad for cotton) caused many flower buds to drop and the soil moisture was quickly evaporated. The result of these adverse circumstances was that the yield was lowered by 40 per cent., that is, the yield should have been 350 to 375 lbs. per acre instead of about 210 lbs. The ginning percentage varied from 38 to 32-5 with a general average of 36-1. The prices per Naga of 1,344 lbs. realized at the auc- tion were Rs. 185 to Rs. 161, the quotations for Dharwar American and Kumpta on the same day being respectively Rs. 140 and Rs. 139 to Rs. 141. Surat. — A set of samples from this station shows that the product has now become so uniform that there is only a difference of Rs. 13 per candy between the highest and lowest quotations. INSTITUTE AND COLLEGE, PUSA, FOR 1912-13. 113 Dohad. — Samples of Bhuri and Cambodia produced at this station were valued at Rs. 310, fine Broach of the day standing at Rs. 300. Bhuri yielded 1,104 lbs. seed cotton per acre, ginning percentage 32-8; Cambodia 876 lbs. per acre, ginning percentage 32-3. Early sown Varhadi yielded at the rate of 884 lbs. per acre, while the same late sown was cut off by frost. It will be seen, however, from the following remarks, that there is small prospect of ex- tension of cotton cultivation in the Panch Mahals. The soils in which Bhuri and Cambodia were tried grow wheat in these parts. Panch Mahals does not grow much cotton, a portion from Derol to Pawagarh grows Kanvi and Gho- gari, the latter predominating. Cottons come to maturity earlier in these parts owing to the stony nature of the soil. Kalol Taluka grows Rozi and Kanvi to a certain extent. Beyond this the cultivation of cotton practically ceases. It does not seem that the cultivation of cotton will spread, as the soil capable of producing cotton will yield two crops, namely, maize and gram, or groundnut and wheat. Nadiad. — I submitted the following remarks on the samples sent by this station : — Judging from the valuations of the cottons from Nadiad, Cambodia is easily first, but as this is a new introduction, some time must elapse before it can be confidently recom- mended for general cultivation under irrigation. The claims of Lalio cotton indigenous to the tract should be carefully tested. It is highly probable that ulti- mately it would be found the most profitable to grow. Bourbon is valued highly but its perennial nature is objectionable. Experiments made years ago certainly proved that it is not a reliable plant to depend upon. Mr. Spence's attempts at its cultivation on a large scale at Deesa and Jamnagar both signally failed and no one re- ports even moderate success with it. For all practical pur- posses the cotton experiments at Nadiad could be confined to trials with Cambodia and Xalio, I 114 REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH Valuations by Messrs. Tata, Sons Sf Co. on the six samples of Nadiad on 23rd June 1913. Serial No. Name of variety. Cambodia Remarks. Bhuri Lalio Nadiad Farm appears to suit this cotton as all the charac- teristics of Cambodia are maintained. We value it at Rs. 320. We recommend that special attention should be given to its cultivation at Nadiad. This cotton is after the style of Ghat Berars and we class it equal to Kirksli. Value Rs. 300. The Nadiad soil suits the seed as the sample under inspection equals the best cotton grown in Bawl a (Guzerat District). Value Rs. 200. 10 T. Bourbon | It is a very nice colton, silky and long stapled, and is equal to some low grades of Egyptian cotton. We value it at Rs. 350. Varhadi Comilla x Bani This cotton has entirely changed its character and looks more like short staple Raj pu tana Bengal than like Khan- desh. Value Rs. 250. This cross shows the roughness and feel of Comilla (Assam) combined with the staple of Bani. It can be compared to Fine Warora. Value Rs. 300. Basis of value — Us. Low Egyptian . • • . 350 Fine Surat * . • . 330 Kirkeli . • • 310 Fine Warora . • • • , 300 „ Ghat (Chikli) . • • • 278 ,, Bengal • . 245 „ Navasari . • • • t 345 Cambodia m • • 1 sao Fine Broach • • • I 305 „ Guzerat . • • • < , 290 „ Akola • • • * . 268 INSTITUTE AND COLLEGE, PUSA, FOR 1912-13. 115 At Bawla in the Ahmedabacl District, Mr. Mankad reported as follows : — " Four persons tested Cambodia on the following areas '. — Area in acres. 0-24 0-30 1-0 1-0 Total outturn Outturn in lbs. per acre. 080 1,133 1,000 1,333 800 800 400 400 Valuation re- alised per 40 lbs, kapas. Us. a. P. 0 6 0 6 5 3 6 4 0 6 6 0 Remakes. Irrigated five times. Irrigated three times. Irrigated two times. White-ants damaged crops. ing given. No water - All the Cambodia was purchased by one man who gave ordinarily four annas more per maund over the local cotton Lalio." There is a tendency for the cultivators to extend the cultivation of Cambodia next year. I learn that cultivators are willing to pay high rates for the seed, as much as Rs. 5 for 40 lbs. seed. It was also said that some seed was sold at Rs. 8 a maund of 40 lbs. With regard to the results of Lalio, it must be said that, under the same condition (irrigation), one acre and seven gunthas yielded 2,000 lbs. kapas, that is, 1,700 lbs. per acre. The possibilities of Lalio should be very care- fully tested as present indications point to its being quite able to hold its own ground against Cambodia. The cultivators at Bawla are, however, in favour of their local cotton — Lalio, and think that though the results are promising the new cotton, Cambodia, is a much more delicate variety than their local cotton. They are also aware of the fact that it would be susceptible to frost and insect pests. To conclude with Guzerat, I quote the general remarks submitted to the Director. " 1. Surat. — There are three strains maintained for seed distribution. The Syndicate have agreed to buy the produce of these at 5 per cent, over local prices and I am informed that private firms are independently offering 6 i 2 116 REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH per cent. As this is the second season in which the im- proved cottons will be on the market it is gratifying to learn that the traders appreciate the value of the selections. " 2. Broach. — The tendency of the cultivators in this tract is to mix Ghogari with Broach in order to help out the ginning percentage of the latter. Some of the lighter soils might be devoted to the culture of pure Ghogari, but this point will be the subject of further enquiry. Broach cotton seed, obtained from Surat, was distributed by the local Agricultural Association. The members of this body have apparently not supervised the tests so closely as they require and they are only now invoking the aid of the Agricultural Department, as they foresee the difficulty of disposing of their produce on favourable terms without some support in the shape of an official guarantee. They may find a way out, but in the event of an expansion in their task of cotton seed distribution it would be as well to warn the Association to be guided by the advice of your Department. As you remarked, these Associations under proper control may become valuable agencies for the distri- bution and maintenance of selected crops. The Associa- tion ought soon to be strong enough to employ an expert staff to assist them in their operations. Wilt is said to be increasing in this district and is probably due to the con- tinuous cropping of the land under cotton. I understand that the Imperial Mycologist has taken up the investigation of this disease. ' 3. Nadiad. — Our long-cherished hope that some tree cottons could be profitably grown in the Kaira District has been dispelled. Bourbon is too uncertain, as it is likely to do badly in wet years and, being a perennial crop, the land on which it grows, under the careless methods of the cultivators, becomes a jungle of weeds. It also acts as an agent in the propagation of boll worm. Cambodia and Bhuri both promise very well, if slight irrigation (which is available in many places) can be given them at the start. The claims of the local Lalio are strong and are being seriously con- sidered. institute and college, pusa, for 191243. 117 " 4. Baroda. — The experiments here are identical with those at Nadiad. There is a possibility that in this tract Bhuri can be grown as a dry crop. I pointed out on the spot that the Cambodia grown from Madras seed was con- taminated with an admixture of Uppam and Karunganni. The plots at Nadiad had been of course purified by the Superintendent and I suggested that you instruct your Department in the Southern Mahratta Country to see that their fields were also purged of this annoying mixture. ' 5. Dohad.-— Cambodia, Bhuri and Varhadi (roseum) were doing exceedingly well, but it seems waste of time to distribute good cotton seed amongst such bad cultivators. However, the good example shown them at the Dohad Farm may show fruit in due time." The Chief Karbhari, Rajkot State, sent in the follow- ing report on the crops resulting from 50 lbs. Varhadi and 20 lbs. Cambodia seed, which were sent to him for trial. The outturn of Varhadi kapas was 17^ maunds in 2 bighas of the palace garden experimented upon, or in other words it was 21 maunds and 35 lbs. per acre (875 lbs. kapas per acre); whereas that of Cambodia kapas was 2J maunds in ^ acre of it, i.e., 4J maunds per acre, a maund being equal to 40 lbs. The ginning percentage eventuated in 40 per cent, of Varhadi and 35 per cent, of Cambodia cotton. The result is more in favour of Varhadi than Cambodia which does not, it seems, suit the soil. The Varhadi is being grown on a larger scale this season. Valuation by Messrs. Tata, Sons 8f Co., Bombay, on the samples from Rajkot on 23rd June 1913. Serial No. Name of variety. Remarks. 1 2 Varhadi . Cambodia , This cotton has preserved all its characteristics of Akola except the staple which shows deterioration. Value Rs. 260. The cotton has deteriorated all round and iooks more like Ghat cotton (Chikli). Value Rs. 270. 118 REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH Basis of valuation — Fine "Warora . „ Ghat (Chikli) „ Akola Mathio . Rs. 300 27S 268 250 Dhulia — Messrs. Tata were good enough to supply the following valuations and remarks on the samples sent from this station (10th April 1913) :— Serial No. 2 3 Name of variety. Rosea Cutchica Vera Malvensia Khandesh Jari Bani Cornilla Remarks. It has all the characteristics of Fine Khandesh cotton, only it is slightly better in staple than the usual run of Khan- desh cotton for which we value it Rs. 8 higher than Fine Khandesh (basis Fine Khandesh, Rs. 272), say Rs. 280 per candy. No improvement, practically Fine Khandesh. Value Rs. 27 being the basis of Fine Khandesh. 2, It has lost its Khandesh characteristics and has the colour, staple and feel of Bani Berars. Taking Rs. 320 as the basis of Bani Akola, we value it the same price, Rs. 320 per candy. It is like No. 1. The feel, however, is better, which advan- tage is counterbalanced by the staple being slightly in- ferior. We value it at Rs. 5 more than Fine Khandesh (basis Rs. 272), say Rs. 277 per candy. It is ordinary fully Good Khandesh cotton. Value Rs. 202 (same as fully Good Khandesh, basis of Rs. 262). It is equal to No. 3 and of the same value, say Rs. 320 per candy. In the Khandesh soil and climate it has slightly lost its native harshness ; in all other respects it remains Assam cotton. We value it at Rs. 275 per candy, say Rs. 15 better than Superfine Bengal (basis Superfine Bengal, Rs. 260). Valuations. — All samples received were submitted to Messrs. Tata, Sons & Co., Bombay, for valuation, and cor- dial acknowledgment is due to them for their kindness and promptitude in giving opinions on cottons whenever sub- mitted to them. INSTITUTE AND COLLEGE, PUSA, FOR 1912-13. 119 Samples of the Koilpatti Agricultural Station were reported upon by the Bombay Chamber of Commerce to whom thanks are also due. III. — Programme of work for 1913-14. (1) To visit and advise on points regarding cotton and its cultivation whenever requested to do so by Provincial Departments of Agriculture. (2) By special invitation of the Departments of Agri- culture of the United Provinces of Agra and Oudh, Bombay, and North- West Frontier Province to report on the work done in the way of cotton improvement in those provinces. (3) The question of the distribution of seeds of promis- ing varieties will be further discussed with the proper authorities in the United Provinces, Central Provinces, Bombay and the Punjab. (4) The study of the behaviour of Bhuri and Cambodia and other such cottons in non-cotton-producing tracts will be continued. (5) An enquiry on the manurial requirement of cotton will be continued. (6) Researches on the botany of cotton will be con- tinued. CALCUTTA SUPERINTENDENT GOVERNMENT PRINTING, INDIA 8, HASTINGS STREET A f> REPORT OP THE Agricultural Research Institute and College, Pusa {Including the Report of the Imperial Cotton Specialist) 1913-14 CALCUTTA SUPERINTENDENT GOVERNMENT PRINTING, INDIA 1814 Price 8 annas or 9d, REPORT OF THE Agricultural Research Institute and College, Pusa {Including the Report of the Imperial Cotton Specialist) 1913-14 CALCUTTA SUPERINTENDENT GOVERNMENT PRINTING, INDIA 1914 TABLE OF CONTENTS Page. ist — I. Report of the Director, Agricultural Research Institute and College, Pusa — I. Charge and Staff II. Work of the Institute III. Publications IV. General Administration . V. Accounts .... VI. Visitors .... II. Report of the Imperial Agriculturist — I. Administration and Tours II. Farm Cultivation III. Live-stock and Poultry IV. General .... V. Programme of work for 1914-15 III. Report of the Imperial Agricultural Chem I. Administration and Tours II. Education .... III. Meteorology .... IV. Soil Problems V. Saltpetre ..... VI. Sugar ..... VII. Milk VIII. Programme of work for J 914-15 IX. Publications .... IV. Report of the Imperial Economic Botanist I. Staff ..... II. Wheat Investigations III. Other Investigations Tobacco .... Gram .... Fibres .... Methods of Pollination Drainage .... Indigo .... o 4 5 7 8 9 10 11 12 12 14 15 15 16 18 19 25 30 31 32 32 35 35 37 37 38 3S 39 11 IV. The Development of the Fruit Industry of Baluchistan ....-•• Fruit and Agricultural Experiment Station V. Programme and Publications V. Report of the Imperial Mycologist — I. Charge and Establishment II. Training . III. Diseases of Plants . (1) Paddy disease (2) Sugarcane disease (3) Palm diseases (4) Rhizoctonia (5) Cotton and Sesamum wilts (6) Plrytophthora investigations (7) Anthracnose (8) Groundnut leaf disease (9) Other plant diseases IV. Systematic Work V. Miscellaneous .... VI. Programme of work for 1914-15 VII. Publications .... VI. Report of the Imperial Entomologist — I. Charge and Establishment II. Training .... III. Tours .... IV. Provincial Work V. Work at Pusa . VI. Miscellaneous . VII. Insect Survey . VIII. Programme of work for 1914-15 IX. Publications .... VII. Report of the Imperial Pathological Entomulogist- I. Administration II. Educational III. Research IV. Veterinary V, Fruit-flies Page. 4,3 43 46 js IS 4S IS 5U 52 53 51 55 55 5b' 57 57 57 58 60 62 63 63 6 1 67 74 74 74 75 76 76 76 77 78 ... Ill VI. Miscellaneous ....... VII. Programme of work for 1914-15 VIII. lieport of the Imperial Agricultural Bacteriologist — I. Administration and Tours II. Training ....... III. Soil Bacteriology ..... IV. Special Enquiries . V. Programme of work for 1914-15 VI. Publications ...... IX. Report of the Imperial Cotton Specialist — I. Charge and Tours ..... II. Cotton in the Provinces .... (a) Punjab (b) United Provinces of Agra and Oudh (c) Central Provinces (d) Madras ..... (e) Bombay ..... III. Programme of work for 1914-lr> Page. 78 79 80 81 81 88 1)2 93 94 94 94 96 98 99 99 124 Report of the Agricultural Research Institute and College, Pusa, (Including the Report of the Imperial Cotton Specialist) 1913-14. REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR. (Bernard Coventry, C.I.E.) I. — Charge and Staff. Charge. — Mr. J. Mackenna, M.A., I.C.S., held charge of the office of Agricultural Adviser to the Government of India and Director, Agricultural Research Institute, Pusa, till my return from leave on the 23rd February 1914, when I resumed charge of the post. Mr. A. C. Dobbs held the post of Assistant to the Agri- cultural Adviser to the Government of India till 28th April 1914, when he was appointed to act as Imperial Agricul- turist and Mr. M. Wynne Sayer, B.A., who joined the De- partment on the 20th March 1914, was appointed to officiate for Mr. Dobbs. Staff.— The Chemical Section remained in charge of Dr. J. W. Leather, V.D., Ph.D., F.I.C., throughout the year. Mr. H. E. Annett, B.Sc, F.C.S., F.I.C., Supernumerary Agricultural Chemist, returned from study leave on 28th November 1913, and was appointed Agricultural Chemist to the Government of Bengal on 1st January 1914. Mr. Jatindranath Sen, M.A., F.C.S., First Assistant in the Chemical Section, was appointed Supernumerary Agri- cultural Chemist on the 9th February 1914. Mr. A. Howard, M.A., A.R.C.S., F.L.S., Imperial Economic Botanist, and Mrs. Howard, M.A., his Personal Assistant, returned from leave on 19th October 1913. As B 2 REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH in previous years Mr. and Mrs. Howard proceeded to Quetta in May 1914, and will stay there for five months for work in connection with the development of the fruit industry in Baluchistan. During the year under report Mr. Howard was appointed a Companion of the Most Eminent Order of the Indian Empire. The Mycological Section was in charge of Dr. E. J. Butler, M.B., F.L.S., till the 28th March 1914, when he proceeded on nine months' combined leave. Mr. F. J. F. Shaw, B.Sc, A.R.C.S., F.L.S., on the termination of his appointment as Officiating Government Mycologist, Madras, resumed his duties at Pusa as Super- numerary Mycologist on the 5th November 1913. He has been appointed to officiate as Imperial Mycologist during Dr. Butler's absence on leave. Mr. T. Bainbrigge Fletcher, R.N., F.E.S., F.Z.S., joined the post of Imperial Entomologist on 1st December 1913. Previous to his appointment Mr. A. J. Grove, M.Sc, Supernumerary Entomologist, held charge of the Entomolo- gical Section. Mr. Grove has been deputed to the Punjab since 28th January 1914, to carry out work on grain pests and cotton bollworm. Mr. F. M. Howlett, B.A., F.E.S., remained in charge of the Pathological Entomological Section throughout the year. The Bacteriological Section was in charge of Mr. C. M. Hutchinson, B.A., during the whole year, except for a short period of two weeks from 24th February 1914, when he was on privilege leave and Mr. J. H. Walton, B.A., B.Sc, Supernumerary Agricultural Bacteriologist, officiated for him. The Agricultural Section was in charge of Mr. S. Milligan, M.A., B.Sc, till 28th April 1914, when he pro- ceeded on one year's combined leave and Mr. A. C. Dobbs took over charge from him. The number of Supernumerary Agricultural appoint- ments was reduced from three to two during the year under report. Mr. N. S. McGowan, Dip. in Agri. (Cantab.), and Mr. T. Gilbert, B.A., Dip. in Agri. (Cantab.), have been INSTITUTE AND COLLEGE, PUSA, FOR 1<)13-U. 3 appointed Deputy Directors of Agriculture in Bihar ami Orissa and Bombay respectively. The two Supernumerary posts are now held by Mr. G. D. Mehta, L.Ag., B.A., N.D.A., N.D.D., who has been posted to Madras for train- ing, and Mr. M. Wynne Sayer, B.A., who joined the De- partment on 20th March 1914. II. — Work of the Institute. Scientific Work. — An account of the scientific work of the Institute during the year is given in the reports of the several sections. Training. — The training of students in post-graduate courses was continued and short courses were also given in Cattle management and Sericulture. Four students were under training in Agricultural Che- mistry during the year under report. The two students referred to in the last year's report, viz., a private student from Madras and a Government Stipendiary from the Travancore State, completed their training. A private student who was studying for the D.Sc. degree, of the Allahabad University worked on a piece of research for eight months in the Chemical Laboratory. A student deputed by the Department of Agriculture, Central Pro- vinces, for training in Agricultural Bacteriology was given a preliminary course of training in Agricultural Chemistry. In the Entomological Section the student deputed by the Department of Agriculture, Travancore, and the student deputed by the Assam Department of Agriculture referred to in the last year's report completed their train- ing in General Entomology during the year under report. In the Bacteriological Section the probationary research assistant under the Agricultural Chemist to the Punjab Government who was deputed to this Institute for train- ing continued his course in Agricultural Bacteriology during the year. • In the Agricultural Section a graduate of the Sabour Agricultural College deputed by the Bengal Department of Agriculture is undergoing training in General Agriculture. b2 4 REPORT OF THK AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH Besides the regular students mentioned above, the fol- lowing officers worked in the Mycological Laboratory during the year : — Mr. A. C. Tunstall, Mycologist to the Indian Tea Association, for about a week, in September 1913. Mr. G. H. Alington, I.F.S., Assistant to the Forest Botanist, in January 1914, in connection with tree diseases. Mr. B. L. Gupta, B.Sc, Professor of Biology in the Reid Christian College, Lucknow, attended the Laboratory during May and June 1914, and received a course of lectures and practical work on the morphology of fungi. During the year under report, seven students attended the short courses — one in " Cattle Management " and six in " Sericulture." Besides the regular students, three visi- tors were given practical instruction in sericulture and silk-dyeing. III. — Publications. The Agricultural Journal, Scientific Memoirs and Bulletins continued to be issued during the year. With a view to keep down the free distribution list and also to encourage Agricultural Associations, Co-operative Socie- ties, students of Agricultural Colleges and Assistants in the Agricultural Departments, specially reduced rates of subscription for the Journal and Memoirs and Bulletins were sanctioned during the year. This has led to a sub- stantial increase in the number of subscribers. With a view to economy steps were taken to supply persons and institutions on the free distribution list with reprints of articles on the special branches of agriculture and its allied sciences in which they are interested in lieu of the Journal. Arrangements were also made during the year for making the Department's publications available for sale at principal centres in various parts of the country. The Department published during the year 16 Memoirs and 7 Bulletins. In the Veterinary Series of Memoirs INSTITUTE AND COLLEGE, PUSA, FOR 1913-14. 5 started in April 1912 no less than 8 papers have been pub- lished during the course of two years and the number pro- mises to increase in the near future. As regards other series of memoirs a good number of papers were published in the Botanical and Chemical Series to which the Pro- vincial Departments have also contributed. There is a steady increasing demand from the Indian public for Bulletins as they are mostly of practical inter- est. As a result Bulletin Nos. 28 and 29 on Lac and Eri silk culture have been reprinted and the Government of India have authorised the Agricultural Adviser to increase in future to 2,000 copies bulletins for which there is likely to be a good demand. The grant for publications as at present sanctioned is Rs. 29,000. During the last two years greatest economy had to be exercised to keep the expenditure within the sanctioned grant. The rates both for letter-press printing and reproduction of illustrations have been recently revised. Papers received are also carefully scrutinised and all illus- trations not absolutely required are eliminated. But as the investigation of problems is yearly on the increase the volume of matter offered for publication is anticipated to become larger each year and it will soon be necessary to ask for a further addition to the grant. IV. — General Administration. Buildings and Works. — During the year under report the Government of India sanctioned the construction of eight additional quarters for the subordinate staff of the Institute. The extension of the Director's office building referred to in the last year's report was completed during the year. Proposals have been submitted to Government for the installation of electric lights and fans in the European bungalows and the Guest House at Pusa, and for the addition of a Female Ward to the Pusa Hospital. Library. — The third edition of the catalogue of the library is in the press and will shortly be out. During the year under report over 500 volumes have been added by purchase besides several foreign bulletins, memoirs, reports, (5 REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL LlESEARCH etc., which are received in exchange from different parts of the world. Pusa Middle English School. — The Pusa Middle English School which was established in 1912 is becoming popular. It has four English and four Vernacular classes and the total number of boys on the roll is 93 out of which 53 belong to the Estate and the remaining 40 come from the neighbouring villages. The school is located temporarily in the Students' Hostel until the completion of the school building which is under construction. Proposals for raising the present school to the status of a High School and also for the establishment of a Girls' School at Pusa are under the consideration of the Local Government. General Health of the Station.— The general health of the station during the year under report was on the whole very good. Relief was afforded to 9,226 cases, of which 8,999 were treated in the out-patients' department and 227 admitted as in-door patients. One hundred and two cases amongst European officers and families were attended to. The daily average number of patients treated was 64-05 out-door, and 10-69 in-door. Four deaths occurred in hospital, one from Gangrene- foot, one from Malarial Cachexia, one from Cirrhosis Liver and one from Suppurating Tonsilitis. The number of Estate cases treated for Malarial Fever was small when compared with the admissions from the neighbouring villages. This was probably due to the Estate people willingly taking the quinine which was issued prophylactically towards the close of the monsoon. An epidemic of cholera which broke out in the villages in the immediate vicinity of Pusa, during the months of April, May and June, threatened to be a source of grave danger. Immediate and successful measures were taken to prevent it entering the Estate. Chief of these was keeping of the water supply pure by disinfecting and cleaning the wells. The epidemic was thus kept out of the Estate limits. Two hundred and five surgical operations were per- formed of which nineteen were major, and one hundred and eighty-six minor. INSTITUTE AND COLLEGE, PUSA, FOR 1913-14. 7 Nine primary vaccinations and three re-vaccinations were performed during the early part of the year. V. — Accounts. The total expenditure during the financial year 1913-14 was Rs. 4,72,471 as under : — ( Htice of the Agricultural Adviser to the Government of India and Director oi the Institute . ... Chemical Section .... Mycological Section Entomological Section Pathological Entomological Section Botanical Section . Bacteriological Section . Agricultural Section Rs. 2,14,158 38,455 37,388 33,942 26,749 27,854 29,171 64,754 4,72,471 The budget of the Agricultural Adviser for the year under report included a portion of the grant of Rs. 1,10,000 referred to in previous year's report for meeting the expen- diture in connection with the engagement of Mr. W. Hulme as Sugar Engineer in the United Provinces for the develop- ment of the Indian Sugar Industry. The engagement of Mr. Hulme was sanctioned in the first instance, for three years from 1911-12. It has been decided to retain his services for a further period of two seasons and the expen- diture during the current year will be met from the saving in the grant of Rs. 1,10,000 made for the purpose. A sum of Rs. 15,000 was provided in the budget for pay- ment to the Indian Tea Association as a grant-in-aid. Out of the sum of Rs. 60,000 allotted during the year ending 31st March 1914, by the Government of India, for improvements connected with the Pusa Institute, Rs. 14,254 were transferred to the Public Works Department Budget for meeting the cost of extension of the Pusa Library and Rs. 25,000 paid towards purchase of steam cultivating machinery for the Pusa Farm. The balance was spent on 8 REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH testing the milling and baking qualities of wheat, the bacteriological investigation of rice, the demonstration of improved methods of refining saltpetre, experiments with cotton and plant breeding by the Imperial Cotton Specialist, construction of a Potculture house for the Imperial Myco- logist, an additional Laboratory for the Imperial Patholo- gical Entomologist and the improvement of the drainage of the low-lying portions of the Pusa Estate. The gross receipts during the year from the sale of farm produce, milk, publications of this Department and other articles, amounted to Rs. 22,157 as against Rs. 14,663 of the preceding year. VI. — Visitors. In response to the invitation of Mr. J. Mackenna, Lord Islington, Sir Valentine Chirol, Sir Theodore Morison, Messrs. Sly, Scott and Fisher of the Royal Commission on Public Services in India visited the Institute on the 17th January 1914. During the year under report the Hon'ble Sir Robert Carlyle, K.C.S.I., CLE., I.C.S., Member-in-charge of the Department of Revenue and Agriculture, Government of India, the Hon'ble Sir Edward Maclagan, K.C.I.E., C.S.I., I.C.S., Officiating Revenue Member, the Hon'ble Mr. L. J. Kershaw, CLE., I.C.S., Secretary to the Government of India, Department of Revenue and Agriculture, Colonel E. H. Hazelton, F.R.C.V.S., A.V.S., Principal Veterinary Officer in India, Mr. M. J. Cogswell, Controller of Printing, Stationery and Stamps, Professor Wyndham R. Dunstan, M.A., LL.D., F.R.S., Director, Imperial Institute, London, Professor Briick of Griessen University, Germany, Mr. M. A. Yamada of the Agricultural Experiment Station, Formosa, Chev. Dr. G. Gorio, Consul for Italy, Bombay, and many others visited the Institute. INSTITUTE AND COLLEGE, PUSA, EOR 1913-14. REPORT OF THE IMPERIAL AGRICULTURIST (A. C. Dobbs, B.A.) I. — Administration and Tours. Charge. — Mr. Milligan held charge of the Pusa Farm lor the first ten months of the period under review; he went home on long leave at the end of April, after which the writer officiated for him. The number of Supernumerary Agricultural appoint- ments was reduced from three to two during the year under report. Messrs. Gilbert and McGowan vacated their posts on the supernumerary establishment, on the creation of new appointments on the regular cadre in Bombay and Bihar, and one of the resulting vacancies was filled by the appoint- ment of Mr. M. Wynne Sayer who arrived in India at the end of March, and is now officiating as Assistant to the Agricultural Adviser. The other post vacated was absorbed in one of the Dew posts on the regular cadre, while the second remaining Supernumerary appointment continues to be held by Mr. G. D. Mehta, now working in Madras. Mr. Judah Hyam was in charge of the Breeding Herd throughout the year. Mr. Mohomed Ikramuddm held the post of 1st Farm Overseer during the year, in addition to the duties of the 2nd Farm Overseer from 16th May 1913 to 4th November 1913. Mr. Arjan Singh, AgTicultural Assistant, Lyallpur Farm, was posted to the vacant post of 2nd Farm Overseer on the 5th November 1913. Training. — The following students attended the courses : — 1. Mr. B. M. Valweker, from Mysore State, in cattle management, from 29th January 1914 to 4th April 1914. 10 REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH 2. Mr. Kali Prosanna Roy was sent by the Bengal Government for agricultural training at Pusa. Tours. — Mr. Milligan visited Dacca and Sabour Farms with the Officiating Agricultural Adviser to the Govern- ment of India, in August; and Poona, Bombay, Ahmedabad and Umballa to see dairies in September 1913. He also attended the meetings of the Board of Agriculture at Coimbatore in December 1913 and gave evidence before the Public Services Commission on behalf of the Imperial Department of Agriculture, at Bombay during February 1914. II. — Farm Cultivation. Character of the season. — The rains began with 7 inches in May 1913. The monsoon was characterised by well dis- tributed rainfall throughout, with very heavy falls in June and August. The paddy crop was considerably damaged by floods owing to the defective draining of the Estate. Three-fourths of an inch of rain in the middle of October and again in the middle of December, ensured heavy rabi crops, which, however, suffered severely from a similar fall accompanied by strong wind in the middle of February. Crop Experiments. — The experiments mentioned in last year's report have been continued. Cultivation. — A Fowler's double engine steam cultiva- tion tackle was obtained in September 1913 with a disc plough, cultivator, harrow, and roller. The object of this new departure was not only the study of the economics of steam cultivation, but also to enable the Agriculturist to deal more effectively with the labour diffi- culties incidental to the intensive cultivation, by means of hired labour, of so large an area as is necessary to support the Pusa herd of Montgomery Cattle. The farm is not an ideal one for steam cultivation, being intersected by public roads which cut it up into irregularly- shaped fields, but by taking the whole available area, squar- ing up some of the fields, and abandoning odd corners, it will be possible to eliminate most of the land that cannot be INSTITUTE AND COLLEGE, PUSA. FOfc 1913-14. 11 ploughed by steam tackle and yet to leave a sufficient area to employ the tackle to the limit of its capacity. There will still, however, be some waste incurred in moving over consi- derable distances from field to field. III. — Live-stock and Poultry. Breeding Herd. — As may be inferred from the reference above to the herd of Montgomery cows, this herd has become the pivot on which the policy of the farm turns. Started originally with the idea of preserving and typing the Montgomery breed, and incidentally providing the officials collected at Pusa with a pure milk supply, the herd has grown with the expansion of the Institute and the growing demand for milk from the large number of inhabitants of the estate, — until it has taxed the capacity of the farm to provide sufficient fodder for both the working bullocks and tor the breeding herd. A partial solution has been found in the purchase or the steam tackle, and it is proposed at the same time to grade up the milk producing power of the herd by crossing the poorest milkers with an Ayrshire bull. The product of this cross has been demonstrated by the Military Dairies in Northern India to be exceedingly useful, the heifers giving milk in amounts comparable with those given by Ayrshire cows, while the bullocks make excellent work cattle. There will therefore be maintained at Pusa, henceforth, two herds ; one of selected milkers of the Montgomery breed ; the other a herd of cross-bred Ayrshire-Montgomery cattle which will, it is hoped, take its part in a comprehensive scheme for improving the dairy cattle of India by cross breeding. Should a considerable development of one or both of these breeds be justified later on, it will be possible to increase considerably the number of breeding cattle at Pusa, owing to the economy of fodder effected by the use of the steam tackle instead of bullocks for cultivation. 12 REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH Sheep. — The advantage of crossing Dumba ranis with the local sheep for the production of mutton having been demonstrated, breeding for mutton has been given up, and an attempt is being made to improve the wool of the local sheep by crossing with Merinos, as mentioned in last year's report. Poultry. — In view of the general interest now evinced in poultry keeping in the Provinces it has been decided to limit the functions of Pusa to the importation of pure bred birds to maintain the breeds kept on Provincial farms. The Assistant to the Agricultural Adviser to the Government of India is in touch with breeders at home and is prepared to give his advice or assistance to intending importers. No poultry are now kept at the Pusa Farm. IV. — General. All the available farm land has been brought under cultivation. Manuring with superphosphate has become part of the routine practice of the farm as a result of the proof of the economic value of that manure in the experimental plots. Considerably better crops have been obtained in recent years and with the high cultivation now rendered possible an economic necessity is beginning to appear of growing more valuable crops, or varieties with sufficient strength of root and stem to support a higher yield than any obtainable from the varieties now available. V. — Programme of work for 1914-15. The following are the lines of work in progress : — Major investigations. 1. The economics of cultivation by steam and motor engines. 2. The puddling of rice land by the double engine system of steam cultivation. 3. The combination of irrigation and drainage in the growing of rice.. INSTITUTE AND COLLEGE, PUSA, FOR 1913-14. 13 4. A study of inheritance of the more important characters of dairy cattle by crossing. 5. The building up of milk pedigree in cattle by selection. Minor investigations. 6. The inheritance of wool characters in sheep. 7. Experimental tillage in the growing of maize and sugarcane. 8. Improvement of pastures. H REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH REPORT OF THE IMPERIAL AGRICULTURAL CHEMIST. (J. Walter Leather, V.D., Ph.D., F.I.C.) I. — Administration and Tours. Charge. — The section was in the charge of myself during the whole year. Establishment. — Mr. H. E. Annett, Supernumerary Agricultural Chemist, returned from study leave on 28th November 1913 and was appointed Agricultural Chemist, Bengal, on 1st January 1914. Mr. Jatindranath Sen, First Assistant in this section, was appointed Supernumerary Agricultural Chemist (pro- bationary) on February 9th, 1914. Mr. Jatindra Nath Mukerjee, Second Assistant, was appointed First Assistant on 9th February 1914. Mr. A. V. Iyer, a former assistant of this section and latterly Assistant Agricultural Chemist, Sabour, was ap- pointed Second Assistant on 2nd July 1914. Babu Har Dyal Singh, a junior assistant, was trans- ferred to the Bacteriological Section on 25th May 1914. Babu Shasanka Bhushan Roy, L.Ag. (Sabour), was ap- pointed (probationary) to the vacant assistantship on 23rd June 1914. Tours. — The following tours were made by me :— 1. August 1913. To Meerut and Delhi to discuss the value of certain fodder grasses and grass lands with the Assistant Director of Grass Farms. To Roorkee where I discussed the construction of certain instruments with the Superintendent, Canal Foundry and Workshops. To Cawnpore where I examined the condition of certain lands which had been broken up with explosives, INSTITUTE AND COLLEGE, PUS A, FOR 1913-14. 15 2. October 1913. To Peshawar to inspect the sugar- beet crops and to arrange for the prospective tests of sugarcane and sugar-beet at Tarnab. 3. December 1913. To Coimbatore to attend the meeting of the Board of Agriculture. 4. January 1914. To Peshawar to inspect the work of the assistant who had been posted there to test sugarcane and beet. 5. March 1914. To Bareilly to discuss the practi- cability of the small factory for sugarcane and sugar-beet with the Sugar Engineer. 6. April and May 1914. To Peshawar, (?") to inspect the work on sugar-beet and to discuss the data with the Agricultural Officer; (ii) to take samples of soil from the Upper and Lower Swat River Canals. To Lyallpur to act as a member of the Board of Examiners at Agricultural College. 7. June 1914. To Peshawar on account of sugar-beet analyses. II. — Education. Four students have been under instruction during the year. One Government and one private student complet- ed their full courses; one Government student has com- pleted the course (one year) specially prescribed for him. One private student who was studying for the D.Sc. degree, Allahabad < worked here for eight months on a piece of research. Ill . — Meteorology. In addition to the usual data which are recorded daily on behalf of the Meteorological Department, records of (a) soil temperature, (b) drainage, and (c) pressure by means of a barograph have been maintained. 16 REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH IV. — Soil Problems. Drainage. — The records of drainage are maintained and it is probable that another collection of data will be published early next year. Lime and Magnesia. — The relationship between the amount of gaseous carbonic acid in soils and the amounts of lime and magnesia in solution has been the subject of an investigation which has been conducted by Mr. Sen and myself. The first section of the work was published in 1909 and dealt with the relation between calcium carbonate and gaseous carbonic acid. The second section dealt with the corresponding relationship of magnesium carbonate and carbonic acid. Following this we ascertained the solubility of the two carbonates when present together and also of dolomite under like conditions. It then transpired that if magnesium carbonate is present in anything more than quite small quantities, calcium carbonate becomes practically insoluble. Dolomite was found to dissolve as a double salt in carbonic acid, but the maximum concen- tration which we could obtain was smaller than was anti- cipated from a consideration of the other work. The pre sence of either calcium carbonate or magnesium carbonate was found to protect dolomite from the action of carbonic acid. Magnesium carbonate protects it practically en- tirely, because it rapidly forms a solution of bicarbonate so concentrated that no appreciable amount of calcium car- bonate can dissolve in it and hence the dolomite cannot dissolve. Calcium carbonate does not protect it quite so perfectly, but this salt rapidly forms, in contact with carbonic acid and water, a solution of bicarbonate so strong that little or no more calcium carbonate can dissolve in it and hence the dolomite can only dissolve to a limited degree. This work has shown that no fertile soil can contain material proportions of magnesium carbonate, for if it did, the lime would become practically insoluble and the plant would die of lime starvation. This is probably the reason why in so many of the experiments which have been made in Europe and America on Loew's lime-magnesia ratio in INSTITUTE AND COLLEGE, PUSA, EOR 1913-14. 17 soils, the application of magnesite or magnesium carbonate has proved so harmful. The details of this investigation have been published as Memoirs of the Department of Agriculture in India, Chemical Series, Vol. Ill, No. 8. Swat River Canals land. — A number of samples of soil from the land which has been irrigated by the Lower Swat River Canal and from the land which will come under the Upper Swat River Canal were taken during April and May by the Superintending Engineer and myself from places, the exact position of which has been registered with reference to certain bench-marks on the canals. This latter was done in order that samples may, if desired, be taken from the same places on a future occasion. The original object of taking the samples was to supply information res- pecting the soil to an engineer in England who has asked for information respecting the chemical composition of these soils. In addition to this, however, Mr. A. J. Wadley, the Superintending Engineer, was himself interested in the subject, and the series of samples was for this reason some- what increased. The lands which are commanded by these two canals are very similar, in that they consist of the alluvium which lies at the foot of the Himalayas in this part of India, and although close to the low hills, and indeed some of the isolat- ed outcrops occur in the alluvium, it consists almost entirelv of fine alluvium without stones. The land which will come under the Upper Swat River Canal lies close to the hills; that which has been irrigated by the Lower Swat River Canal lies further south. Only certain items in the com- position of the soils were determined, those indeed which are most likely to indicate their agricultural value or defects. In respect of calcium carbonate, this constituent varies within wide limits, being as high as 10 per cent, or more in four samples and as low as (M per cent, in three. Usually there is a sufficiency for agricultural purposes, but when the proportion falls as low as -04 per cent, it will probably pay to add lime. Of phosphate in a readily assimilable condition there is in some cases a deficiency. 18 REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH and it is very probable that if artificial manures are ever used in India generally, it will pay to use superphosphate on some of these lands. Of potash there is an abundance, whilst of organic nitrogenous matter there is the same defi- ciency that is so common to Indian soils. Respecting their physical condition they are generally good. A question was incidentally raised as to whether the lands under the Lower Swat River Canal had deteriorated at all. So far as one can tell from these samples, and they were taken from widely separated places, there was nothing to indicate that any depreciation has occurred, and in fact generally these were richer and better than those from the other area. The Percolation Test for soils. — Some years ago I devised a method for testing the permeability of soils to water. Its immediate object was then the differentiation of certain usar soils of the United Provinces. During the past year a long series of tests with it have been applied to good agricultural soils in order to ascer- tain its more general applicability. The test appears to make a sharp differentiation between soils which are physically good or bad respectively. The information which has been gathered on the subject will be submitted for publication shortly. V. — Saltpetre. The experiments on improvements in the saltpetre refining process advanced a stage this year. A filter press was obtained from Europe which has shown itself able to deal with the mud very expeditiously. The pumps sup- plied with the press were, however, defective and another mode of applying the liquid to the press will now be tried In the meantime the solubility relations of the chief salts which are present have been worked out by Babu Jatindra Nath Mukerjee and myself and published as Memoirs of the Department of Agriculture in India. Chemical Series, Vol. Ill, No. 7. INSTITUTE AND COLLEGE, PUSA, EOP 1913-14. 18 VI. — Sugar. The work of this section on sugar has been confined to a series of investigations at Tarnab Farm, North-West Frontier Province. Reference was made in my last Annual Report to the tests of the sugar-beets which Mr. Robertson Brown had grown, and to the fact that the quality of the roots had proved to be very good. It has been evident throughout in respect to this crop, that the subject must be considered from the manufactur- ing standpoint, because of the fact that marketable sugar could only be produced from the beet root in a factory. This alone necessitates a regular supply of roots over at least several months because otherwise a factory could not hope to pay. It followed therefore that the next desirable step in the work was to ascertain over how many months this crop could be satisfactorily produced. Mr. Brown agreed in this view and decided to sow plots of sugar-beet at intervals over several months. A consequence of this decision was that arrangements had to be made for the testing of the crops over a consider- able period, and it was therefore decided to take this oppor- tunity of also testing the local sugarcane as also other varieties of cane at the Tarnab Farm in as thorough a manner as possible. A third investigation now presented itself. It is cus- tomary in that locality to bury sugarcane in December in order to preserve it for planting out in the following April. The crop is all harvested in December and January, and cane could not be suitably left standing in the field until the succeeding time of planting. The method of preserving the cane in "clamps' is therefore adopted, and for the end in view the method is very perfect. The question then occurred, does cane, which is preserved in this manner, deteriorate from the manufacturer's standpoint? We decided therefore to include some tests on this question The investigations had thus to do both with cane and beet. c2 20 REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH Sugarcane. — There is a considerable area of sugarcane in the Peshawar Valley, which consists principally of a " thick ' variety, yielding heavy crops. A number of samples, each consisting of about 200 canes, were tested in December and January and the following examples illustrate the general quality : — Village. Juice per cent. In Juice. Date. Brix. Sucrose per cent. Glucose per cent. Coefficient of purity. 28-11-13 2-12-13 15-1-14 19-1-14 3-2-14 Tarnab Zakki Tarnab Tarnab Tarnab 76-71 74-72 76-92 77-65 14-87 1540 15-60 15-90 16-10 12-03 12-24 13-10 13-65 13-89 1-92 2-27 1-67 1-49 1-39 80'9 79-5 84-0 86-1 86-0 The proportion of juice was obtained by crushing the cane in a Nahan bullock power mill. It will be seen from the above examples that it is a cane containing a high proportion of juice. United Provinces canes for example yield only some 60 — 65 per cent, juice to such a mill. The percentage of sugar in the juice is rather low. As the season advances the quality improves. From the manufac- turing standpoint the comparatively low percentage of sucrose is made up for in a great measure by the high pro- portion of juice and low fibre content which reduces the necessary maceration. The crushing season is limited to the months December and January. Other canes tested were imported varieties grown at the Tarnab or Haripur Farms, e.g., Striped Mauritius, Purple Mauritius, Saharanpuri, Partabgarhi, etc., most of which proved to be similar in quality to the local pounda. 'b Clam fed " cane. — The method of " clamping " sugar- cane in the Peshawar Valley is similar to that employed in Europe for preserving roots or potatoes. It may be INSTITUTE AND COLLEGE, PUSA, FOR 1913-14. 21 briefly described. The cane is taken up with the surface roots, leaves and tops intact. The canes are placed on the ground in a neat flat heap, canes lying parallel to one another, and covered with about 6" of earth; they then remain undisturbed until the planting season in April. Two experiments were made in order to ascertain whether the cane depreciates when kept in " clamps " — the one was made early in December when four lots of cane, each of about 4-5 maunds, were put in " clamps," the cane being very carefully sampled* and tested at the time; the other was made on January 15th, when two lots of about 9 maunds each were clamped. The cane which was " clamped ': in December remained for 21 days in the " clamp;" that of January was left until May and was tested at intervals of about one month. The data obtained are collected in the following statement : — Composition of sugarcane before and after clamping. Date of putting in clamp. Date when tested. Juice per cent. Juice. Variety. Brix. Sucrose per cent. Glucose per cent. 2-22 1-92 Coeffi- cient of purity. Striped Mauri- tius. 24-11-13 15-12-13 65-78 67-27 14-27 14-10 10-86 10-60 76-12 75-19 Striped Mauri- tius. 26-11-13 17-12-13 71-96 69-14 15-09 14-66 12-11 1133 1-61 1-82 8027 77-29 Local pounda 28-11-13 19-12-13 76-71 71-73 14-87 15-09 12-03 1209 1-92 1-92 80-93 80-10 Local pounda 2-12-13 21-12-13 74-72 67-78 15-40 15-13 i 12-24 2-27 12-11 ; 2-08 1 79-50 80-05 * For a discussion of errors in sampling sugarcane see Mem., Bept. Agri.. India, Chemical ISeries, Vol. Ill, No. 4. :>2 REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH Composition of sugarcane before and after clamping — contd. Date of putting in clamp. 15-1-14 Date wben tested. Juice per cent. Juice. Variety. Hrix. 15-60 15-20 1540 14-90 15-90 1600 15-10 14-85 Sucrose per cent. 13-10 12-22 12-82 12-66 Glucose per cent. Coeffi- cient of purity. Local pounda A 16-2-14 24-3-14 24-4-14 76-92 76-31 72-50 70-73 1-67 1-85 204 152 83-99 80-37 83-22 84-91 Local pounda B 15-1-14 16-2-14 24-3-14 24-4-14 76-72 73-25 72-40 71-59 1365 12-97 12-11 12-19 1-54 1-75 2-00 1-67 85-84 81-08 80-21 82-09 An examination of these figures shows that the follow- ing deductions may be drawn : — (i) There was probably some reduction in the proportion of juice in the cane, due to loss of moisture during the period it was in clamp. Whether this was so during December is doubtful, but it certainly occurred during the three months from January to April. This is almost to be expected owing to a certain amount of drying; at the same time it is to be remembered that there is the error due to sampling, especially when, as in February, March and April, canes had to be drawn out of the heaps. Another error rests with the mill, which cannot be always tightened up equally at different times. Regarding the sucrose, glucose and purity, these did not change during December, the small variations which were found by analysis must be attributed to experimental error chiefly in sampling. The results of the December experi- ments are indeed remarkably satisfactory. During the much longer period January to April, the individual tests of the experiment marked " A " exhibit some variations no doubt due chiefly to sampling, but it is evident that except that the cane dried somewhat, this lot of cane suffered no INSTITUTE AND COLLEGE, PUSA, FOR 1913-14. 23 appreciable change. The lot of cane marked lk B " probably suffered some small depreciation, but it was subject to slightly different circumstances. It has been mentioned that the local practice is to take up the cane with its surface roots intact. If, however, this mode of preserving cane for a factory were adopted, it was thought that this factor would add somewhat to the cost, costing rather more to lift from the ground and rather more to carry. Hence the lot of cane marked " B " was clamped without roots, but with leaves intact. This cane, as also all the other, remained practically perfectly sound, only the cut ends of the cane showing signs of rotting. This factor probably accounts for the somewhat greater depreciation of the juice, though it may be also partly due to error of sampling. In any case these experiments show that sugarcane may be preserved in clamps over considerable periods practic- ally intact. Gur. — A number of samples of the locally made gur were analysed. These varied (with one exception) from 70 — 74 per cent, sucrose, and from 12 — 15 per cent, glucose. Sugar-beet. — Two varieties of sugar-beet were sown, namely, Vilmorin and Klein Wanzleben. One plot of the latter was sown on September 20th, and plots of the former were sown on October 10th and 20th, November 10th and 20th and February 20th. Germination and subsequent growth were very good and uniform. Tests of these plots were made frequently, commencing naturally with the earliest sown. The samples consisted at first, in each case, of about 20 roots taken from uniformly distributed points over the plot, which enabled one to form an opinion on the progress of sugar formation, and so soon as the roots ap- peared to be well grown, the number of the roots was increased to about 100 per sample, taken similarly from uniformly distributed points. Not only do such samples yield accurate information as to the quality of the crop, but, together with a knowledge of the number of roots per plot, indirectly of its weight. 24 REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH For example the following instances may be quoted to show how well duplicate samples agree : — Year. Number o^' roots. Average weight per root, grms. Estimated weight per acre, tons. Sucrose in root per cent. c 100 75ii 14-68 1913 i I 100 711 14-73 1 Ql A, J 97 612 14-9 11-9 96 647 15-8 123 The following conclusions were drawn regarding the beet root crop : — (i) The average weight per root reached approxi- mately 1 lb. at the end of six months from date of sowing if sown between September 20th and November 20th. Those sown on February 20th grew faster, and were fit to crush in June. (ii) The percentage of sugar was found to be between 12 and 13 in Klein Wanzleben and between 10 and 11 in the Vilmorin when the roots were still quite small. (Hi) While the cold weather lasted the sucrose per- centage remained rather low, but so soon as the hotter weather set in at the end of April there was a marked increase at leasr in all those sown on or before November 10th; thus we have : — Sown. September 20th October 10th October 20th Date of sam pie. Sucrose per cent. April 21st • 131 May 7th . 156 April 22nd . 11-2 May 14th . 15-3 April 23rd . 10-5 May 15th . 14-7 INSTITUTE AND COLLEGE, PUSA, FOR 1913-14. 25 (iv) The percentage of glucose was about 1 per cent, in each case. (v) The coefficient of purity was found through- out to vary from 80 — 90. (vi) The weight of roots was estimated to be about 20 tons per acre at the time of optimum quality. (vii) The roots sown February 20th were not tested later than May 31st when the sucrose had risen to 12-2 per cent., but they were perfectly sound and growing well at the end of June. It is thus fairly evident that sugar-beets of good manufacturing quality can be grown so as to be ready by the middle of March, and by sowing on successive dates, the supply could be maintained until the end of June. This investigation of the sugar capabilities of the Peshawar Valley has thus shown that — (i) sugarcane can be had in the field during Decem- ber and January, (ii) that sugarcane may be preserved in a sound con- dition in clamps over the months February and March, and (Hi) that a sugar-beet crop could be grown so as to supply a factory from the middle of March until the end of June. The factory would naturally have to be fitted to deal with both crops, but there should be no difficulty in arranging for this and the potential length of campaign, six or seven months, is unusually long. Production of sugar-beet seeds. — A number of roots were transplanted for seed this year and some of these were tested at the time of transplanting, so that if seed is obtained, their progeny can be again tested and the process of selection of acclimatised plants commenced. VII.— Milk. Milk of Montgomery cattle. — Between December 1911 and June 1912 a series of tests of the quantity and quality of the milk of selected cows of the Montgomery herd at 26 REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH Pusa was made in collaboration with my colleague Mr. A. C. Dobbs, then Imperial Agriculturist. The pre- cautions which we employed in order to avoid experimen- tal error as far as possible are dealt with in a succeeding paragraph. Although the analytical part of the work was naturally completed day by day at the time, it was necessary, in order that the data obtained might have their full value, to examine them carefully and ascertain the probable errors mathematically. This portion of the work was done during the hill recess 1913, and explains why the subject was only briefly referred to in my last Annual Report. Altogether three series of tests were made; with three cows in December and January ; with twelve cows in April and May; and with ten cows in September to November. Most of these cows had calved recently and were in " full milk " or " fairly full milk." Regarding the yield of milk, one half was obtained by hand milking (see succeeding paragraph) and from these data the total production of each cow was ascertained. This varied considerably, being as small as 8 lbs. in one case and as high as 18 lbs. and 21 lbs. respectively in two others. The majority produced from 10 to 14 lbs. per 24 hours. The morning and evening yields were found to be approx- imately equal in all cases; the periods between milking were 12 hours each. In respect of fat the percentage varied generally from 4 to 6, but was as low as 3-5 in one or two instances. The percentage of solids-not-fat varied from 8-2 to 9-0. The morning and evening milk was not equally rich, the morning milk being systematically richer by about 1-0 per cent. ; in some cases the difference was as small as -3 per cent., in others as high as 15 per cent. ; the mean difference for the 25 cows was -91 per cent. Tests of the yield and composition from different parts of the udder showed that : — (i) Usually the yield is approximately equal from the right and left side respectively, though there INSTITUTE AND COLLEGE, PUSA, FOR 1913-14. 27 were five cows which produced more milk from the one than from the other half udder. (it) In respect of fat percentage, with one exception, the milk was of equal richness from either half udder. The quality of the milk from the several quarters of the udder was tested in December and January for three cows, and here characteristic differences were met with, for in one case the milk was systematically richer from the fore, than from the hind-quarter, in another case it was systematically richer from the hind, than from the fore-quarter, whilst the third cow showed no such characteristic differ- ences. Whilst the number of instances is so small that one cannot say that such instances are not exceptional, the tests were conducted over so long a period, upwards of two months, that the data are not to be ascribed to acciden- tal error; they are real differences for the two cows, however exceptional such cows may be. Errors involved in making milk tests. — When we decided to make a series of milk tests of the Montgomery cattle, it was apparent that an attempt should be made either to avoid several errors which are liable to occur and which very frequently minimise the value of such tests, or to estimate their magnitude. These may be briefly summarised. (i) The number of cows should not be very small. Only three were included in the first period, but twelve and ten cows respectively were employed in two subsequent periods. (id) If the periods elapsing between milkings are unequal, it is known that this alone affects both the quantity and quality of the milk. As there was no difficulty at Pusa in making these periods equal, all the cows were milked at 12 hours' intervals, the variation in length of this period being not more than 5 minutes, which is a negligible quantity. 28 REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH (Hi) In India it is usually difficult to persuade a cow to yield milk to the hand without the calf sucking at the same time. At Pusa this was found to be regularly so. But obviously if the calf takes an unknown quantity of the milk, the total yield cannot be correctly ascertained ; and without the adoption of special precautions this factor affects the percentage of fat also. The practice at Pusa with this herd is to allow the calf to take all the milk of one side of the udder whilst the other half is hand drawn, the idea being to ensure that the calves have a liberal allowance. It remained therefore to ascertain whether this practice is accompanied by any systematic errors, e.g., is the one half udder as thoroughly stripped by hand as the other half is by the calf \ The system which we adopted for these tests was to allow the calf to take the milk from one half udder, say the right, whilst the left half was hand milked, for two milkings; then for the following two milkings the calf was given the left half, whilst the right half udder was hand milked; and this sequence was followed day by day. During the first half of the period, i.e., approximately for one month, the change from right to left side was made at the morning milking, whilst during the second half period, it was made at the evening milking. By the adoption of this system of milking it was evident that if the calf obtained more milk than the man (i.e., if the hand milking were the less perfect) or if more milk were secreted during the night or day time, systematic differences of yield would be perceptible in the records which could be traced to one of these two causes. The data showed no such systematic differences and it became evident that the calf and man were equally efficient in stripping the udder. The source of error due to not being able to milk these cows entirely by hand, was thus avoided. An examination of the data, both of yield and of per- centage of fat, showed that the probable error of individual tests was unusually small. The probable error of yield for individual milkings was only + -27, and for percentage of fat it was only + -29, which are small when compared with INSTITUTE AND COLLEGE, PUSA, FOR 1913-14. 29 similar records which have been obtained elsewhere. The principal deductions depended on the arithmetical means of all the tests of any one period, and the probable error then fell to rather less than + -1 both in the case of yield and per- centage of fat. We were thus enabled to decide with great accuracy what differences were due to error of experiment and what were real differences in yield or quality. Error due to milking in the ordinary way. — During a part (28 days) of the third period, September to Nov- ember, the ten cows were hand milked as for profit, that is, the calf was allowed as little as possible, the object being to ascertain the magnitude of the errors which such a method would incur. The yields by hand were about 50 per cent, greater during this time, which was to be expected. It is also obvious that under such conditions the real quantity of milk secreted could not be ascertained. But in addition to this, the probable error of an individual milking rose from + -26 to + -74, that is, it became three times as great. Detection of added water in milk. — During recent years the reliability of the freezing point of milk as a criterion of its freedom from added water has been recommended, chiefly by Brownlie Henderson in Queensland. It has been found by him and others that the freezing point of pure milk is so constant that a comparatively small addition of water, e.g., 2 per cent., can be detected. At present the method is purely empirical and would only become depend- able if a large number of tests showed what the variation of freezing point of pure milk is. To this end the freezing point of the milk of a number of individual cows and buffa- loes at Pusa, at the Lyallpur Agricultural College and at the Military Dairy Farm, Peshawar, was determined, and it seems certain that even among individuals the varia- tion in freezing point is only small. At Pusa it varied from --543° to--577°C, at Lyallpur from --527° to -•562°C, and at Peshawar from --529° to --564°C. The variations between individuals are naturally greater than between samples of the mixed milks of a herd; thus 30 REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH the freezing point of cow's milk at Pusa was--555°C, at Lyallpur - -547°, at Peshawar - -537°, and Buffalo's milk at Peshawar - -552°. The standard freezing point assumed by Winter is--550°C, and a freezing point -• 537° C. is equivalent to 2-36 per cent, of added water. Thus for mixed milks 5 per cent, of added water could be detected with certainty, whereas if dependence is placed on the per- centage of solids-not-fat, there are cases where 10 per cent, could not be sworn to. Using Pusa cow's milk, to which known amounts of water were added, the freezing point indicated the following percentages of water :- Indicated. Actual. 5-6 5-0 10-9 10-0 19-0 20 0 21 S 25-0 VIII. — Programme of work for 1914-15. Major subjects: — 1. Examination of the sugarcane and sugar-beet crops at Peshawar and the storage of these crops in " clamps." 2. Experiments on possible improvements in the refin- ing of saltpetre will be continued. 3. Records of the amount and nature of drainage water from fallow land and from land bearing crops are main- tained. 4. An investigation of certain of the constituents of Lathyrus sat. is being conducted by the Supernumerary Agricultural Chemist. 5. The ratio of Argon to Oxygen and Argon to Nitrogen in soil gases under certain specified agricultural conditions is being determined. Minor subjects : — 6. An attempt is being made to ascertain the nature of the hydration of clay in soils. INSTITUTE AND COLLEGE, PUSA, EOR 1913-14. 31 IX. — Publications. The following have been issued : — 1. The Yield and Composition of the Milk of the Montgomery- herd at Pusa and Errors in Milk Tests. J. W. Leather and A. C. Dobbs. Mem. Deft, of Agri. in India, Cheni. Ser., Vol. Ill, No. 6. 2. The System Potassium Nitrate, Sodium Chloride, "Water. J. W. Leather and Jatindra Nath Mukerjee. Mem. Dej)t. of Agri. in India, Chem. Ser., Vol. Ill, No. 7. 3. The systems (A) Water, Magnesium Carbonate and Carbonic Acid, (B) Water, Calcium Carbonate, Mag- nesium Carbonate and Carbonic Acid. J. W. Leather and Jatindra Nath Sen. Mem. JJept. of Agri. in India, Chem. Ser., Vol. Ill, No. 8. 32 REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH REPORT OF THE IMPERIAL ECONOMIC BOTANIST. (A. Howard, CLE., M.A., A.R.C.S., F.L.S.) I. — Staff. Charge. — I held charge of the section at Pusa during the year under review from October 18th, 1913, till June 30th, 1914. During the remainder of the period, I was on combined leave when the Second Assistant, Maulvi Abdur Rahman Khan, was in charge of current duties at Pusa. This assistant did good work during my absence and was rewarded by the grant of a charge allowance. Staff. — The work of the staff continues to be satis- factory. In addition to the assistant mentioned above, the only case for individual mention is that of Lai Singh, who has been promoted to the post of Second Fieldman at Pusa. Fieldman Ram Prasad died during the year when the sec- tion lost the services of a loyal and hard-working man. II. — Wheat Investigations. Distribution of Pusa Wheats in India. In previous annual reports, a full account has been given of the preliminary work connected with the produc- tion and also with the trial of Pusa wheats in the various wheat-growing tracts of India. At the same time, refer- ence has been made to the investigations on the influence of the environment on the milling and baking qualities of these wheats, which have been carried out in collaboration with Mr. Leake and with the invaluable help of Mr. A. E. Humphries. It is not proposed to refer now in detail to these preliminary matters which were fully described in the annual reports for 1911-12 and 1912-13. INSTITUTE AND COLLEGE, PUSA, FOR 1913-14. 33 The outstanding feature of the work of the last year has been the demonstration of the fact that one of the new wheats, No. 12, is the best for general cultivation both in the Gangetic plain and also on the black soils of Peninsular India. This wheat has also given satisfactory returns, both as regards yield and quality, in the barani tracts of the Punjab where it is now being grown by the cultivators. The behaviour of this variety is of the greatest importance in the work of improving the wheats of India. Judged by the returns obtained by the people themselves, not only in almost every District from Gurdaspur in the Punjab through the United Provinces to Bhagalpur in Bihar, but also on the black soils in Bundelkhand and in the Central Provinces, this wheat has invariably given the highest yield. At the same time, it has been demonstrated that its milling and baking qualities have been maintained unim- paired, both under barani conditions and also under canal and well irrigation. In addition to the satisfactory yield, the numerous trials of Pusa 12 by the cultivators in the United Provinces, during the last wheat season, have brought out the fact that it is able to maintain itself with far less water than late sorts like MuzafTarnagar, which need at least one more watering. Pusa 12 is a red chaffed wheat with good straw and its characteristic appearance in the field is of considerable advantage in the work of replac- ing the country wheats, which for the most part are shorter in the straw and have white chaff. The grain is white in col- our and larger and more attractive than MuzafTarnagar, A single improved grade of white wheat can now be grown over a very large portion of the wheat-growing area of India. This will be an enormous advantage to the export trade and at the same time will be of great use from the point of view of the food of the people. For local consump- tion, Pusa 12 is worth at least two annas a maund more than ordinary Indian wheat. Pusa 12, when placed on the Calcutta market for the first time this year, found a ready market at the mills and fetched four annas a maund above Bihar wheats on its 34 REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH appearance alone. This fact is promising from the point of view of the first shipment of this wheat to Great Britain. The distribution of Pusa 12 to cultivators is now bein«; actively taken up by the Agricultural Departments of the United Provinces, the Punjab, Bihar and Central Provinces and all the available seed has been distributed. The supply, however, was far below the demand and, in particular, the indents from the United Provinces could only in part be met. Steps have been taken to remedy this and it is expected that the seed farms in Bihar and some of the indigo estates will be able to provide about 10,000 maunds of Pusa 12 in April 1915 to supplement the general seed supply of the Agricultural Department. On the indigo estates in Bihar, Pusa wheats are now almost exclusively grown and wheats like Muzaffarnagar have been given up. A beginning has been made during the present year in the work of growing sufficient Pusa 12 at a few centres in the Central Circle of the United Provinces so that the sur- plus can be sent as a special shipment to England for the purpose of introducing this wheat on the Home markets. The co-operation of Mr. B. C. Burt, the Deputy Director of Agriculture, has been secured in this matter and the neces- sary financial assistance has been given by His Honour the Lieutenant-Governor of the United Provinces and by the Agricultural Adviser to the Government of India. By taking advantage of the development of the Co-operative movement in this Circle, it is hoped to replace systemati- cally, from certain centres, the country wheats by Pusa 12 over large areas. The experiment is an interesting one, not only from the point of view of the trade in an improved product, but also as a means of discovering how far the Co-operative movement can be used in the distribution of an improved variety in a systematic way. Another aspect of the success of Pusa 12 over so large a portion of the wheat-growing area of India remains to be considered. It is sometimes stated that the agricultural conditions vary so much in India from province to pro- vince and also in different parts of the same province, that INSTITUTE AND COLLEGE, PUSA, EOR 1913-11. 35 the work of improving any widely cultivated crop can only be done locally and at a number of stations. In reality this idea is not supported by the facts. It is true of course that the conditions under which wheat is grown in India vary widely, and that a knowledge of these conditions is essen- tial in the work of improving the crop. It is also true that a single area of fifty acres in the Gangetic alluvium, if skilfully selected, exhibits an exceedingly wide range of soil conditions, which, from the point of view of the require- ments of the wheat crop, vary almost as much as any two of the wheat-growing provinces of India. By taking advantage of this circumstance, it is possible to make a single wheat-breeding station serve for almost the whole of India. Wheat Breeding. The fourth generation of the crosses between Indian and English wheats, referred to in the previous report, have been worked through during the year. A large rauge of indivi- duals has been selected for further growth, all of which are characterised by strong straw, rust resistance and attrac- tive looking' grain. The range in time of ripening of these plants is very great. Some are earlier than Pusa 4 while among those with enormous tillering power are numerous individuals which will probably ripen too late for any of the wheat tracts of India except possibly the Quetta valley. This group of wheats is by far the most promising material obtained at Pusa. Some types will probably be fixed in 1915, after which they will be tried in the various wheat- growing tracts. III. — Other Investigations. Tobacco. — Progress continues to be made in the tobacco investigations at Pusa. Further results have been obtained with the cigarette tobacco known as Type 28. A good many of the indigo estates in Bihar are now growing this tobacco for the Indian Leaf Tobacco Development Companv at Dalsing Serai and. d2 36 EEPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH in April last, an increased quantity of self- fertilized seed was distributed. The yield of this tobacco under estate conditions is very satisfactory and it is also being taken up by the cultivators for the local trade. On a few estates, Type 28 is being cured on racks, the price obtained for the first quality leaf being Rs. 25 per maund. Arrangements have been made to grow at Pusa the seed of this tobacco required by the planters and others so that this variety can be maintained true to type and natural crossing prevented. The importance of improved methods of growing the seedlings of this crop was referred to in the last report. By partially sterilizing the seed beds, the seedlings grow faster and stronger and are ready for transplanting about a week or so earlier than when grown in the ordinary way. It is a great advantage in Bihar to be able to rely on an abundant supply of strong seedlings at the proper time so that even fields can be established on the hathia rains. Work is in progress at Pusa with the object of devising the most econo- mic method of adapting the results obtained to estate conditions. Interesting results were obtained during the year on green manuring for tobacco with sanai (Crotalaria juncea, L.). These results supplement those already pub- lished in the Agricultural Journal of India (Vol. VII, 1912). It was found then that if the interval of time between ploughing in the green crop and transplanting the tobacco exceeded two months, the effect of the green crop diminished and finally disappeared altogether. During the past year, the effect of diminishing the time between ploughing in the sanai and planting the tobacco was tried. It was found that any period less than two months was too short for the decay of the green manure and when the period was less than one month the crop obtained was very poor. Across the plots in which the sanai had less than two months to decay, a broad strip was subsoiled some time after the green crop was put under. The result was a great improvement in the vigour of the tobacco crop and the sub- soiled strip stood out markedly from the rest. It is prob- INSTITUTE AND COLLEGE, PUSA, FOR 1913-14. 37 able that these latter results can be explained by the work of Kidd (Proc. Roy. Soc, B, Vol. 87, 1914) who has shown that the decay of green manure produces so much carbon dioxide in the soil as to inhibit the germination of seeds. Until a certain stage is reached in the decay of a crop like sanai, it is quite possible that want of oxygen and excess of carbon dioxide would be limiting factors to a rapidly grow- ing crop like tobacco. That a poor germination is obtained if seeds are sown soon after a green crop of sanai is ploughed in, wTas observed twice during the past year at Pusa, once in the case of Java indigo and once in the case of tobacco sown in a nursery which had been recently green manured with sanai. The absence of any marked crop increase on the heavy lands in Bihar, following a dressing of seeth, and also the poor crops obtained on such lands after sanai ploughed in (especially in wet years or when the soil is waterlogged by flooding) are probably also connected with oxygen supply. Kidd's researches are likely to prove of considerable interest to India. A paper is in preparation, by the Personal Assistant, on the inheritance of characters in Nicotiana rustica. L., the observations on which were brought to a conclusion during the year. Gram. — The selection work on this crop was continued and three of the most promising types, including the high yielding white gram which was valued so highly at Bombay in 1912, have been distributed for trial on estates in Bihar and also in other tracts of India. A certain amount of natural crossing takes place in this crop, the extent of which under Bihar conditions is now being investigated. Fibres. — The work on the inheritance of characters in Hibiscus Sabdariffa was continued, but it was not found possible to complete this investigation during the year. The work is being continued. The behaviour of some of the cultures of sanai (C rota- toria juncea) at Pusa indicated that extensive natural cross- ing takes place in this crop when two or more varieties are grown next to next. The pollination mechanism in the ;s8 J1EP0KT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH flower has been worked out and the functions of the long and short stamens elucidated. Very little selfing under nets takes place in this crop, the flowers only setting seed nor- mally after being visited by bees. These facts render variety trials in this crop exceedingly difficult. Methods of pollination. — It is hoped during the next few months to bring out a second memoir dealing with natural cross fertilization and to include in it the observa- tions of this subject made at Pusa since the first memoir was published in 1910. Drainage. — The great importance of a system of surface drainage in Bihar, which allows each field to deal with its own rainfall only and also prevents the loss of fine soil by surface wash, has been observed for some years at Pusa. The subject has been brought to the notice of the planting community in Bihar in a paper read at the meeting of the Bihar Planters' Association in January last. The Pusa method has been taken up with success on several estates and a great deal of attention is now being devoted to the subject. On the Dholi Estate, the lands are being divided up into drained areas about five acres in extent so as to admit of the use of reapers and other labour saving devices in the cultivation of wheat for seed purposes. Mr. Danby, in a letter dated January 3rd, 1914, gives his opinion on this system of drainage as follows : — " During the past year I have applied the system of surface drainage to some 40 bighas and I intend to extend it to the whole of my factory zerats here and at the outworks. The lands which I drained in this way this year were formerly, in a wet year, more or less waterlogged the whole of the rains owing to the water from the higher lands draining into them. This year I was able to cultivate and keep them clean all through the rains and even after the late rains which we had this year I was able to sow wheat in them before the end of October." A note on the subject of drainage and soil denudation by rain wash was submitted to the Board of Agriculture at INSTITUTE AND COLLEGE, PUSA, EOIl' 1913-14. 3 > Coimbatore. This has since been published in the Quarterly Journal of the Indian Tea Association. Indigo. — The present position of the indigo investiga- tions has been dealt with, in detail, in a report to the Bihar Planters' Association published in January last. The area under Java indigo in Bihar has fallen since 1909-10 from 70,000 to about 15,000 bighas in 1913. During this period, the area under Sumatrana indigo has remained constant at about 45,000 bighas. The decline in the area under Java indigo has been a serious blow to the planting community in Bihar. As is well known, this species is much richer in indican than Sumatrana which latter was exclusively grown in Bihar till the introduction of Java indigo in 1898. The rapid increase in the area under the Java plant gave rise to the hope that the decline of the natural indigo industry would at least be arrested. Difficulties, however, arose after the cycle of dry seasons came to an end in 1908. The crop showed signs of falling off in vigour, the yield of leaf became less and difficulties in growing the crop for seed were 6f frequent occurrence. The poor seed sown gave rise to still more weakly crops with the result that the area declined eighty per cent, in four years. The cause of the trouble is regarded locally as a disease to which the name of ' wilt ' has been given. The nature of the disease has been investigated both by the Sirsiah Experiment Station and also by the Mycological, Entomological and Bacteriological Sections of the Pusa Research Institute. In all cases the results obtained were negative. The matter was also referred to the Botanical Section at Pusa. It was found that the wilting of Java indigo, which takes place after the first cut in July, was due to the loss of the active root system of the plant, result- ing from a long continued wet condition of the soil. Similar wilting is common in Bihar in crops like patwa (Hibiscus cannabinus) and sanai (Crotalaria juncea) when sown at the beginning of the monsoon for seed purposes. All these deep-rooted crops are sensitive to a constantly wet 40 REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH soil and lose their active root system if this condition per- sists for too long a period. In searching for some practical remedy for this trouble, two lines of attack suggested themselves. In the first place, improvements in surface drainage and aeration of the soil might be expected to prolong the life of the plant. Secondly, sowing the crop specially for seed towards the end of the monsoon, so that the developing root system would follow the fall of the subsoil water, was a second possibility in case improved drainage and cultivation failed to avert the trouble in the case of indigo grown in the ordinary way. Both these methods were tried simultaneously. Among the various methods of surface drainage and interculture, tried during the monsoon on indigo cut for leaf in the ordinary way, no practicable remedy for the trouble was discovered. The waterlogging, which takes place in the fine Bihar alluvium and which leads to the destruction of the young roots of the indigo, cannot be entirely prevented by ordinary surface drainage and cul- tivation. The plants will not tolerate the constantly moist condition of the soil for the whole of the monsoon period. In the case of August sown indigo, very different results were obtained. The plants grew rapidly, escaped wilt altogether and gave rise to a fine crop of healthy seed the following March. After reaping the seed, the plants were cut back and then gave a good crop of leaf in the ordinary way the following rains. Similar results were obtained on a large scale on the Dholi estate. The Pusa results showed that, for seed purposes, Java indigo should be sown thickly, in lines about two feet apart, early in August on high, well drained land in good condition. In this way the plants escape the disease. They grow to a large size by the end of October and so carry a heavy crop of seed the following cold weather. Thus one of the main obstacles to the culti- vation of Java indigo in Bihar has been removed and the planting community are now in a position to grow their own seed without any great outlay. After gathering the INSTITUTE AND COLLEGE, PUSA, FOR 1913-14. 41 seed, the indigo can be cut back and good crops of leaf taken the following monsoon. Attention has also been paid to the method of pollina- tion in Java indigo, from the point of view both of seed growing and of improving the plant in indican produc- tion. Pollination by bees is the rule and very few seeds are produced by covered plants. As would be expected from the method of pollination, the progeny of single plants showed that natural crossing is common. These facts indicate that ordinary single plant selection methods in Java indigo are not likely to yield results at all commen- surate with the work which this method would involve. Some system of mass selection, in which undesirable forms are eliminated prior to flowering, seems much more likely to lead to improvement. Advantage will have to be taken of those individuals in the mixed crop which grow rapidly and strongly and which by their habit of growth and amount of leaf surface are likely to give the highest yields of green leaf. These will have to be grown separately, away from other indigo, and a process of rogueing carried out before flowering time so that all undesirable types are weeded out and not allowed to cross with the rest. The fact that bees are necessary for the pollination of Java indigo indicates that for seed purposes the plants should be properly spaced and not grown too close together. Copious setting is obtained if the crop is grown in lines about two feet apart. Cultivated in this way, Java indigo branches freely from the ground and there is ample room for the bees. During the progress of the indigo investigations it became evident that one important method of improvement had been, to a large extent, neglected. In the past, it has been tacitly assumed that the methods of cultivation in vogue in Bihar are more or less perfect and that any line of advance must necessarily begin in the laboratory. The results obtained at Pusa have shown that a considerable degree of improvement is easily possible in the actual grow- 42 REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH lOto. -. ing of the crop. Further, these improvements are well within the means of an ordinary indigo estate. After the removal of the cover crop, it is the usual prac- tice in Bihar to weed the young indigo crop by hand. This process is tedious and expensive and the work is not always well done. By the use of lever harrows in the early stages, and by the use of spring tine cultivators later on, a great deal of hand weeding can be avoided and at the same time the young crop is greatly improved by the cultivation. These lever harrows have been tried extensively on the Dholi Estate for two seasons and Mr. Danby reports as follows on the trials (Letter, dated January 3rd, 1914) : — " I meant to have written before about the lever har- rows. I had six of these harrows in use last year and 1 have ordered six more from Messrs. Massey Harris. " I harrowed practically the whole of my Java crop in February and March last after cutting the cover crop — wheat and sursoo. The crop was greatly improved by the harrowing, besides which the wheat stubble and weeds were to a large extent removed. I estimate that the amount saved in weeding alone in one year was more than the cost of the harrows." Some consideration has been given at Pusa to the discovery of some practicable method of reducing the amount of wilt among Java indigo when grown for leaf. Very promising results were obtained during 1913. As is well known, the universal method of growing Java indigo in Bihar is to sow it either broadcast or by drills in lines close together. The result, in both cases, is a dense crop of unbranched plants among which leaf- fall rapidly takes place due to the crowding of the plants, thus leading to a great loss of indigo. Further, interculture to keep down weeds is impossible after the first cut. When the crop is reaped, the indigo is cut down completely and the plant has to produce new shoots during the monsoon at a time when its roots are in very moist soil. Few plants will sur- vive uninjured such treatment during a heavy monsoon. When an indigo plant is suddenly cut down, the passage of INSTITUTE AND COLLEGE, PUSA, EOll 1913-14. 43 water and food materials from the roots goes on for a time and the stumps bleed. There are no leaves to carry on the transpiration current and the result is that the normal physiological processes in the plant are greatly upset. It is not surprising therefore that the new growth is formed so slowly and that it is often unhealthy. Many plants, such as peaches and flowering creepers like Ipomcea, usually die outright when cut down to the ground during the rains and hardly ever recover. It was decided in 1913 to try the effect of pruning the crop in July at the time of the first cut and to compare the behaviour of plants treated in this way with those cut down completely. The crop was grown in lines, two feet apart, to allow of branching. One half of the plot was cut down in the ordinary way, the rest primed so that one branch was left at cutting time. The result was that the pruned plants began to shoot earlier than those which had been cut down and moreover escaped wilt to a much greater extent. The total yield from the pruned plot was about thirty per cent, greater than that of the area cut down completely. Work on this subject is being continued with the object of finding the most economic method of growing the crop so that it can be pruned at the first cut instead of being cut down completely. IV. — The Development of the Fruit Industry of Baluchistan. In the previous annual report, a complete account was given of the work at Quetta relating to the development of the fruit industry in Baluchistan. A brief reference to the progress made during the past year will suffice to bring this subject up to date. Fruit and Agricultural Experiment Station. Considerable progress has been made in the preliminary work relating to the laying out and equipment of the new Experiment Station at Quetta. The land has been laid out in large terraces with a suitable slope for irrigation in two directions. Water can now be brought on to about three- 44 REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH quarters of the terraces by means of two bricked channels so that the loss of water during irrigation has been reduced to a minimum. The rest of the area is commanded by earth channels only. A pucca road now runs through the area, the farm buildings, which include quarters for the overseers and workmen, have been erected and the work connected with the artesian bores has been completed. One of these bores has been fitted with an oil engine and a cen- trifugal pump and has been very thoroughly tested by pumping on it for eight hours a day for a month. By this means the flow was increased from one to about three thousand gallons an hour without affecting the normal flow. A certain supply of irrigation water is now assured what- ever may be the future of the large Sirkhi karez of which two shabanas of water belong to the Experiment Station. The method of ring budding seedlings in May and June has proved a great success under Quetta conditions and during the past year about 2,000 budded trees have beeu distributed. All the young trees are pruned in the nursery during the first year's growth and properly trained before issue to the public. In order to check waste of stock, all the trees, except those for Government use, were sold at the rate of two to the rupee. At the end of the present year it is expected that from six to eight thousand trees will be ready for distribution. Experience during the past year has confirmed the opinion given in the last report that by suitable methods of moisture conservation a great saving of irrigation water is possible in Baluchistan. Further saving of water is possi- ble by a proper grading of the surface and by bricking the main distributaries. In the case of wheat, a yield of 18 maunds 30 seers per acre was obtained on an area of about three acres with one irrigation only. This was applied be- fore sowing in October so as to ensure a good germination. Afterwards the soil moisture was conserved by means of a surface mulch produced by lever harrows. The ordinary yield of irrigated wheat near Quetta is not much over twenty maunds per acre and the usual number of waterings INSTITUTE AND COLLEGE, PUSA, FOR 1913-14. 45 is six to eight. The great saving of water possible by tha use of a surface mulch in the case of a wheat crop is there- fore obvious. The growth of Persian clover (shaftful) as a green manure at Quetta continues to give excellent results. When sown in August, this crop gives three cuts of green fodder weighing about 60,000 lbs. per acre before the end of the following May. In addition, the last cut is either ploughed in as green manure or a crop of seed is raised. A marked improvement in the water holding capacity and tilth of the soil follows this treatment. A small amount of seed was distributed during the year and arrangements are being made to raise a large quantity this summer. The investigations, referred to in the previous report, on the yellowing of peach trees have resulted in the discovery of the cause and of an easy method of prevention. In the vegetable gardens in the Civil Station of Quetta the peach trees have, as a rule, very yellow foliage, often accom- panied by excessive gumming. Such trees die very quickly and do not bear a large crop once the unhealthy symptoms are well marked. The early symptoms appear to be iden- tical with the disease in the Eastern United States known as " Peach yellows." The later symptoms of the disease, namely, premature reddening and ripening of the fruit, are however not developed. The yellow condition is not pro- pagated by buds taken from affected trees and thus the disease is not the " Peach yellows " of the United States. Applications of soluble nitrogenous manures, such as nitrate of soda or sulphate of ammonia, gave negative results, so that want of available nitrogen is not connected with the trouble. It was found that if shaftal is grown round the affected trees the disease slowly disappears and the trees produce healthy growth. This result suggested that the yellowing of the foliage is due to want of air in the subsoil which follows the system of surface irrigation without any subsequent cultivation now in use at Quetta. During the present year this opinion has been confirmed. Some of the peach trees at the Fruit Experiment Station were over-irri- 46 REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH gated by surface flooding during March and April last and by the beginning of May the new foliage showed the char- acteristic yellow tinge. Irrigation was stopped and the soil round the trees was well cultivated right down to the roots. In less than a fortnight the yellowness disappeared and the trees now show the characteristic shiny green foliage of vigorous growth. By growing the shafted in beds between the lines of peach trees and by keeping the strip of soil, in which the trees occur, well cultivated the relations between air and moisture in the soil most suitable for the peach can be maintained. After the buds open in March the trees should only occasionally be watered directly as the roots get sufficient water when the beds of shaftal are irrigated. The sale of improved fruit boxes to the public and the trade was continued during the year. These are now in general use at Quetta and during the present summer it is hoped to complete the experimental work on this subject and introduce several more improved packages. During my absence on leave in 1913, Colonel Duke, I.M.S., Residency Surgeon and Chief Administrative Medical Officer in Baluchistan, kindly agreed to inspect the work from time to time and to give any necessary advice to the Assistant in Charge. This arrangement proved most useful. V. — Programme and Publications. Programme of work for 1914-15. Plant breeding and plant improvement. — Work will be continued on the following crops on the lines indicated in the annual reports and in the publications of the section- wheat, tobacco, gram, fibre plants, indigo, oil seeds and fruit. Publications. Very little progress was made during the year in the publication of results. This part of the work is now in arrears, but a special effort is being made this summer to bring the publication of results up to date. INSTITUTE AND COLLEGE, PUSA, FOR 1913-14. 47 The following papers were published during the year :- 1. The Improvement of Indigo in Bihar (with G. L. C. Howard). Published by the Bihar Planters' Association. 2. Soil Denudation by Rainfall and Drainage. The Conser- vation of Soil Moisture. Quarterly Journal, Indian Tea Association, Part I, 1914. 3. The Seed Supply of the New Pusa Wheats (with G. L. C. Howard). Eeprinted in the Agricultural Journal of India, Vol. IX, Part III, 1914. 4. Notes on Drainage and Green Manuring (with G. L. C. Howard). Agricultural Journal of India, Vol. IX, Part II, 1914. 48 REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH REPORT OF THE IMPERIAL MYCOLOGIST. (F. J. F. Shaw, B.Sc, A.R.C.S., F.L.S.) I. — Charge and Establishment. Dr. Butler held charge of the section until 28th March 1914, when he proceeded on privilege leave and furlough; since this date I have been in charge of the section. I was absent on duty in Madras up to 31st October 1913, when Mr. McRae, Government Mycologist, Coimbatore, returned from leave. S. Pasupati Iyer, second clerk, resigned to take up the Sericultural course on 22nd November 1913, and Nripendra Chandra Sen filled the vacancy thus caused until 26th March 1914, when Md. Taslim was appointed. All the staff have worked well. II. — Training. Mr. A. C. Tunstall, Mycologist to the Indian Tea Association, worked in the laboratory as a visitor for about a week in September and Mr. G. H. Alington, I.F.S., Assistant to Forest Botanist, was deputed to study some tree diseases in January. Babu B. L. Gupta, B.Sc, Professor of Biology in the Reid Christian College, Lucknow, attended the laboratory during May and June and received a course of lectures and practical work on the morphology of the fungi. III. — Diseases of Plants. The investigation of the diseases of crops, the collection and identification of Indian fungi, and the giving of advice to cultivators and officers of the Department formed the principal work of the section. (1) Paddy Disease. — The most serious disease of paddy is that which is known in Eastern Bengal as ' ufra." An account of this trouble has been published in INSTITUTE AND COLLEGE, PUSA, FOR 1913-14. 49 Bulletin No. 34 of the Department while popular descrip- tions have appeared in the Agricultural Journal of India and in a Bengali leaflet. It has been established that the organism responsible for the damage is a form of eelworm (T. angustus) belonging to the genus Tylenchus, of which several species are known to cause serious diseases of cereals. Inoculations with material which, so far as could be determined, contained no other constant organism but the worm, have been successful in producing typical " ufra " in localities where the disease was quite unknown. The disease commences its ravages in July and culminates about September-October when large numbers of motile worms are present. After December they remain immotile and dormant in the dry grains and probably recommence activity only with the flooding of the fields after sowing; in this connection experiments have shown that T . angus- tus can withstand desiccation for even 15 months. It is a curious fact that transplanted paddy appears to be com- paratively immune to natural attack. During the present year efforts have been made to map out the extent of the infected area and an experiment is in progress at Comilla to test remedial measures. It is probable that burning the stubble on the soil after winter harvest will be found to be the most efficient means of combating this disease. The infected area in Eastern Bengal appears to stretch from the Madhupur jungle north of Dacca to the river Ma- hari in Chittagong District. Westward the disease is bounded by the Padma but the eastern limit is uncertain, the infected area almost certainly reaches to the Meghna and further search is needed in the direction of Sylhet. In Tippera the northern limit of infection is near Akhaura on the Assam-Bengal Railway and the disease is parti- cularly virulent in this district at Narjanpur, Comilla and Chandpur, at Begumganj and Chaumuhani in Noakhali District, and also at Fenni in Chittagong District. The most important fact in the distribution of this disease is that it has recently been identified with the " sanhra ' condition of paddy in the Khunti Sub-Division near E 50 REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH Ranchi; further investigations will be carried out in this area. The losses caused by " ufra ' are very heavy. In Begumganj thana in 1910 the loss was estimated at 200,000 maunds of grain and in Chaumuhani in 1911 nearly half the winter crop was lost. The supreme importance of paddy as a food crop in Bengal and the virulence of this disease will make it the major work of this section for some time to come. An account of Sclerotiwn Oryzce Catt. was pub- lished as a memoir of the Department. This fungus has been found attacking rice in Burma, in Madras, and also in Bihar and Orissa, in which latter province it has been collected at Cuttack, at Pusa and near Ranchi. Pad- dy infected by this parasite usually shows excessive tiller- ing and lightness in the grain, in fact there is frequently nothing within the glumes. In culture the morpho- logy of the fungus proved more or less dependent upon the nature of the nutrient medium. The observations of Cattaneo, who regarded the sclerotia as spore contain- ing organs, were not confirmed in the present memoir. Brief accounts of Rice Bunt (Tilletia horrida Tak.) and False smut [Ustilaginoidea virens (Cke.) Tak.] were published in Bulletin No. 34. The former has been the cause of complaints from Germany, its spores having been found in rice imported from Burma and Siam. Effective remedies for this type of disease are known, should the trouble become severe. (2) Sugarcane disease. — Complete accounts of the principal diseases of this crop were published during the year as memoirs of the Department. ' Red rot ' has been the subject of previous publica- tions of this section. In the most recent communication the authors have worked out the mode of air-borne infection in the field, a point which had long been obscure. It was found that infection took place chiefly at the adventitious root eyes, although penetration was also easy at the shoot INSTITUTE AND COLLEGE, PUSA, FOR 1913-14. 61 buds. The chief source of infection was the form of Colletotrichum falcatum which occurs on the mid ribs of leaves. The process of sett selection, described in previous publications, offers the best method of combating this disease. In districts where the local cane is badly dis- eased a fresh healthy type of cane should be imported and setts inspected carefully each year before planting. Fortunately in India we have a large range of these canes of hardy habit and great tillering power, which are rela- tively immune to red rot, and it has been found possible by hybridisation to combine the characters of such canes with those of the thicker, heavier yielding varieties of other countries. The introduction of new and immune varie- ties of cane has been very successful in Bombay Presidency. The Imperial Mycologist visited Surat in October last and concluded that while the present state of the cane was good an outbreak of disease must be expected unless there is a marked improvement in local cultivation. At present the canes are grown in low lands and are practically water- logged. The adoption of the Godavari trench system or the nursery system of cultivation common in Ganjam is recommended. The wilt disease of sugarcane was found to be due to the attack of Cephalosporium Sacchari Butl., a hitherto undescribed species. This disease strongly resembles " red rot," but in the case of infection by air-borne spores the plant was found to be far more susceptible to infection at stem wounds than in the previous case. The disease has been found at Surat, Poona, Samalkota and throughout North-eastern India. The control of the trouble should be on the same lines as in true red rot. As, however, wound infection is more common, the importance of remov- ing diseased clumps before they have time to rot and set free spores is much greater. It is probable that this disease is incapable of doing permanent damage so long as the measures advocated against red rot, which are essential to the successful growing of thick cane in Northern India, are carried out. e2 52 REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH ' Collar rot ' of sugarcane is due to the attack of Hendersonina Sacchari Butl., a hitherto undescribed genus. The outward symptoms are a withering of the top and a black rot of the roots; the lower nodes show a red discoloration in the pith. The roots and the base of the stem are full of the hyphge of the fungus from which cul- tures are easily obtained. Both in cultures and on diseased canes a pycnidial stage was observed; the pycnidia are peculiar in containing two types of spores in the same loculus. Inoculations with pure cultures of the fungus were carried out at Samalkota and were successful in pro- ducing the disease. This disease occurs at Samalkota and at Jorhat; the extent of the damage caused by it is unknown. Helminthosporiose of sugarcane is due to the well known genus Helminthosporium, of which H. Sacchari Butl. is a new species. This fungus is common on the leaves of sugarcane in Pusa where it produces small red discolorations. Inoculations with pure cultures were successful. The damage done by this disease is at present neolioible. Smut of sugarcane (Ustilago Sacchari) has been under observation in the Central Provinces and culture work with this fungus is now in progress at Pusa. " Sereh " of sugarcane was reported at Jorhat and Coimbntore during the year. The Imperial Mycologist visited Coimbatore in October last and satisfied himself that " sereh " disease was not present. (3) Palm diseases. — During the year an outbreak of bud rot took place among the coconut palms of Malabar. The disease was investigated by the Supernumerary Mycologist, who was at that time officiating as Govern- ment Mycologist, Madras, and proved to be due to Pythium palmivorum Butl., the cause of the palmyra palm disease in the Godavari district. The fungus was studied in pure culture for the first time and inoculations were successfully carried out. It was found that the fungus was particu- larly active in producing rows of spots on the young leaves INSTITUTE AND COLLEGE, PUSA, EOR 1913-14. 53 of coconut palms. From such infections the fungus reaches the central bud by means of motile zoospores being washed down the leaves. Once the soft white leaf bases are reached a virulent rot takes place leading to the death of the tree. As the result of numerous observations on the discharge of zoospores it was concluded that the fungus probably belongs to the genus Phytophthora and not to Pythium. Active measures, on the lines of those in operation in the Godavari, have been taken against the disease by the Government of Madras. A popular account of this trouble has been published in the Agricultural Journal of India and the more scientific results have appeared in the A nnales Mycologici. A ' collar rot ' ' of areca palms has been identified in Sylhet and Khulna and is probably due to Fomes lucidus (Leys) Fr. This fungus also occurs on Guazoma and pure cultures have been obtained from this source by Mr. Hafiz Khan. Inoculations have shown that the fungus is a true parasite on Guazoma and work is being continued on the areca palm. (4) Rhizoctonia. — In January last there was a bad out- break of disease on Pusa Farm due to this fungus. The crop affected was chiefly mustard, but the parasite was almost omnivorous. The fungus was Rhizoctonia Najji West — a species not previously observed in India. It is under observation in pure culture; it appears to be incap- able of growth at the temperature of the hot weather and rains in Pusa. A rot of stored potatoes at Sabour and Bankipore was also due to Rhizoctonia. The species R. Solani Kiihn was common and in one case a very bad rot was identified as due to R. destruens Tass. The latter fungus was also a virulent parasite on Delphinium at the Alipore Horticul- tural Gardens, Calcutta; in fact it was its occurrence on this plant which enabled it to be identified on the potato. At the beginning of the year numerous specimens of diseased poppy plants were received from the officials of the 54 REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH Opium Department in the United Provinces. The speci- mens were infected sometimes by Rhizoctonia and more rarely by Peronospom arborescens (Berk.) de Bary. I visit- ed Basti in March and concluded that the diseased condition of the poppy crop was due rather to the practice of keeping certain fields under poppy year after year than to any parasitic infection. The fungi found on the plants are a symptom rather than a cause of the condition of the crop. Investigation will be continued next season. (5) Cotton and Sesamum wilts. — An attempt was made to define the southern limits of extension of cotton wilt, which the previous year had bsen traced from the Central Provinces to Belgaum. It was found to be present very sporadically in Bellary District, presumably as an exten- sion from the Dharwar side, but a careful search at Guntakal in Anantapur District and Nandyal in Kurnool District failed to show any trace of the disease. As no reports of its occurrence elsewhere in Madras have been received, it may be assumed that only the extreme north- west of the Presidency has been reached. On the other side typical cases have been received from the Nadiad Farm near Ahmedabad though the disease appears to be little prevalent in Gujarat. Cotton wilt is, therefore, present in the western part of the Central Provinces, practically the whole of Bombay, exclusive of Sind, and the north-west corner of Madras. It is severe in parts of the Berars and threatening in parts of Khandesh, but else- where, at present, does little damage. The cause was definitely established during the year to be a species of Fusarium, successful inoculations with pure cultures of the fungus having been secured. Through the kindness of the United States Department of Agriculture an oppor- tunity was obtained of comparing the Indian cotton wilt fungus with Fusarium vasinfectum Atk., the organism which is the cause of cotton wilt in America. There are considerable differences between the two parasites and it is probable that the Indian fungus is a distinct species. It is also probable, though accurate information on this point is INSTITUTE AND COLLEGE, PUSA, FOR 1913-14. 55 not yet available, that the Indian disease is decidedly less virulent than that in the United States. India is fortun- ate too in possessing a race of cotton, " buri," which is abso- lutely immune to the disease. Arrangements have been made, through Mr. Clouston, Deputy Director of Agricul- ture, Central Provinces (to whom the discovery of this pro- perty of " buri " cotton is due), to supply seed of this var- iety for trial in the United States in wilt infected tracts, and in return we are to receive American wilt-resisting varieties for trial in India. There is no other known method of lighting Fusarium wilts but by the growth of immune or resistant varieties. Sesamum wilt has also been proved to be due to a Fusarium, and cross inoculations have confirmed what was already probable from morphological study, that the cotton and sesamum diseases are distinct and are due to different species of Fusarium. It is, in artificial inoculations, a much more virulent disease than the cotton wilt, proving fatal in every case tried — several hundreds. No resistant variety is known, but the cold weather (rabi) crop is less subject to the disease than the monsoon (kharif) varieties. Further work on these diseases will be resumed when opportunity arises. (6) Phytojj/ithora investigations. — The potato blight due to Ph. infestans (Mont.) de Bary, was investigated by Mr. J. F. Dastur, First Assistant. It was discovered that the fungus does not survive in the heat of the plains of India and is not therefore likely to become a serious pest, except possibly in the hills. A species of Phytophothora has also been discovered attacking Vinca and Petunia; it is a var- iety of the Ph. parasitica on castor which has been the sub- ject of a recent memoir. The slight variation in measure- ments and a few differences in the inoculation experiments may be accounted for by the influence of the host plant. (7) Anthracnose. — This disease has been investigated upon the betel vine, plantain, chilli and papaya. In the case of the betel vine the perfect stage of the species of C olletotrichum has been discovered to be an Ascomycetes 56 REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH and the Colletotrichum and Gloeosporium upon chilli have been proved to be one and the same fungus. The most important feature of the work on this crop is that the disease appears to be transmitted through the seeds. Various methods of seed treatment will be tried during the current year and experiments will also be conducted in the spraying of plantains against anthracnose. (8) Groundnut leaf disease. — The relation between the incidence of the tikka disease of groundnut and the amount of cultivation and export of that crop was the subject of an inquiry during the year under review. Between 1894 and 1902 the export of groundnuts fell from 78,488 tons to 2,890 and the trade became practically extinct. The fall in the exports was due not to any deterioration in the quality of the produce, but to a marked decrease in the yield per acre, which appeared to be the result of a fungal disease, known locally as tikka. Treatment with fungicides had no effect in stopping the disease and, in 1902, the Bombay Department of Agriculture commenced the introduction of exotic varieties. These varieties were also attacked by tikka, but some, which ripened early, did not have their yield appreciably affected. Two varieties from Japan were especially useful in forming their nuts before the disease was sufficiently established on them to damage the produce. As a result of this, the exotic varieties, intro- duced by the Bombay Department of Agriculture, have now replaced the indigenous in all districts except the Poona district. Moreover by 1912 the tikka disease had decreased to such an extent that, in the whole Bombay Presidency, diseased specimens could only be obtained on the Manjri Farm. Coincident with the introduction of exotic varieties and the decrease in the amount of tikka disease the exports began to rise. In 1902 they were 2,890 tons, in 1906 they were 6,527 tons, in 1909, 23,934 tons, and in 1912, 48,801 tons. This is probably one of the most marked cases on record where a crop disease has been checked and a trade rejuvenated by the introduction and acclimatisation of new varieties. INSTITUTE AND COLLEGE, PUSA, FOR 1913-14. 57 (9) Other plant diseases. — A trial was made of the hot water treatment, which is so useful in the case of oat smut, against smut of bajra; the treatment proved useless. The treatment of oat smut by formaline steeping was success- fully demonstrated on several estates in Bihar. Investi- gations into phanerogamic parasites and in particular the influence of chilli saltpetre on tokra of tobacco were resumed. IV. — Systematic Work. There were 505 additions to the herbarium during the year under review. Of these new additions we are in- debted to the Bureau of Science, Manilla, and to mycologists in Berlin for 269 species. Named collections of Indian Fungi were sent in exchange. Collections of fungi for naming were received from, and duplicates were issued, if required, to the Mycological Officers of Provincial De- partments of Agriculture and the Curator, Royal Botanic Gardens, Calcutta. The systematic study of the large collections of Deuteromycetes (fungi imperfecti) in the Herbarium was taken up and material obtained for a fifth part of the Fungi Indies Orientalis ; the series is being published in collabora- tion with H. & P. Sydow, Berlin. * At least one other part will be required to finish this large group. A short paper was published describing the complete stages of the rusts of sugarcane, figs and Oldenandia. V. — Miscellaneous. The Imperial Mycologist attended the Board of Agri- culture in December and the centenary celebrations of the Indian Museum in January. Assistance was given to the Imperial Bacteriologist in the identification of a fungus isolated from bursati tumours and in an inquiry into the relationship of fungi parasitic upon fodder to certain cattle diseases. In collaboration with the Imperial Agricultural Bacteriologist an examination was conducted * This work will perforce stop during the war. — P. J. V. S. 58 REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH on the fungi concerned in the fermentation of rice in the production of indigenous beer. The chief fungi present were Mucor Prainii Nech., Mucor jaoanicus Wehm., Cladosporium Chodati (Nech.) Sacc, Rltizoyous Cambodja (Chrz.) Vuill. VI.— Programme of work for 1914-15. (1) Research and experimental work. — The investiga- tion of some diseases of rice will be continued. The pre- sent stage of the investigations is given in Pusa Bulletin No. 34, 1913 " Diseases of Rice " and Memoir, Botanical Series VI, No. 2, 1913 "A sclerotial disease of Rice/' The work will be continued particularly with a view to fill- ing up gaps in our knowledge of the life-history of the organism which causes " ufra " disease, to the explanation of the apparent immunity of transplanted paddy to this disease, and to testing methods for its control. An obscure diseased condition of rice, known in parts of Bihar as " chatra," will be studied. Both these are major investi- gations. With regard to the other diseases of rice, none appear at present to be of great practical importance, and the investigations will be confined chiefly to the life history of the parasites concerned. The investigation of the fungus diseases of sugarcane will be continued. Two Memoirs (Botanical Series VI, Nos. 5 and 6) containing the results of the work up to date, were published in 1913, and deal with the methods of infec- tion and control in reel rot of sugarcane, and with the symptoms and cause of three undescribed cane diseases, two of which have been sometimes confused with red rot. Future work will, for the present, be considered as of minor importance and will include a more detailed study of one of these diseases, " collar rot," and its connection, if any, with the sereh-like degeneration of cane known in several parts of India, and also the extent to which soil infection occurs in red rot. The study of the wilt disease of cotton and sesamum will be continued on the lines described in Memoir, INSTITUTE AND COLLEGE, PUSA, FOR 1913-14. 69 Botanical Series II, No. 9 " Wilt disease of Pigeon pea." No results of sufficient interest to justify publication have yet been gained in connection with these diseases, which are of sufficient importance to be considered as amongst the major diseases of crops in India. The work on potato blight recently commenced may also require to be treated as a major investigation if the disease recurs in the Gangetic Plain, where there was a severe outbreak last year. It is hoped to study the growth of the parasite in artificial culture and in particular to investigate its temperature relations as it is in this direc- tion that its control appears to be most hopeful. As minor investigations the study of some allied parasites will be undertaken. Two of these have been studied in detail and the results published as Memoirs, Botanical Series V, Nos. 4 and 5, 3 913, since the submission of the last programme to the Board. The opium poppy blight has usually been believed to be caused by an allied fungus to the last mentioned group, but evidence was obtained last year, when the disease was severe, which suggests that this is not the case, but that the cause is a species of Rhizoctonia. The investigation of this disease will be directed to ascertain the true cause and to test methods of control. The study of other diseases caused by Rhizoctonia will be continued as occasion arises, and as sufficient material has been accumulated to undertake a more detailed study of this genus, it will be considered a major investigation. The study of certain green parasites of crops will be continued. Little is known of these parasites in India and it is of importance to investigate their biology, particularly with reference to possibilities of checking the damage caused by them. The investigation has only recently been commenced and has not yet given any definite results. Some preliminary work on soil fungi has been com- menced and it is hoped to develop this as time permits, particularly with a view to elucidate the action of 60 REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH fungi in assisting in the decomposition of organic matter. The subject may prove of interest in connection with green manuring, but it is not possible, as yet, to indicate on what lines it will develop. A number of minor investigations of diseases of crops and fruit trees are in progress or projected. New work of this nature continually arises and it depends on the time available for their study and the relative importance of the disease as to whether they become major or minor items of the work of the section. (2) Training. — This will be continued on the lines indicated in the Prospectus. Short courses will also be given if any students of the Institute wish to attend. (3) The routine work of advising on plant diseases will be continued and assistance will be given as usual to Pro- vincial Departments of Agriculture, the Forest Depart- ment, Planters' Associations and the general public. (4) It is hoped to make further progress with the pub- lication of descriptive lists of Indian fungi in the series " Fungi Indias Orientalis," of which four parts have already been published in collaboration with Messrs. H. & P. Sydow of Berlin, and a fifth is in preparation. The extension of this series to include the groups not yet dealt with is the most important part of the systematic work of the section and is very necessary. Minor papers on syste- matic mycology will also, probably, be published. VII. — Publications. Butler, E. J. . . . TTfra disease of Rice. Agri. Journ., India, VIII, July, 1913 (also Bengali translation). Butler, E. J. . . . Diseases of Rice. Bull. Agri., Res. Inst., Pusa, No. 34, 1913. Butler, E. J. . . . Tikka disease and the introduction of exotic groundnuts in Bombay Presi- dency. Agri. Journ., India, IX, Janu- ary, 1914. Butler, E. J. . . . Notes on some rusts in India. Annales Mycologici, XII, 1914. INSTITUTE AND COLLEGE, PUSA, FOR 1913-14. fil Butler, E. J. . . . Report on Mycology for 1912-13 for Board of Scientific Advice. Butler, E. J., & A. Hafiz Red Rot of Sugarcane. Mem. Deft, of Khan. Agri., India, Bot. Ser. VI, No. 5, Octo- ber, 1913. Butler, E. J., & A. Hafiz Some new Sugarcane diseases. Mem. Khan. Dept. of Agri., India, Bot. Ser. VI, No. 6, December, 1913. Butler, E J., & Fungi Indici. Annates Mycologici, XII, Saccardo, P. A. No. 3, 1914. Shaw, F. J. F. . . Sclerotial disease of Rice. Mem. Dept. of Agri., India, Bot. Ser. VI, No. 2, July, 1913. Shaw, F. -T. F. . . The Mahali disease of Areca-nuts. Deaf- let No. 7 of 191:] of the Dept. of Agri., Madras. Shaw, F. J. F., & The Bud Rot of Coconuts in the Malabar McRae, W. District. Leaflet No. 10 of 1914 of the Dept. of Agri., Madras. Shaw, F. J. F., & S. Bud Rot of Coconuts in Malabar. Agri. Sundararaman. Journ., India, April, 1914. Shaw, F. J. F., & S. Bud Rot of Coconuts in Malabar. Sundararaman. Annates Mycologici, XTT, No. 3, 1914. 62 REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH REPORT OF THE IMPERIAL ENTOMOLOGIST. (T. Bainbrigge Fletcher, R.N., F.L.S., F.E.S., F.Z.S.) i I. — Charge and Establishment. Mr. H. Maxwell-Lefroy resigned his appointment as Imperial Entomologist from 1st December 1912 and I was nominated to succeed him and my services were transferred to the Government of India from that date but I was retained temporarily in Madras until relieved there, so that it was not until 1st. December 1913 that I actually took over charge as Imperial Entomologist. Mr. A. J. Grove, Super- numerary Entomologist, who was in temporary charge of the section pending my return from Madras, was lent to the Punjab from 27th January 1914 to carry out work on grain pests and cotton bollworm, and remained in the Punjab until the close of the year under report. Mr. C. S. Misra, First Assistant, was on duty throughout the year and has carried out his work in a uniformly satisfactory manner; he has given his attention especially to the examin- ation and record of the crop-pests of the cultivated areas of the Pusa Estate, to the collection of information regarding fruit-pests, and to the study of cotton boll worms and their parasites, of Pyrilla and of Aleurodidce. Mr. C. C. Ghosh has been employed in the usual routine work of the rearing of insects in the Insectary. Mr. G. R. Dntt, as in previous years, has looked after the economic records and the Hymenoftera Collection. Mr. D. Nowroji has looked after the General Collection of Insects, especially the Coleoptera. The duties of these two assistants must naturally tend to increase considerably every year as the collections arid records are augmented. Mr. M. N. De is borne especially for Sericultural duties and has been in charge of the silk work during the year and has carried out his duties with zeal and intelligence. INSTITUTE AND COLLEGE, PUSA, FOR 1913-14. 63 II. — Training. Two students were under training in General Entomo- logy during the year ; one came from Travancore and com- pleted his course on 30th September 1913, the other from Assam finished his training on 31st October 1913. No students are now under training ; one man was to have been sent by the Punjab in June 1914, but it is understood that his course has now been postponed for a year. As all the provinces have now got a staff of trained assistants it is obvious that only occasional students are likely to be received at Pusa for training in Entomology, as there is no sign of any demand for a knowledge of this subject for its own sake and except as a means for Government employ- ment, The lack of demand for training has, however, this advantage, that the Pusa staff is able to devote more time to research work. III.— Tours. I was away from headquarters in Madras from 1st December 1913 to 8th January 1914, attending the meeting of the Board of Agriculture and going over collections and records at Coimbatore. On 6th March I went to Nagpur to examine the Agricultural students in Entomology and returned on 15th March. On 22nd March I left Pusa again for Madras to examine the students there and to get in touch with the new Government Entomologist. I also visited Ceylon to see the local arrangements regarding plant imports and Coorg to see the extent of spread and control of the green scale on coffee, and returned through Bombay to see the entomological work there, arriving back at Pusa on 8th June. During this tour I also saw the Customs Officials at various ports which have been proposed as entry ports under the new Pest Act, and collected con- siderable information regarding plant imports into India. Mr. Grove toured in the Punjab from 8th August to 13th September, and visited Sabour in October and Siripur in November. Mr. Misra was sent on special duty to Karauli State from 2nd November to 6th December to establish the Lac Industry there ; he also toured in Madras, Bombay and 64 REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH the Central Provinces from 25th January to 12th March with the especial object of obtaining information on pests of fruit-trees. Mr. Ghosh visited Darjiling and Naini la] in September to see the methods of bee-keeping prac- tised there. Mr. De visited Assam in February to obtain information regarding Eri and Muga silkworms. IV. — Provincial Work. The entomological work of the Provincial Departments of Agriculture is to a large extent supplementary of and interdependent on that done at Pusa. Except in Madras, none of the Provincial Entomological Assistants are placed under the control of a qualified expert able to check their work locally and under such circumstances a Central Institute can fulfil a very useful function in checking and correlating their work besides acting as a centre for inform- ation regarding life-histories, records of occurrence and means of control of insect pests. Some provinces have taken full advantage of this fact in the past and have worked in close touch with Pusa; others have not done so hitherto, but it is hoped that, as a result of efforts now being made, they may do so in future. In Madras the Deccan Grasshopper work was continued in the Bellary District but the failure of the rains at the commencement of the monsoon caused the destruction by drought of the early-sown crops in the area attacked so that the control-operations proved abortive on this account. The Entomological Laboratory: fittings and the Insectary at Coimbatore were completed during the year and the collec- tion rearranged in the new boxes. A large amount of information on insect pests was amassed and much of this was utilised for a book on South Indian insects which was written and completed by myself before leaving Madias. My successor, Mr. E. Ballard, who had been Government Entomologist in Nyasaland for the preceding two years, joined his new appointment at Coimbatore in January 1914 and has since been engaged in familiarizing himself with the insects of the Madras Presidency. INSTITUTE AND COLLEGE, PUSA, FOR 1913-14. 65 In Bombay there are now only two Entomological Assist- ants employed, one as Lecturer in the Agricultural College at Poona, the other in the Northern Division of the Presi- dency. The Third Assistant, who was stationed at Dhar- war in the Southern Division, has been transferred to the Agricultural Section and his post has not been filled. Special attention has been paid to the occurrence and con- trol of Schcenobius bvpunctifer, which is a serious pest of rice. In the Central Provinces two Entomological Assist- ants are employed, one for teaching at the Agricultural College at Nagpur, the other for fieldwork and demon- stration. The latter made numerous notes on insect pests and exhibited show-cases and lectured and demonstrated control-methods at numerous Agricultural shows to audi- ences aggregating about nine thousand cultivators. Large numbers of Canthecona furcellata, a Pentatomid Bug predaceous on caterpillars, were bred and liberated in cotton and gram fields to check attacks on these crops by caterpillars. In the United Provinces, demonstration was made in the Farrukhabad District of methods of storing seed potatoes to avoid attack of the Potato Moth (Phthorimcea oper- culella) which is now widely distributed in these provinces, though as yet it has apparently not reached the Hill Districts. In the Punjab the work done has mainly been on pests of cotton and stored grain. Living specimens of Rhogas, a Braconid parasite of the cotton bollworm (Earias), have been supplied from time to time from Pusa. In the North- West Frontier Province one Entomological Assistant works under the Agricultural Officer. The sugarcane crop is reported as badly infested with borers this year, over 50,000 egg-clusters having been picked from one experimental plot of six acres. Gelechia gossypiella is stated to have done considerable damage to last year's 66 REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH cotton crop, but it is observable that late-ripening varieties were attacked most severely, local cotton (Gossypium neglec- tum), which ripens and is picked before the middle of October, practically escaping attack. Living specimens of Rhogas were supplied from Pusa and set free in the cotton- fields of the Agricultural Station at Tarnab, but it is doubt- ful whether they have established themselves. A Jassid bug, attacking grape-vines in the vineyards situated in the lower parts of the Peshawar Valley, has also been under investigation. In Bihar the entomological work has always been done in close touch with Pusa and this has been the result of policy rather than of the contiguity of the two localities. An account of the more important pests was prepared some three years ago and was issued at the close of the year under review as a Crop-pest Handbook. The most important work undertaken has been the control of A grotis ypsilon on the Mokameh Tal and the storage of potatoes. At Mokameh a regular campaign was undertaken and during the season 39.000 caterpillars were picked and destroyed on the high lands, whilst 34 traps destroyed 893,320 moths of which about 41 per cent, were females. On account of abnormal flood conditions and other factors, the attack was unusually serious, some 5,000 bighas of rabi pulse crops being des- troyed. A similar campaign was undertaken against the same insect for the first time at Colgong and Ghogha, where 21 traps destroyed 43,874 moths whilst 337,600 caterpillars were handpicked from the high lands which were first attacked; the attack, which normally extends over an area of 8.000 bighas, was reduced to a nominal damage over about 20 bighas as a result of the above-mentioned efforts. The storage of seed potatoes has of late years presented great difficulties in Bihar, as in other provinces, as a result of the introduction into India of the Potato Moth (Phthorimcea operculella). Storage under dry sand has proved fairly effective in the districts South of the Ganges and Govern- ment godowns were started at Bihar, Bhagalpur, Colgong and Sabour in order to demonstrate the practicability and INSTITUTE AND COLLEGE, PUSA, FOR 1913-14. 67 advantages of this method. Storage was done satisfactorily in all these places and the method of storage is becoming popular amongst the cultivators and others interested. That this method is actually being adopted is shown by the fact that at Patna and Bihar in 1913 no less than 1,520 persons stored 122,285 maunds of potatoes under sand, as compared with 16,613 maunds stored by 399 persons in 1912, and 8,000 maunds by 200 men in 1911. Another pest of stored potatoes in Tirhut is a Tingidid bug (Recaredus sp.) and experiments are being made to find a successful method of control, as sand-storage is found to induce rotting of the potatoes in the damp climate of Tirhut. In Bengal the Entomological staff only includes one Collector who is employed under the Government Botanist. He was chiefly occupied in dealing with pests of rice and also attended the Agricultural shows at Barasat, Khulna, Suri, Brahmanburia and Kamarchar where he explained insect pests and their life-histories and demonstrated the use of control methods. The Entomological Assistant in Assam only went to his province in November 1913 after completion of his training at Pusa. In Burma there is one Entomological Assistant, who was chiefly employed on the collection of information regarding insect pests of rice. V. — Work at Pusa. Investigation into the life-histories of injurious and other insects was continued, the following insects being those of which at least complete life-cycles were obtained : — Pyrilla aberrans. Aleurodes bergi and A. citri. A tractomorpha crenulata. Eublemma olivacea. Odoiporus longicollis. Virachola isocrates. v2 68 REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH An unidentified Dermestid beetle on Stored Wheat. Harf actor costalis. Canthecona furcellata. Syntomis cyssea. Taragama siva. Polyocha saccharella. Dolycoris indicus. A Psocid on Loranthus. Figures of the various stages of most of these insects have been drawn and will be utilized for Memoirs on the insects concerned. The subject of natural enemies (parasites and predators) of crop-pests is of great importance in India and a start is being made to collect information on the subject. Special attention has been paid to the parasites and hyperparasites of cotton bollworms (Earias spp.), of Achcea melicerta and of Pieris brassicce. Parcels of Earias larvae parasitized by Rhogas lefroyi were sent to the North- West Frontier Province and the Punjab to endeavour to assist control of this pest. There is no doubt that in the near future such control-methods will be found to be applicable in many cases, especially in the case of introduced pests, and we are already receiving numerous inquiries from abroad (notably America and Italy) regarding parasites of destructive crop- pests, and an attempt is being made to procure a parasitized colony of Aleurodes citri for export to Florida where this insect has done vast damage to the orange industry. In this connection it is of interest to note that an apparently identical parasite has also been reared from Aleurodes ricini, which occurs commonly on Castor in India, and specimens of the two parasites have been sent to Washing- ton for exact determination, as their identity, if established, will be of practical importance. Attempts have been made to trace Agrotis ypsilon through the hot weather and rains, as it is not known in what stage the insect passes this period on the Mokameh Tal, if it is actually present then at all. Incidentally, in INSTITUTE AND COLLEGE, PUSA, FOR 1913-14. 69 collecting the larvse, it was found that they are preyed upon extensively by a Carabid beetle (Broscus punctatus). The study of insects affecting stored grain was con- tinued by the Supernumerary Entomologist, and the life- histories of Mthriostoma undulala, Tribolium castaneum (ferrugineum), and Rhizopertha dominica have also been worked out by Mr. Nowroji. Special attention has also been paid to the insect pests of paddy and sugarcane, and large numbers of insects have been bred out and their study will be taken up when suffi- ciently long series are secured both from Pusa and the pro- vinces. It may be noted here that paddy stubble, collected in the fields at Pusa in February, showed that about forty per cent, of the stalks contained borers. Work on Termites has been continued and determin- ations of upwards of four hundred lots of these insects were received from Professor Nils Holmgren, of Stockholm; the identification of this material not only increases by some twenty species the list of known Indian forms, but will prove of great assistance in the discrimination of the various kinds found to do damage and in the writing up of a large accumulation of notes on their bionomies and occur- rence. Wood treated by various processes was examined in February 1914 and some of the pieces of Powellized wood were found to be attacked by Microtermes obesi (anandi). This process is therefore not so infallible as has been claimed. Examination of some of the other series indicated that exemption from attack depends on the variety of the wood itself as well as on the method of treat- ment and in addition to the preferential tastes shown by the various species of termites locally prevalent ; this point scarcely seems to have received proper consideration hitherto and it is proposed to initiate further series of experiments. The green scale, Coccus viridis (Lecanium viride), which has proved such a serious pest of coffee in Ceylon and Southern India, first invaded Coorg in 1913 and bids fair 70 REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH to become a serious pest there also. In May 1914 I visited Goorg, saw the affected areas and advised the planters on the subject. The scale was found to be parasitized to a very slight extent by a minute Chalcidid, apparently a species of Coccophagus, which has been sent to Washington for exact determination. A consignment of Microsporidium polyhedricum in dead silkworms was received from the Government Entomo- logist, Egypt. This organism is said to be effective in the control of Prodenia litura in Egypt, but experiments at Pusa, conducted with the help of the Imperial Agricultural Bacteriologist, gave negative results with silkworms and larvae of Prodenia litura. An event of the year which deserves mention in this report is the passing of the Insect Pests Bill (Act II of 1914) for controlling the importation into British India of living plants which might otherwise bring in noxious insects in the future as they have done in the past. A Notification has been issued regarding certain specified crops, but this is aimed rather at the importation of fungal diseases, and a second Notification will doubtless be issued regarding all plants which are likely to bring in insect pests. Under the Wild Birds and Animals' Protection Act, 1912 (Act VIII of 1912), a Notification regarding the pro- tection of certain useful species of Wild Birds has been issued by the Governments of Bihar and Orissa and Madras, but I am not aware that any other Local Govern- ment has as yet issued a Notification under the Act. Silk. — Six students completed a short course in Eri and Mulberry silkworm rearing. Besides these, Mr. Ayoob Ahmad of Mirpur, Azamgarh, Babu Shashi Bhusan of Shahabad and the Superintendent of Industries in Banganapalle State were given practical instruction in Sericulture and Silk-dyeing. Amongst the visitors were also the Consul for Italy and Rai Bahadur B. C. Basu, who had been deputed specially to inquire into Sericulture in INSTITUTE AND COLLEGE, PUSA, FOR 1913-14. 71 Assam, both of whom wished to acquire special information regarding silk-work. A multivoltine mongrel race of mulberry silkworms was established after many trials, and this at first yielded silk superior in quality and quantity to those of the Bengal multivoltine races, but this strain unfortunately began to deteriorate after the fourteenth generation and in the six- teenth generation there was practically no difference between the mongrel race and the ordinary Bengal multi- voltine races. Experiments are being continued to try and obtain a stable race. The univoltine mulberry silkworm eggs which were sent for cold storage to Ramgarh (Nainital) Muktesar and Calcutta, gave satisfactory results. Mul- berry silkworm eggs were supplied to 157 rearers and eri eggs to 145 rearers, and mulberry seeds and cuttings to 14 applicants. Forty pounds-weight of eri cocoons were supplied to Messrs. Killick, Nixon & Co., of Bombay, for testing in the spinning mills in England. There is still difficulty in disposing of the small lots of eri cocoons which are offered for sale by small rearers. Silk exhibits were sent to Exhibitions held at Muzaffarpur and Monghyr, materials for exhibits were supplied to Mr. Audinarain- swami, of Madras, who was awarded a gold medal for his exhibit, and materials for ten sets of silk exhibits were supplied to the Deputy Director of Agriculture, Bengal. Instruction was also given by correspondence in silk-dyeing, bleaching, silkworm rearing, spinning, reeling, and weav- ing. A Bulletin on Mulberry Silkworms and Silk was published during the year and a Bengali translation of this is now in the press, whilst another Bulletin on ' How to improve Silk-reeling in Bengal " has been written and submitted for publication. A paper on Eri Silk was read at the All-India Industrial Conference held at Karachi in December 1913 and articles on Tasar and Mulberry Silk- worm rearing were contributed to the vernacular maga- zines " Grihastha ' (Calcutta) and " Krishi Sampada ' (Dacca). Approximately Rs. 400 were credited to the 72 REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH Treasury during the year, being sale proceeds of silk made at Pusa. In Madras a fieldman has been employed on special duty on Sericulture in the Kollegal District ; he has given prac- tical instruction to the mulberry-silkworm rearers and a short vernacular leaflet with practical instructions for rearing has been prepared. In Bihar, the rearing of eri silkworms at Sabour was more successful during the year under report than in the previous season ; eggs were distri- buted to a large number of zamindars and cultivators in the Bhagalpur District, but the usual difficulty was found regarding the disposal of cocoons by the rearers on a small scale. In the Central Provinces some univoltine seed, received from Italy in October 1913, began to hatch in December and the worms, which were reared from January to April, throve well and the resultant eggs have been kept in cold storage for the next season. In the United Pro- vinces Mr. Akhtar Mohammad Khan has been on special duty at Shahjehanpur in connection with the eri silk work and in Assam Rai Bahadur B. C. Basu has been placed on Special Sericultural duty. Lac. — During the two Lac seasons (October and June) at Pusa, upwards of 200 Ber trees were inoculated and the crop scraped, washed and sold. There were no students for either course and this is doubtless due to the fact that practical instructions have been given in the Bulletin on " The Cultivation of Lac in the Plains of India," of which the first edition of 1,500 copies was soon exhausted and a second revised edition was prepared and issued during the year; a Hindi edition is now in the press and an Urdu edition is in preparation. Brood-lac was supplied to twelve applicants and answers were sent by correspondence to numerous inquirers in various parts of India. The Super- intendent of Industries in Banganapalle State spent a week at Pusa picking up details of the Lac work and was subse- quently supplied with seed to commence work on an experi- mental scale. The services of Mr. C. S. Misra were also requisitioned by the Karauli State to start and supervise INSTITUTE AND COLLEGE, PUSA, FOR 1913-14. 73 Lac-culture in that State; he obtained Kusumb brood-lac from Rewah, selected the localities in Karauli where work was to be commenced and started inoculation of the trees selected. After doing this Mr. Misra visited Sind to obtain Babul brood-lac and to study the methods of pro- pagation practised in that district. Collection of Lac specimens by the Forest Officers continued throughout the year, the series being, however, now completed for some districts; 42 parcels were sent out and 29 parcels were received. In the provinces little lac-work seems to be done. In the Central Provinces the inoculation done in June 1912 proved unsuccessful and this was therefore repeated in October 1913, but the insects did not thrive well. Bees. — At Pusa the last of the imported Italian queens died in July 1913. At that time there were two colonies headed by queens reared at Pusa and in August a third queen was reared and fertilized, but in the course of the year all the three queens failed and the bees died out. The proper fertilization of the queens seems to be at present the main difficulty in establishing these bees in the Plains; the workers seem to do well and it is comparatively easy to rear new queens as required, but these are usually snapped up by insectivorous birds during their marriage-flight or, if they survive this, fertilization does not seem to have been sufficiently thorough, as after a few months they commence to produce drone-brood only. Experiments have been con- tinued with the Indian Bee (Apis indica) and a mill for preparing foundation-wax for this bee has been procured, as have also queen-excluders of special size, so that these bees can now be kept in bar- frame hives under modern conditions. A Bulletin on Bee-keeping has been prepared and submitted for publication. As Apiculture in the Plains is still in an experimental stage no regular course of instruction in Bee-keeping can be given, but Entomological Students and interested Visitors have been given such information as they required. 74 REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH VI. — Miscellaneous. The correspondence work of the Entomological Section continues to be very heavy and the numerous inquiries regarding insect pests, received from all over India, are dealt with as fully as possible. During the year 1,690 letters were issued and 1,385 received, but these numbers do not include a large mass of correspondence and papers dealt with demi-officially. VII. — Insect Survey. The collections continue in good order and numerous additions have been made by specimens collected during tours and those sent in by correspondents. Neuroptera were received back named from Mr. N. Banks, Ichneu- monidse from Mr. Morley, and Orthoptera named by the late W. F. Kirby. The Chalcididae have been sent to Dr. L. O. Howard, of Washington, who has kindly consented to have them determined, and the Rutelidse to Mr. G. Arrow for his ll Fauna " volume on this group. The whole of the collections will be placed in one series, in order that the whole of the information available concerning any one species may be available in one place, and this work has been commenced. VIII. — Programme of work for 1914-15. This will follow generally in the lines of work of the current year as outlined in the present report, and will include general investigations of crop-pests, and especially of the pests of rice, sugarcane and cotton, of fruit-trees and of stored grain. A commencement has been made of collection of information for a general book on the crop- pests of India and progress in this will be continued, as also in the publication of information regarding life- histories of pests and coloured plates, of which a large number are now ready for printing. Work and experi- ments in silk, lac and bee-keeping will be continued, and INSTITUTE AND COLLEGE, PUSA, FOR 1913-14. 76 new insecticides and insecticidal methods tested as occa- sion arises. Advice and assistance will be given as far as possible to Provincial Departments and to all inquirers on entomological subjects. IX. — Publications. The following publications have been actually published during the year under review : — Entomological Memoirs. Yol. V, No. 1. Life-histories of Butterflies, by C. C. Ghosh. Bulletins. No. 28. The Cultivation of Lac (Second, revised edition), by C. S. Misra. No. 29. Eri Silk (Second edition). No. 39. Instructions for rearing Mulberry Silkworms, bv M. N. De. Agricultural Journal of l7idia. October 1913. Red spider on Jute, by C. S. Misra. January 1914. Some Experiments with Maize stored in Bins. by A. J. Grove. 76 REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH REPORT OF THE IMPERIAL PATHOLOGICAL ENTOMOLOGIST. (F. M. Howlett, B.A., F.E.S.) I . — Administration. I was in charge of the section for the whole of the period dealt with in this report. Mr. P. G. Patel was absent on privilege leave for one month and six days from April 14th, Mr. H. N. Sharma for two months and eight days from October 16th, and Mr. J. L. Mitter for two months from October 16th. II. — Educational. Messrs. C. S. Swaminath and J. L. Mitter appointed to Pusa by the Medical Research Association, finished their period of training here and have been taken over by the Medical Research authorities. Mr. Mitter has joined Major Mackie in Assam to assist in the Kala-azar investiga- tion now in progress, while Mr. Swaminath is working with Colonel Adie in Kasauli at the transmission of Halteridium by flies of the genus Lynchia. III. — Research. My personal attention has been largely devoted to an attempt to work out methods of insect-control by examining and taking advantage of the reactions of insects to parti- cular stimuli which seem to influence to a very large extent their more important activities. The lines on which one branch of this work is proceeding are indicated in an article on " The effect of oil of Citronella on two species of Dacus " [Trans. Ent. Soc, London, 1912, p. 417), and the results so far obtained encourage the hope that considerable improve- ments in our present methods may result from enquiry on these and similar lines, though these possibilities have hitherto been very largely neglected by entomologists. INSTITUTE AND COLLEGE, PUSA, FOR 1913-14. 77 Mr. S. K. Sen has been assisting me in the above enquiry and has also worked at the bionomics of mosquitos and particularly of mosquito-larvae. The calomel method (see Annual Report, 1912-13) has given good results when used on a small scale in the field, and merits attention. Mr. Sen made a very careful investigation of the respiration of mos- quitos in all stages, and has contributed an article on the subject to the Indian Journal of Medical Research. Publication of various articles by Mr. Patel and myself in the same journal has been suspended until a definite settle- ment of the question of " medical ' work at Pusa. Mr. H. N. Sharma has also worked largely at mosquitos, and has attempted to get at the connexion between the existence of small wounds and abnormal feeding reactions. Mosquitos have been got to feed on red ink, salt solution, and other beverages, but no satisfactory explanation has been arrived at of a very curious fact. In connexion with Major Holmes' Surra investigation, Mr. Grove, and subsequently Mr. Mitter, visited Kath- godam with the object of assisting the entomological side of the enquiry. This appears to be more complex than was originally supposed, and may necessitate the services of Mr. Patel or myself. IV. — Veterinary. In addition to the Surra investigation at Kathgodam and Muktesar, work on the bionomics of flies likely to be Surra carriers has continued. Mr. P. G. Patel made an extended tour in the Punjab with Colonel Newsom, and was able to give valuable assistance in the work on insect para- sites. Mr. Patel has been also working with me on the habits and life-history of lice. In the course of a tour in Madras I was able to dispel a long-standing supposition that Indian hides are seriously damaged by Warble-flies. These flies seem to be in fact rare in the plains, and an examination of damaged skins, chiefly sheep and goats, showed that the damage known in the trade as " warbles " is really due to the punctures conse- 78 REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH quent on tick-bites. The rather similar damage called ' pori-pori " may be due to the same cause, or possibly to lice, but it was not possible to settle this point definitely. As Miss Ormerod states that over 40 per cent, of Indian hides are damaged by " warbles," it is as well to know that the injury is due to another cause. Work is in progress on the egg-laying reactions of blood- sucking Muscidce. V. — Fruit-flies. Mr. A. Mujtaba has visited Peshawar, the Central Pro- vinces, and Bombay in the course of his work on this group, while Mr. Sen also visited Madras. The life-histories of two new species have been worked out, and a series of life- history memoirs of all the common species is now in course of preparation. The relations between the species and varieties, or local races, are evidently complex, and a com- plete knowledge and understanding of their bionomics can only come after a great deal of careful study. The spray method of control has proved successful and can be confi- dently recommended. VI. — Miscellaneous. In Mr. Grove's term of office as officiating Imperial Entomologist, I gave some assistance with the work on silk and silk weaving with which I was familiar, and in accord- ance with the recommendations and enquiries of silk mer- chants in Bombay and elsewhere made some modifications in our weaving practice in the direction of obtaining a more porous and absorbent cloth of a kind suitable for shirtings and the like. In this Mr. De has been successful. I corresponded with the Chief of the Board of Health, Isthmian Canal Commission, with reference to Yellow Fever and Stegomyia. I forwarded to him two consign- ments of eggs of our common Indian Stegomyia scutellaris to be hatched out on arrival, in order to ascertain whether or not this species can convey Yellow Fever, a point possibly INSTITUTE AND COLLEGE, PUSA, FOR 1913-14. 79 of considerable importance to India. I have not yet heard the results of the trial. Identifications of insects tor medical officers and others has continued as usual, but presumably this work will be transferred at an early date to the official entomologist of the Medical Research Association. VII. — Programme of work for 1914-15. Research as indicated in para. 1, section III, above. It is hoped to complete a work on Indian Flies and blood- suckers based upon the sections written in " Indian Insect Life " on Diptera and other parasites of man and animals, but of a more detailed and somewhat less popular nature. 80 REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH REPORT OF THE IMPERIAL AGRICULTURAL BACTERIOLOGIST. (C. M. Hutchinson, B.A.) I. — Administration and Tours. I held charge of the section throughout the year except- ing 14 days' privilege leave in February, when Mr. Walton was in charge. Mr. Walton, Supernumerary Bacteriologist, has passed the vernacular examination prescribed for the Agricultural Department. Assistants. — Mr. A. N. Bose was appointed to the vacant post of Assistant on Rs. 50 — 5 — 75 and Mr. N. P. Nandi to the fieldman's post in November 1913. On the transfer of Mr. N. C. Bose as a Bacteriological Assistant to the Sani- tary Commissioner of Bengal, Mr. A. N. Bose was promoted to the post of Rs. 75—10—125 and Mr. H. D. Singh of the Chemical Section to the latter's post on 25th May 1914. Mr. Vishwanadham, Second Assistant, was on privilege leave from 26th March 1914 to 25th April 1914. Mr. Rama Iyer, Third Assistant, was on privilege leave of one month and 29 days from 28th April 1914. Tours. — To Dooriah to inspect manurial experiments. To Poona, Bombay, Ahm,edabad, Delhi, Calcutta and Shillong to visit various dairies in India. To Dalsing Serai to see manurial experiments. To Muzufferpore to see manurial experiments and to attend the meeting of the Bihar Planters' Association and to consult on use of seet. To Sirseah to take over certain laboratory apparatus from there. To Calcutta to consult Assistant Excise Commissioner, Bengal, Bihar and Orissa, and Assam, on Bakhar and " Pachwai," and to interview Scientific Officers of the INSTITUTE AND COLLEGE, PUSA, FOR 1913-14. 81 Indian Tea Association and Agents of various Tea Com- panies on the subject of green manuring, and to advise the Secretary, Ballygunge Cricket Club, on the subject of renovating turf. To Bara-Chakia to obtain samples of Filter Press Mud and information as to amount available for use as manure. The Supernumerary Agricultural Bacteriologist weDt also on tour to Bangalore in connection with examination of soils for Azotobacter and also to Darjeeling to attend the Cattle show and to ascertain the dairy conditions in the Darjeeling District. II. — Training. Mr. Barkat Ali, Assistant to the Agricultural Chemist to the Government of the Punjab, continued his course of training in Soil Bacteriology, specializing in examination of ' Reh " soils from the Punjab. ITe will complete the two years' course in August. Mr. D. V. Bal, Assistant to the Agricultural Chemist to the Government of the Central Provinces, is undergoing a revisionary course of chemical analysis in the Chemical Section preliminary to taking a course in Soil Bacteriology in this section. III. — Soil Bacteriology. The principal subject upon which work has been done in this section during the past year has been the use of green manuring, with special reference to the addition of nitrogen to the soil by this means and the availability or otherwise of this element when so added. The scheme of experiment as originally designed was intended to extend over a period of three successive seasons; interim annual reports were to be issued in the form of Bulletins, the final report to appear as a Memoir embodying the results and conclusions from the whole period. The first season's results were published as a bulletin and those of the second year are ready for publication in the same form ; it appears doubtful whether it will be advisable to conclude the experi- ments with those of the current or third year as it is abun- I G 82 REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH dantly evident that the information so far obtained forms but a small fraction of what may be derived from further study of the subject it is also necessary to state that owing to untoward circumstances the quantitative value of the field experiments of the first two seasons was greatly dimi- nished, which makes it necessary to repeat the more import- ant ones. The difficulty of obtaining an area of even soil for experimental plots was well illustrated in the first year, when it was found necessary to discard the whole of one series on account of obvious initial differences between the soils of various plots; in the second year a carefully selected area taken in the middle of a large field proved its unsuit- ability for anything more than comparisons between adja- cent plots owing to waterlogging of portions consequent on heavy rain and inadequate drainage. During the current year (1914) a fresh site has been selected which is free from such inequalities, but again difficulty has been experienced owing to irregular rainfall in June at the time of sowing and the attacks of caterpillars upon the backward plant; the latter has, however, survived, and although the six weeks old crop weighs Tess than two-thirds of that of the same ace in previous years it is hoped that reliable comparative results will be obtained. In addition to these field experi- ments on the farm an area of one acre has been fenced in, cultivated, and sown with sanai, on the south side of the new outside laboratorv, and it is hoped that experimental plots on this area laid out in triplicate divisions t.f ^th acre each will help to provide controls for the field experi- ments carried out on a larger scale on the farm. In mv previous Annual Report it was mentioned that the green manuring experiments for 1913-14 would include a trial of the use of the method of fermenting the screen crop before applying it to the land, and at the same time concentrating the manurial action bv restricting the treated area although using the whole of the fermented material. The result when such concentration was carried out, the fermented zanai being returned to about half the area on which it had been grown, in the case of the following rabi crop of wheat INSTITUTE AND COLLEGE, PUSA, FOR 1913-14. 83 was very apparent as a marked increase in crop, but owing to the waterlogging of part of the area and the consequent interference with the regularity of the series, definite quantitative conclusions could not be drawn as to the rela- tive value of this method. Small plots in the compound of the outside laboratory of about g^th acre area were used for qualitative experi- ments in green manuring, the rabi crop being oats; varia- tions in the method of preparing the fermented manure were tested and showed decided differences which are de- scribed in the report on the subject for 1913-14 now in hand. It was also found that for this crop on light soil no appar- ent advantage was obtained by concentration of the manure, improvement of the crop being probably due to the compara- tively high availability of the nitrogen content of the fermented material. Further experiments dealing with the application of the method to other crops such as tobacco are in progress during the current season. In connection with this work a considerable amount of research has been carried out in the laboratory in continua- tion of that of last year which dealt mainly with the ammonification and nitrification of the buried green crop: further observations on these two points have been made and in addition some fourteen species of bacteria appar- ently closely connected with the decomposition of buried Sann hemp have been isolated, and their physiological and morphological characters studied. It is remarkable that no one species of bacterium capable of attacking cellulose has been found so far in the general soil complex although the symbiotic relationship of two or more has been shown to produce this result; the opinion expressed in the Bulle- tin on green manuring published in 1914 that soil fungi probably played an important part in the breaking down of cellular tissue is strengthened by further observation ; it is hoped that work on soil fungi by the Mycological Section of this institute may furnish valuable information on this point. ! g2 84 REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH Part of the study of the decomposition of green manure in the soil involved investigation as to the relative rates of formation of humus and nitrate; this enquiry has not yet arrived at the conclusive stage suitable for report. A considerable amount of work was done in connection with the changes taking place in fermenting green manure; the manurial value of this material appears to be due to the rapid formation of simple nitrogen compounds such as ammonia, from the proteid content ; the nitrification of this ammonia, however, is interfered with by the fact of its concentration and also by the presence of soluble organic substances some of which at least are strongly toxic to nitri- fying bacteria and in less measure to others ; this condition persists so long as the water extract remains acid to litmus which under ordinary conditions of manufacture might extend to as much as six weeks, and renders it necessary to study the conditions under which such manure can safely be applied to arable or other soil. The mode of preparation may also be varied considerably with corresponding differ- ences in manurial action; such differences are apparently correlated with the rate at which the nitrogen content becomes available and are of importance in field practice with reference to the time of application, the nature of the soil, and the nitrogen requirements of the crop intended to benefit by the use of this form of manure. It is interesting to note that the rapid ammonification which takes place when green manure is placed in water and allowed to ferment was found to be accompanied by the development of large numbers of ciliates, flagellates and amoebce, whose presence does not appear in this instance to be prejudicial to the activity of ammonifying bacteria; it may be conjectured that under such conditions as obtain in this case the abundance of organic food would produce a rate of reproduction amongst the bacteria which would more than counterbalance any phagocytic action on the part of the protozoa. The conditions under which nitrification takes place in soil have naturally formed an important part of the work INSTITUTE AND COLLEGE, PUSA, FOE 1913-14. 85 of this section during this as in previous years; it was found in connection with numerous experiments made to determine the optimum moisture content for nitrification in various soils, that not only is the amount of water all- important, but that the greatest amount of nitrification obtainable depends upon treatment which takes into account the fact that ammonification is the necessary antecedent to nitrification in the case of organic matter, that this process is furthered by a high percentage of moisture, that high concentrations of ammonia inhibit nitrification, but that such ammonia is absorbed by the soil and can then be nitri- fied. Experiment showed that the most rapid and complete nitrification of any given quantity of nitrogenous organic matter could be effected in soil by producing anaerobic conditions witfi water saturation and subsequently drain- ing and aerating; the rapidity with which nitrification takes place under these conditions depends upon the rela- tive completeness of the anaerobic and subsequently of the aerobic conditions. This was the case in all the soils experi- mented with but may not of course be of universal applica tion. It was found that much more rapid ammonification took place in the case of organic matter kept under anaerobic conditions in soil than when free aeration was allowed, whether such anaerobic conditions were produced by water saturation, or replacement of air by nitrogen or carbon dioxide or simply by tightly closing the vessel containing the soil. At the same time toxins were produced which not only inhibited nitrification before the ammonia concentra- tion was sufficient to do so, but afforded water extracts which were toxic to seedlings and to bacteria; subsequent aeration removes this toxic condition and the formation of nitrates takes place, the ultimate result being a high per- centage of nitrification of the nitrogen of the organic matter; this apparently represents the cycle of changes in the case of the fermentation of green manure described above; its application to field practice is now being studied. In connection with the nitrification of green manure it was found that a loss of nitrate invariably occurred between 86 REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH the 8th and 12th weeks of the process in the laboratory; a considerable amount of work has been done with the object of discovering whether this loss could be accounted for by- correlating it with the gradual evaporation of soil water; the enquiry is not yet sufficiently complete for conclusive report, but it seems certain that the change noted is due to variation in the water content of the soil rather than to seasonal variation in the functions of the soil flora. Experiments were made to determine the effect upon nitrification of varying the quantity of nitrogen as organic matter added to the soil; it was considered probable that any excess above the optimum would retard or even inhibit nitrification, but that the optimum might vary considerably with different soils, and also in the same soil under different conditions. An unexpectedly high optimum was found for mustard cake in Pusa soil, namely, one per cent, of the soil weight, but it was shown that the high lime content of this soil was mainly responsible for this high figure, and that in soils such as the average tea soils of Assam, with less than one per cent, of lime, a much smaller quantity of cake would fail to nitrify at the normal rate. A study was made of the progress of decomposition of cake in soils varying in lime content, by periodic estimations of the loss on ignition, humus, ammonia and nitrates; it was found that decom- position was rapid in proportion to high lime content, although in time the soil lower in lime attained the same nitrate concentration. Isolation of nitrifying organisms from Indian soils was continued with special reference to a nitrite forming organism hitherto undescribed, the isolation of which by Mr. Joshi, 1st Assistant, is still in hand. Azotobacter. — A number of soils was examined for Azotobacter, which was found in those from Naupada, Vizianagram, Waltair, Tuni, Samalkota, Ellore, Walajah Road, Bowringpet, Jalarpet, Bangalore, Darjeeling and Cawnpore. A series of determinations of amounts of nitrogen fixed in liquid culture media inoculated with Pusa soil week by INSTITUTE AND COLLEGE, PUSA, POP 1913-14. 87 week, and which is still in progress, shows small irregular variations. The amounts are of the same order as those obtained by Ashby at Rothamsted and by Sackett in Colorado. Pure Cultures. — The amount of nitrogen fixed by pure cultures of Azotobacter isolated from Pusa soil was increased by the additions of basic slag or humus to the ordinary medium but was diminished by the substitution of magnesium carbonate for calcium carbonate. The amounts of nitrogen fixed in the pure cultures are similar to those obtained by other investigators in Europe and America. Well marked differences were observed in the morpholo- gical and cultural characters of species of Azotobacter isolated from Pusa, Cawnpore, Darjeeling and Bangalore soils, and the amounts of nitrogen fixed by these also varied. A few preliminary experiments on nitrogen fixation in the soil were carried out. The addition of a seer of cane sugar to a plot two square yards in area, resulted in an increase, in the nitrogen con- tent of the first six inches of soil, of nearly fifteen per cent, in 10 weeks. The stimulation of nitrogen activity by the addition of soluble carbohydrates may possibly be of considerable prac- tical importance in the future. It has been shown by Koch that certain bacteria can form soluble carbohydrates from cellulose which can be used by Azotobacter as a source of energy for nitrogen fixation; this action would briDg the organic matter content of the soil into immediate relation with its possible gain of nitrogen from the air. Some interesting results were obtained in connection with work on bacterio-toxins in soil ; it was found possible to measure the relative toxicity of various bacterial species to an intermediate form (B. prodigiosus) and to one another, by use of plate cultures and the measurement of the rate of C02 formation in solid and liquid media, and the effect upon the latter of the antagonism or symbiotic action as 88 KEPOIQ OJf THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH the case might be. Marked instances of antagonism and symbiosis were found, and the production of toxins was demonstrated; the methods in use might perhaps be employed to advantage in connection with the investigation of the physiological functions of pathogenic organisms. Some further work on bacterio-toxins in soils was car- ried out in connection with the sewage-treated soil samples sent for examination by Mr. Allen of Nagpur. Work on these soils was discontinued at the request of Mr. Allen as the sewage treatment scheme on the Nagpur experimental farm is not yet in complete working order. IV. — Special Enquiries. Potato Rot. — The enquiry on this subject referred to in my previous report is not yet complete, but has been con- tinued throughout the year in order to gain further and fuller information upon various points in connection with the physiological functions of the organisms involved, and the probable distribution of the latter in soil or elsewhere; this information is necessary in order to frame effective preventive measures; reports of the occurrence of tuber rot in store continue to arrive from various parts of India, and numerous samples have been examined, in many instances the rot is due to fungal and not to bacterial attack, as described by the Imperial Mycologist. A report will be issued shortly. Bdkhar. — At the request of the Assistant Commissioner of Excise for Bengal, Bihar and Orissa, and Assam I under- took to investigate the biological factors in connection with the fermentation of rice beer, with a view to determine the feasibility of controlling the manufacture of the fer- ment, which is at present in the hands of a peculiarly un- suitable class, generally hillmen, who make the ferment or Bakhar according to time-honoured traditional methods of more antiquity than precision. The result of the present state of affairs is a great variation in the quality of the fermented liquor, due to the presence in the Bakhar of INSTITUTE AND COLLEGE, PUSA, fruit 1013-14. 89 numerous species of ferments, and in the rice beer itself there may be deleterious substances derived from the same source. It is thought that the manufacture of the Bakhar or yeast might with advantage be controlled in order to provide brewers with a reliable ferment of uniform com- position and action, and examination of samples of this material from various sources shows that the fermenting organisms present differ widely in character and effect. The fermentation of rice differs from that of barley in one important respect, in that the rice as a consequence of husking loses its power of germination, and with it is also lost the natural change from starch to sugar produced by the enzymes formed during this process ; this change m the case of barley is characteristic of the operation known as malt- ing, which results in the change of the starch of the grain into sugar, a necessary antecedent to fermentation by yeast. In the case of rice it is therefore necessary to produce the change of starch into sugar known as saccharihcation, by the addition of some form of saccharifying ferment which will provide the enzyme diastase by which this change may be brought about. Bariey grain on germination pro- duces diastase which under suitable conditions converts the starch of the grain into sugar, the grain thus altered in composition being known as malt; the same result is obtained with rice by the addition of Bakhar which con- tains various fungi or moulds whose natural growth on a starchy medium is accompanied by the secretion of dias- tase. The efficiency of a sample of Bakhar (which is made up and sold in the form of small greyish white cakes of about one ounce in weight) will therefore depend hrstly upon its containing an efficient diastase-producing fungus, and examination has shown that the samples collected from various sources differ widely in respect to the kinds of fungi present and their correlated diastasic power with regard to rice starch. When the Bakhar cake is powdered and mixed with rice which has been prepared by moisten- ing, the fungi present form mycelial growth which involves the rice grains and gradually converts their starch into 90 REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH sugar, the completeness of this result depending upon the suitability of the conditions provided and upon the pre- sence of fungi of adequate diastasic power. A large num- ber of different species of fungi were found in various samples of Bakhar and the rapidity and completeness of the saccharification of the rice starch also varied m accord- ance with their relative diastasic powers, which were mea- sured in pure cultures. It may be said that no one of the numerous species found compared favourably in this res- pect with Aspergillus Oryzm which is the organism used for this purpose in Japan in the manufacture of " Sake " or rice beer, by the use of the corresponding preparation to Bakhar known in Japan as " Koji;" it is possible that the introduction of Aspergillus Dry zee into India might con- siderably improve the rice beer of this country. When by the action of the diastase-producing fungi a large proportion of the starch of the rice grain has been converted into sugar, mostly maltose, the next step is the fermentation of the sugar by yeast with formation of alco- hol. In the very full and interesting account of the use of Bakhar by J. C. Ray published in the Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal (Vol. II, No. 4 of 1906) the author ascribes this alcoholic fermentation to the mucors which have already exerted a saccharifying influence en the starch; I have never failed, however, to find yeasts present in Bakhar capable themselves of producing alcohol without involving the supposition put forward that mucors in their vegetative condition secrete diastase but in the reproduc- tive stage produce zymase, the alcohol producing fer- ment. The yeasts found varied just as the mucors and other fungi were found to do, and as it is a well known principle in brewing and distilling that the variations in physiological characters of the yeasts involved require careful selection of the latter and exclusion of undesirable varieties, it is very probable that the haphazard introduction of unknown numbers of kinds of yeast into rice beer by the agency of Bakhar would afford another point over which control might usefully be exercised. INSTITUTE AND COLLEGE, PUSA, FOE 1913-14. 91 A third point arises in connection with the use of Bakhar; as will readily be understood, when any organic matter such as moist rice is exposed to the air the ensuing fermentation is likely to be complicated by the presence and activity of bacteria; in the case of beer brewed in Europe from barley-malt and hops, the value of the latter depends upon their content of lupulin with its associated " hop resins ':l which act as preventives of bacterial action; Bakhar contains many substances the inclusion of which probably originated in an attempt to prevent putrefactive changes, although now they form merely parts of the tradi- tion or trade secret handed down without knowledge of their specific function, or of the fact that whilst the moul- diness aimed at is produced by fungi, the putrefaction sometimes resulting is due to bacteria. Chillies, ginger, and the bark and roots of various plants are among the substances incorporated with the ground rice to form Bakhar cakes; so far the function of the various substances examined appears to be to restrict the growth of bacteria during the earliest stages of infec- tion of the rice to be fermented until the growth of the mucors has become strong enough to suppress bacterial competition, and in this respect they resemble the hop resins in action. Many of the substances added to Bakhar by the makers are no doubt mtendea to produce other effects which would, however, be confined for the most part to the beer and would not appear m the distilled spirit; it has been reported that Datum and Nux Vomica are sometimes used in this way and it is natural to suppose that the repu- tation of a Bakhar maker might be enhanced amongst a certain class of ins clients by such reprehensible prac- tices. Specimens of a plant said to be a necessary ingre- dient of Bakhar as made in the Darjeeling district, have been sent to me for examination; this plant is known to the Limboo tribes as kk Wadinghangma ' and to the Nepalese as "' Bhimsen pati;5J it has been identified by the curator of the JLioyd Botanic Uarden in Darjeeling as 92 KKI'UHT OF IHE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCtf Poly gala arillata; the bark of the roots afforded a decoction, the antiseptic properties of which are now under examin- ation. Biological Analysis of Soils. — Reh Soils. — Samples of " Reh " soil received from the Agricultural Chemist to the Government of the Punjab were under biological examination and formed a subject of study for Mr. Barkat Ali, a student from the Punjab who is undergoing training in soil bacteriology in -his section. Several interesting facts were discovered as to the effect of lixiviation upon the flora of these soils, and the conclusion was arrived at that the normal processes of ammonification, nitrification and nitrogen fixation would be the natural consequence of removal of the excess of salts from the soil by this means; Mr. Barkat Ali has furnished an excellent report upon his work which encourages the belief that a well trained chemist can acquire sufficient knowledge of the methods of biological analysis as prac- tised in this laboratory to enable him to carry out such work satisfactorily without excessive supervision after a two years' course of instruction. Biological analyses of soils from Cawnpore, Smd, Assam and Nepal were carried out and reports upon them furnished; the method used is still under revision owing to the necessity for variation in accordance with the char- acter of the soil and the information desired. V. — Programme ob work eor 1914-15. Major Subjects. (1) Nitrification. (2) Nitrogen fixation. (3) Biological Analysis of soils. (4) Investigation of effects of management upon the constitution of the Soil Complex. (5) Green Manure experiments. INSTITUTE AND COLLEGE, PUSA, FOR 1913-14. 93 Minor Enquiries. Potato Rot and other Plant Pathogens. Bacterio toxins in Soils. VI. — Publications. Acting in conjunction with the Imperial Agriculturist I made a series of tours as detailed above with the purpose of investigating the conditions under which dairying is being carried on in India at the present time, and furnished a report dealing with this subject. (Published as appendix F to the Proceedings of the Board of Agriculture in India held at Coimbatore on the 8th December 1913 and the following days.) A Bulletin on Green manuring (Pusa Bulletin No. 40) recording the experimental results of the first season's work on this subject was published. 94 REPOET OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH REPORT OF THE IMPERIAL COTTON SPECIALIST. (G. A. Gammie, F.L.S.) I. — Charge and Tours. I held charge of the appointment throughout the year. Tours. — In July, I visited Simla to assist the Officiating Agricultural Adviser to the Government of India in draw- ing up a note on the present position of cotton in India; in October I visited the Punjab to advise the Director of Agriculture in consultation with some members of his staff, as regards the present and future lines of work to be under- taken in cotton; in the same month I also visited the United Provinces, where I met Dr. Parr and Mr. Wilson, the Officiating Economic Botanist. In November I visited Sind, in the company of the Director of Agriculture, Bombay, to discuss certain details in cotton cultivation in Sind; in March 1914 I visited the agricultural stations in Guzerat, including Baroda, and the Southern Mahratta Country. The remainder of the time during the year was devoted to the supervision of my own experimental area, to the giving of advice to many correspondents and to arrangements connected with the valuation of numerous samjoles forwarded for my opinion. My assistant, Mr. D. P. Mankad, made several tours in Guzerat, Kathiawar, and the Southern Mahratta Country throughout the year. II. — Cotton in the Provinces. Punjab. — After my visits of inspection I furnished the following short note to the Director : — There are three distinct types of American cottons, (a) Upland Georgian, (b) New Orleans and (c) annual form of soft Peruvian. The first, on account of its hardiness and immunity from the attacks of pests, is obviously the INSTITUTE AND COLLEGE, PUSA, FOR 1913-14. 95 type which should be introduced into general cultivation; the second is less hardy in its nature. It is attacked by Jassids this year and its superiority to Upland is so trifling that it is not worth the risk of beinej maintained. The soft Peruvian is one of the finest cottons ever grown in India. Its low outturn (in .spite of its higher price), however, brings it on a par with Upland. This variety should not be distributed indiscriminately, but should be brought to the notice of farmers of good position who would under- take to give it the necessary care and attention. I would advise that jour selections of American cottons be kept down in number. Many at present existing do not differ sufficiently from one another to deserve being kept separate. ' As regards the Deshi cottons, a survey should be carried out in each tract so that the dominant forms in each can be extracted and tested comparatively as pure types. Those passing the test could be rapidly multiplied on seed farms for distribution to cultivators. It is almost unnecessary to point out that aid should be given in the marketing of the produce until the trade is disposed to pay fair prices spontaneously. " Mr. Milne's discovery that root-rot is caused by a nematode worm is most interesting and I hope he will publish his notes as soon as possible. He has now on his Botanical area pure strains of all the varieties of cotton found in the Punjab. These can be compared with your survey types and time could be saved by making a start from these for your seed farms." Since writing the above I have heard that the cottons of the districts of Lyallpur, Hissar and Lahore have been surveyed with the following results : — Lyallpur Tahsil. — Gossypium indicum, yellow flower- ed, is the prominent form. Toba Tek Singh. — Gossypium sanguineum, both broad-lobed and narrow-lobed, chiefly near Gojra, and Gossypium indicum, yellow flowered, in almost as great quantity. 96 REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH Sumimdri and Jaranwala. — Gossypium indicum, yellow flowered, and Gossypium neglectum, yellow flowered, in almost equal quantities. There is everywhere a fairly considerable admixture of the white flowered varieties of Gossypium indicum and neglectum, and these, popular opinion regards as heavier yielding. Certainly the percentage of lint is higher in the white flowered varieties grown in the Lyallpur Sta- tion. Gossypium san guineum is not uncommon in the Lyallpur and Sumundri Tahsils, but it is the predominant type in few villages. TTissar. — In Hissar, Hansi and Fatehabad Tahsils two-fifths are yellow flowered Gossypium indicum and one-fourth to one-third is white flowered neglectum. There is no Gossypium sanguineum,. Cotton is unimportant in Bhiwani and Sirsa Tahsils. Lahore. — Yellow flowered Indicum represents 74 per cent, in Chuman, 78 per cent, in Kasnr and 91 per cent, in Lahore Tahsil. In Chuman about 10 per cent, is yellow flowered Gossypium neglectum, in Kasur there is a good deal of broad leaved Gossypium, sanguineum in canal- irrigated villages. As regards the retention or rejection of American varieties, those retained are of the rough leaved and those thrown out are of the smooth leaved type. 4 F is the chief American cotton on the Station and it has done well every- where in 1913. The experience of past years shows that American cottons will do well in the colonies under canal irrigation, but they require good land and better cultiva- tion than the indigenous cotton. United Provinces of A gra and Oudh. — In connection with my tour in these provinces I supplied the following short note : — The lines of work in Dr. Parr's division are : — (1) The substitution of the prevailing mixture by the INSTITUTE AND COLLEGE, PUSA, FOR 1913-14. 97 distribution of the seed of a productive white flowered indigenous cotton. The colour of the flower is of important assistance in maintain- ing the purity of the type. There are now 20,000 acres of this under cultivation and it may cover the whole cotton area of the division in the course of a very few years. The whole of the seed cotton is ginned under the personal supervision of Dr. Parr, so that the chance of mixture is avoided. The introduction of this variety teaches the cultivator the value of a pure crop and after he has learned his first lesson a second could be com- menced by issuing one of the higher class yellow flowered types, of which one at least shows great promise here. (2) Regarding the comparative merits of Cawnpore- American and Bhuri, Dr. Parr considers that the latter will be more profitable and I am disposed to agree with him. Mr. "Burt is, how- ever, of a contrary opinion and the difference can only be settled by making comparative tests. Previous experience with the Cawnpore- American cer- tainly pointed to the fact that the outturn of American cotton in the United Provinces tends to diminish more and more every year. (3) Cambodia, on account of its prolonged season of growth, 'is not at all promising and its cultiva- tion should be given up. (4) The problems to be solved in the United Provinces are simple, one being the introduction of a longer stapled sort (either American Upland or an Indian hybrid as Mr. Leake is attempt- ing), the other being the substitution of a good- paying pure Deshi crop in the place of the mixture, which is now universally grown." H 98 REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH In acknowledging the valuations of samples of cotton which were sent to him, Mr. Burt gave me the following interesting information : — " The results of spinning trials at the Elgin Mills and of a valuation by the British Cotton Growing Association show that the Cawnpore- American is valued more highly than the Dharwar American. This difference is, however, not important as the Dharwar variety does not do so well here as regards yield and is much inferior to the Cawn- pore variety in ginning percentage. From the valuation based on larger samples I am inclined to think that the Cawnpore- American is more nearly equal to Middling American than Messrs. Tata and Sons' valuation. ' As regards Boyd and Black Rattler, I am rather sur- prised to find that Boyd is valued so much above Cawnpore- American, as there was little difference as far as we could tell here. Boyd is, however, one of the most pro- mising of the imported varieties and ginned well. As regards the Black Rattler, it is impossible to say as yet whether this will yield sufficiently well to be worth growing here. It is a later plant than the Cawnpore- American, but has not yet been fully acclimatized. In the meantime we are eontinuins; trials of these and other cottons and at the same time trying to select uniform agricultural types from them. The Cawnpore- American variety yielded well last year on a considerable scale and we have about 500 to 600 acres of this variety this year, having received a guarantee of a minimum price of 6^ per lb. for the lint plus premium depending on the spot price of middling American." During the cropping season I deputed Mr. Mankad to Kathiawar to assist the Assistant of the Economic Botanist, United Provinces, to select types of Kathiawar cottons for experimental purposes at Cawnpore. Central Provinces. — From valuations made on a set of samples, with details of acreage, outturn and percentage of cotton to seed, supplied by the Akola Experiment Station the varieties grown in Berar fell into the following order INSTITUTE AND COLLEGE, PUSA, FOR 1913-14. 99 of merit placed by the market value of the clean cotton alone : — Us. (1) Gossypium neglectum, var. Eosea . 60 per acre. (2) Gossypium neglectum, var. Cutchica . 58*5 (3) Gossypium hirsutum, var. Bliuri . 53*75 (4) Gossypium neglectum, var. Vera . 51'5 (5) Gossypium neglectum, var. Vera (Berar Jari) ..... 45"5 (6) Gossypium indicum (Bani) . . 41'4 (7) Gossypium neglectum, var. Saugor Jari 41*12 (8) Gossypium neglectum, var. Malvensis 40*5 This proves that the cultivators are abundantly justi- fied in their selection of white flowered cottons (of which the two chief head the list), for profit, Bliuri follows closely in value and the remaining yellow flowered indigenous cottons fall appreciably in the rear. Saugor Jari has solid qualities for its own tract but it cannot compete with the natural denizens of the real cotton soil. Madras. — A parcel of Cambodia cotton grown at the Hagari Station was the only material submitted to me for opinion during the year. The outturn of kapas was 631 lbs. per acre and the ginning percentage was 37*5. In the Bombay market the cotton was valued at Rs. 295, Madras Cambodia of the day standing at Rs. 315. The value of the cotton alone was therefore Rs. 89 per acre, a very satisfactory result. Bombay. — Sholapur District. — Seed of Gossypium neglectum, var. rosea, was supplied to the Inspector of Agriculture, Sholapur, at the request of the Deputy Director of Agriculture, Southern Division. It was tried at Barsi, where the crop suffered much from want of rain, and at Sholapur, where the crop was very vigorous, perhaps owing to the fact that it was irrigated four times. At Barsi the outturn of seed cotton per acre was 364 lbs. and at Sholapur 1,510 lbs. Manjri Station. — At this station experiments, with the view of introducing some paying sort of cotton into the h2 100 REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH sugarcane tracts are still persevered with and I made an inspection and reported as follows : — : I do not consider that there is any hope of success in any of the neglectum varieties under irrigation. Broach has already been tried and the results were very unsatis- factory. " Cambodia seems to be the only good cotton so far that thrives under irrigation and it seems to do well round Poona where conditions are favourable. At Manjri, you have tested it under irrigation for the first time. It has received four waterings which are quite sufficient. As regards spacing, we agree that the best distance is 3 feet between rows and one foot apart in the lines. As to time of sowing, I would advise it to be done as soon as the soil is moist enough after the first rains." The total yield per acre was 347 lbs. of seed cotton and the percentage of cotton to seed 40;3. Messrs. Tata, Sons & Co. reported as follows on a sample sent to them for opinion : — " It has lost in length of staple and is also weak. It shows deterioration. The value is Rs. 265 per candy against Rs. 310 for Madras Cambodia." The value of the cotton produced is only Rs. 47 per acre. The result is discouraging, but I have advised a re petition of the trial. Agricultural College "Farm, Poona. — Although this is not within the cotton tracts, a number of experiments on cotton were conducted under very favourable conditions. Fourteen small plots of rosea were treated with varying mixtures of farm-yard and artificial manures : the control plots being unmanured or treated with farm-yard manure alone. Messrs. Tata, Sons & Co. reported as follows on the 14 samples submitted to them : — " These are almost all alike with the exception of Nos. 1, 7 and 11, which are a little better than the others. Compared with type 23 (Khandesh from Dhulia), they show no improvement, they are a little inferior in length of staple and all INSTITUTE AND COLLEGE, PUSA, FOfe 1913-11. 101 have rough feel. Value of 1, 7 and 11 Rs. 202 each, the rest, Rs. 200 (Fully Good Khandesh standing at Rs. 205)." This experiment must be continued for a few years before any definite observations can be deduced. Bhuri was reported on as having long staple but weak fibre. The fibre of Cambodia was found to be very weak. Of three sets of rosea, the first with the seed separated by gravity produced a crop which was found to be better in staple and soft in feel and was valued at Rs. 215 ; of the second, with seed not separated, the cotton was a little in- ferior and was valued at Rs. 210. The third from Akola seed was rough in feel and short in staple and was valued at Rs. 205. In this instance, there was a decided advantage gained by separation of the seed before sowing. The white flowered narrow lobed variety from selections was valued at Rs. 202 equal to that of Nos. 1 to 14, which are of the same type. Broad lobed variety from selections of Malvensis was valued at Rs. 237 against Rs. 235 from seed from Akola. In Khandesh variety of which fresh seed was received from Dhulia and grown here, the cotton was deteriorated, the staple was very short and resembled Bengal cotton more than Khandesh. Value Rs. 205 (Fine Khandesh standing at Rs. 215). Karkheli had deteriorated somewhat, valued at Rs. 265 against Fully Good Karkheli at Rs. 275. White flowered broad lobed (Cutchica), farm seed, resembles Fine Bengal, valued at the same rate, viz., Rs. 205. Of the four plant-to-plant selections of yellow flowered broad lobed, neglectum type, No. 2 comes first at Rs. 242, No. 4, second, at Rs. 240, No. 3, third, at Rs. 238, and No. 1, fourth, at Rs. 235 (Fine Khandesh of the same date at Rs. 215). Of the two yellow flowered narrow lobed neglectum plant-to-plant selections, one is valued at Rs. 235, the other at Rs. 237. 102 REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH Of four white flowered broad lobed neglectum and three white flowered narrow lobed neglectum plant-to-plant selections, one only was valued at Rs. 215 equal to Fine Khandesh; the rest at Rs. 212, equal to Bengal cotton, Rajputana style. An analysis of the outturns per acre of eight varieties shows that they stand in the following order of their value : — Serial No. Name of variety. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 White flowered broad lobed Neglectum (Cutchica) Khandesh Local ..... Rosea ( Varhadi) ..... Buri Yellow flowered narrow lobed ( Vera) Yellow flowered broad lobed {Malvcnsis) Karkheli (Indicum) .... Cambodia . .... Value of outturn per acre of cotton. Ks 1125 1071 95-16 93-66 78-87 59-81 53-68 34-89 The white flowered varieties of cottons, as usual, have been proved to be the most profitable. It has also been proved in the Deccan that the duration of these plants is far longer than either in Berar or Khandesh and that the pro- duction of cotton also persists over a longer period. Guzerat. — I supplied the following notes after the inspection of the cottons on the experimental stations in the province : — ' Surat. — I consider that Selection IA and Selection II are the varieties that should be persevered with, because, of both, the outturn and ginning percentage are above the figures of the local cottons and even above those of the improved crosses already distributed. If the samples of these varieties are submitted to me for valuation, I shall have them thoroughly examined. INSTITUTE AND COLLEGE, PUSA, FOR 1913-14. 103 " Mr. Bhimbhai informs me that, last year, of No. 1018- P. G., selected Broach, 10,000 acres were sown in British territory and 7,000 acres in Baroda. The Syndicate secured 5,000 bales out of the total of 7,000, the remainder was sold independently by the cultivators to other merchants when the Syndicate ceased buying. This year, 7,000 acres have been put out and one merchant, Mr. Motibhai Raghawji of Surat, is offering Rs. 5 for 960 lbs. of seed cotton over market rate. The Agent of Messrs. Whittle & Co. at Bardoli is also satisfied with the result and they are paying Rs. 4 above the market rate. There is a strong probability that these selected varieties will be maintained by the cultivators, in spite of the withdrawal of the Syndicate's offer. " Mr. Bhimbhai considers that it will be quite practic- able in villages which grow blocks of these selected cottons to form Committees to settle the disposal of the produce without the intervention of middlemen. The new varie- ties are maintaining the improvement in the ginning per- centage. " Selection IA, out of selected Broach, gives 35-5 or nearly 3 per cent, over the local variety. In the quantity and quality selections No. 2 out of selected Broach, the quality is good and the ginning percentage is 34. This year, it is expected to also stand highest in yield. " Cambodia is abandoned as being unsuitable for the black soil. " Nadiad. — Cambodia cotton is being attacked by wilt and also by aphides this season. The percentage has fallen to 31. In appearance its lint is much the same as that of Lalio, which, being indigenous to the tract, is not so liable to be influenced by abnormal seasons. In the district there is a difficulty in the marketing of the produce, but as many of the cultivators are making their own arrangements for the importation of the seed, the final disposal of the crop should remain in their own hands. " The cotton crosses on the farm show so very little pro- mise that it would be well perhaps if the officers concerned 104 REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH drop them and concentrate their attention on the improve- ment of Cambodia and Lalio. The increase in the per- centage of cotton to seed is the point to be aimed at in the former and the high yielding capacity in the latter is desirable. In my own opinion, Lalio will prove to be the cotton most suitable for the tract. During next season Bhuri, Cambodia and Lalio are again to be tested. " The Superintendent of the Nadiad Farm says that Cambodia has been grown on a fairly large scale by cultiva- tors, who now find a difficulty in the disposal of the pro- duce, of which the total amount is still so small that the ginning factories do not care to make any special arrange- ment for it. If the cultivation extends, assistance ought to be furnished to them from the Department. The cul- tivators find that the crop is inclined to mature late and they still maintain an open mind regarding the compara- tive merits of Cambodia and Lalio.'" The following valuations of samples of Guzerat cottons were kindly supplied by Messrs. Tata, Sons & Co. : — Sural Far m. Serial No. Name of sample. Selection I A selected 2 Selection 1A General 1018 P G General 1027 A LP ] I selected Do. General Remakes, Compared with No. 7 (Surti-Broach), No. 1 (Surat selected) is decidedly longer and stronger in fibre and besides the fibre is even. It can be compared with best Surat except in softness, the feel being rather coarse. Value Rs. 320. Fibres rather uneven. Length also shorter than No. 1. Value Rs. 310. In all respects same as No. 1. In feel it is little softer, rather uneven in fibre, hut may be a little bit longer. Value Rs. 320. This is very long stapled strong fibred cotton and deserves to be encouraged. It is almost equal to Navasari cotton both in length and strength, and though acclimatized for a number of years, it has in no way deteriorated. Value Rs. 335. Almost same as No. 4, but variable, in length of fibre. Value Rs. 320. 1 2 3 1 2 3 INSTITUTE AND COLLEGE, PUSA, FOR 1913-14. Surat Farm — contd. 105 Serial No. Name of sample. Heuabks. 6 Seli't tion II selected Compared with No difference except fibre. Value Rs. . 1, there seems to be that No. 1 is more 315. not much regular in 7 Surti Br< jacli ■ It cannot stand comparison to 6 samples, being shorter in fibre. Value Rs. 300. any of staple an the above d weak in Sisodra Plot. Selection I selected 1027 ALF II General Navasari Lo^al Lalio Cambodia . Bhuri "1 Of the three samples, ], 2 and 3, No. 1 is the 1 best, No. 2 comes second and 'No. 3 comes I last. Value them respectively at Rs, 320, Rs. 315 and Rs. 310. Surat-like Broach-like N. R. Cotton J Nadiad Farm. This cotton shows deterioration on Nadiad Farm. Value Rs. 260. This also has deteriorated considerably. Value Rs. 275. This also shows deterioration and is very irregular. Value Rs. 255. Dhulia Farm. It shows a great deal of improvement, the cotton being almost equal to Surat in length and strength of fibre, though not in feel and silki- ness. Value Rs. 305. This shows no improvement. It is very irregular. Value Rs. 275. This cotton has more the characteristic of Assam cotton and woolly in feel. The staple is short. Value Rs. 220. Basis of prices on 27th June 1914 : — Broach Madras Cambodia Surat . Fine Bengal Navasari F. Dhollera Rs. 290 330 315 215 335 270 106 REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH Kathiawar. — The following note was drawn up by Mr. Mankad, Assistant to Cotton Specialist, for the inform- ation of the Morvi State, which called upon us for special advice : — The District resembles South America in shape; the average rainfall is 18 to 22 inches, very irregular in distri- bution which tells considerably upon the production of the cotton crop. Soils. — There are three kinds of soils, viz., (1) black cotton soil, (2) besar and (3) light. The last named is chiefly met with in the southernmost part of the State to- wards Tankara. Rotation. — Cotton is rotated mostly with Jowari in cotton soils, but in lighter kinds of soils Bajri forms the principal rotation. The average area devoted to the culture of cotton in the State varies from 1,25,000 to 1,40,000 acres per annum. Broadly speaking, on account of enhanced prices of cotton, of late, two-thirds of the total cropped area is annually put out under it, as it pays better to the grower. The average outturn may be computed at 100 lbs. clean cotton per acre. In recent years, however, it has become the general practice to grow cotton without any rotation whatsoever, on the same land, and it is held amongst the cultivators that there is no diminution in the outturn. Economically the practice has proved a sound one owing to the high price of cotton. Varieties of cotton. — Practically speaking, there are only two varieties in the State, called (1) Deshi or Wag ad (bolls of which are picked out bodily from the plant and the cotton extracted at home), and (2) Kanvi, acclimatized Broach, the seeds from Kahnum of the Broach District seem to have been brought in these parts some 25 years ago; in addition to these two, there is a third variety called Mathio, mixture of all the neglectum types that compose the cottons of Khandesh and Central Provinces, which occupies a very small area in the south of the district towards Tankara INSTITUTE AND COLLEGE, PUSA, FOIl 1913-14. 107 and is grown in light soils only, to get the crop ready before frost occurs as this tract is more subject to it. The actual area under each of these three varieties is not separately kept, but it is understood that Deshi or Wag ad occupies the largest area. Of the two principal varieties, Wagad is raised purely as a dry crop, but Kanvi, wherever there are facilities for irrigation, is given two or three waterings; as an irrigated crop, it gives a larger return. Kanvi matures also three weeks earlier than Wagad, the picking of Kanvi cotton is easier than that of Wagad, as it bursts out from the capsules when the bolls ripen; in the case of Wagad cotton, however, the opening of the bolls is not perfect, so that the bolls are plucked off and cotton extracted at home, which entails extra expenditure. Forty pounds of Wagad bolls give 28 lbs. of kapas after extraction. The charges for taking out cotton from the unopened bolls vary from one anna to three annas accord- ing to seasons. This work is mostly done by women. There are three distinct cotton tracts in the State ac- cording to the quality of cotton produced. (1) The eastern portion is known as the Nadipar, which is practically free from frost, the cotton produced in this tract is offered 4 annas more per maund than that produced in the Boidiar tract. (2) The western portion is called the Boidiar tract (there are many bor trees, Ziziphus jujuba). This is partially subject to frost. The produce of this tract is considered inferior to that of Nadipar but better than that of the Tankara tract. In this tract Wagad cotton is pollard- ed. Cultivators believe that the yield and quality of the rattooned crops are maintained. This belief is incorrect. The rattoon crop was valued at Rs. 245 per candy against Es. 255 of the fresh crop of Wagad, the rattoon crop is also bound to fall off in ginning percentage in addi- tion to the quality of cotton. I am informed 108 REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH that a large area is kept under the rattoon in this tract in order that the crop may be picked out before the frost occurs. (3) The southern portion is known as the Tankara tract which generally suffers from the effects of frost. Mathio is, therefore, grown in lighter kinds of soils to get an early crop. As Mathio produces a very small crop, the produce is usually mixed up with two principal varieties already mentioned. The quality of cotton of this tract is considered inferior to that pro- duced in the eastern and western portions. With regard to the quality of cotton, I feel that both Wagad and Kanvi are equally good. The crops vary slightly according to seasons only. Kanvi. — The staple is slightly longer, fibres weak, cotton dull in colour and thin. Wagad. — The staple is slightly shorter, but strong and white in colour, in addition, the cotton is bulky. Bulk for bulk Wagad cotton fetches on an average Rs. 10 more per candy than Kanvi. Samples of both these varieties were obtained from each of the three tracts and were submitted to Messrs. Tata, Sons & Co. for opinion. The following are the valuations of each of these samples. Basis of valuation on 6th May 1914 : — ■ Rs. Fine Broach .... 265 per candy of 784 lbs. Morvi ..... 250 ,, ,, Nadipar tract. Wagad from Jetpur . . . 240 Kanvi ..... 235 Boidiar tract. Wagad ..... 255 Kanvi ..... 250 Aroora (rattoon) . . . 245 INSTITUTE AND COLLEGE, PUSA, FOR 1913-14. 109 Tankara tract. Rs. Wagad 250 Kanvi ..... 240 From the valuation report it will be seen that the quality of cotton of the Boidiar tract is superior, then comes the Tankara tract and lastly the Nadipar, which ought to come first. This is puzzling, but it may be cap- able of explanation. My own observations in these three tracts lead me to believe that in the Nadipar tract, cotton matures a little earlier than in the other two tracts and being adjacent to the Dhrangadhra State, should produce cotton of better quality. The same two varieties are being grown in the Dhrangadhra State and fetch Rs. 10 more per candy than the Morvi cottons in the Bombay market. Selection of seed. — It is gratifying to note that the kunbis who form a majority of the agricultural class are exceptionally keen on selecting well-opened bolls and hand- gin the same for seed requirement. Seed for sowing pur- poses is never. brought in either from the ginneries or from Banias' shops by the kunbi cultivators. Seed for solving is also carefully stored in earthen chattis. Hand-gin. — This differs from that used in other parts of India (excluding Kathiawar). It is an ordinary gin to which a fly-wheel is attached, the price of such a gin depends on the quality of the fly-wheel, but it may be taken at Rs. 10 to Rs. 15. The work done by this hand-gin with the herbaceum types of cotton is 160 lbs. of kapas per day, working at the rate of 12 hours a day requiring two men and one woman. In addition to ginning cotton for seed requirements, the kunbi cultivators take out sufficient seed for cattle for the year by means of such gins ; a portion of the lint obtained is spun by hand for making clothes, ropes, etc., to meet domestic and agricultural requirements and the surplus is sold. The hand-ginned cotton fetches Rs. 10 110 REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH less than the machine-ginned per candy, as the former con- tains comparatively a larger percentage of broken leaf, dirt, etc. With regard to general cultivation, it should be mention- ed that the kunbi cultivators are first class people in handl- ing the land. The cotton fields were found scrupulously clean throughout and the agricultural operations perfect. The standard of cultivation could, however, be raised by deep-ploughing, etc. As the rainfall is very precarious, it is suggested that a bullock-hoe of the Surat type (curved blade) for intercultur- ing might prove more beneficial than the local hoe in the conservation of soil moisture. I have personally explained its advantages to the Revenue Commissioner and the Patel of Mandan. A blade of the Surat hoe has already been sent from Surat. Varieties actually under trial. — In the Kesawala garden, trials were made in sample plots with five varieties includ- ing two perennial cottons, viz. :— (1) Kumpta (seed obtained from Miraj). (2) Dharwar American and Cambodia (Upland types). (3) Seed received from Rangoon (Neglectum types). (4) And with varieties of perennial cottons, viz. •■- Spence and Kidney or chain-seeded. All these had received waterings. (1) Kumpta. — The growth was satisfactory, the crop had not ripened but a few bolls that had opened were examined; cotton was thin on seed, as is usually the case with this variety, though the quality of cotton was almost equal to Kumpta of the Southern Mahratta Country. The local cotton (Wagad or Deshi) is superior in all res- pects to Kumpta, as the percentage of cotton to seed is greater than the one under trial, and the cotton is also bulky. INSTITUTE AND COLLEGE, PUSA, FOR 1913-14. Ill (2) Dharwar American and Cambodia. — The former had practically failed, on account of the attack of leaf blight, the latter grew satisfactorily, branching in all directions. On examination the fibre was found weak and the staple com- paratively short, though it showed high percent- age of cotton to seed. This quality may fetch Es. 20 to Rs. 25 more per candy over the local cotton. These varieties were planted out too far apart (6 feet on either side). The American annual forms are grown in the same way as the local cottons, i.e., lines 2 feet apart and distance from plant to plant 1 to \\ foot in the row. (3) Seed from Rangoon. — The resulting plants were of the neglectum type, the ripening period had considerably prolonged, probably due to irriga- tion. In parts where the neglectum types are grown, the crop requires five to six months only to mature. The quality of cotton is in no way superior to the local cotton; it should, therefore, be abandoned. This is something like ' Mathio cotton. (4) and (5) Spence and Kidney cottons (perennial varieties).- — These had made very unsatisfactory progress. Results of a few years' experiments proved plainly that all the varieties of tree cottons possessed so many inherent defects that their profitable cultivation was impossible on a field scale. Mr. Spence's attempts at the cultivation of Spence variety on a large scale at Deesa and Jamnagar, Mr. Tytler's at Belgaum with Rough Peruvian and Messrs. Shaw, Wallace & Co.'s in Bengal with Caravonica and almost all tree cotton varieties hopelessly failed and no one reports even moderate success with them. The chief drawbacks in their cultivation are : — (1) Their very structure is that of woods and sheltered places, 112 REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH (2) Their brittle nature forbids their being grown in open fields exposed to winds. (3) They are more subject than the annuals to insect pests and these are carried from year to year and the land becomes weed-infected. (4) And finally, the steadily decreasing annual out- turn is the strongest argument against their cultivation. In conclusion, it can safely be said that the tree cotton which will succeed in India as a field crop has still to be discovered and it is extremely risky to attempt the hope- less task of tree cotton cultivation on a commercial scale. In the new garden, I was shown about half a dozen grafts that had been made between the Arboreum and Deshi cotton according to the new discovery by a German named Schsetin. It has been suggested to collect all the cotton when the bolls ripen and to put out a larger area next season to test the results. In our opinion, it is highly probable that the cotton plant with its brittle wood and tough fibrous inner bark does not allow of any process of grafting, which will produce frost-resistant types possess- ing desirable quality of cotton. I was taken over the proposed area of 2,000 acres in 3 blocks in the Tankara tract, which is to be left at the dis- posal of an American expert, whose services have been lately acquired, to test the suitability of various crops. Most of the land is under cultivation, flat, with facilities for irrigation, in fact, beautiful to work with and it is hoped that the authorities will spare no pains to tackle various points connected with the improvement of cotton. I had also an interview with His Highness the Thakore Saheb of Morvi, who takes keen interest in the im- provement of the cotton crop, and we discussed the cotton question at full length. He desired to try Broach seed, which has been supplied. As the rainfall is scanty, I am afraid that the long duration of growth required by Broach cotton might tell upon the opening of the bolls. INSTITUTE AND COLLEGE, PUSA, FOK 1913-14. 113 In conclusion, I think that the two local varieties Wagad and Kanvi are in every respect suitable to these parts and the products meet the demand quite satisfactori- ly. As the conditions of soil and climate do not seem to favour any other variety, either Indian or foreign, I would suggest that attention should be directed to increase the outturn by better methods of cultivation and improve the ginning percentage of each of the two local varieties by selection. An attempt should also be made to distribute seed of Wagad and Kanvi from the Dhrangadhra side, which produces better quality of cotton. At the same time arrangements should be made with the expert to test the suitability of Cambodia under irrigation and of imported Broach seed." In this connection, the following letter was received from the Manager and Executive Engineer, Morvi State : — " Mr. D. P. Mankacl came here on the 3rd instant and stayed up to the 10th. He visited different Mahals of the State and made his journey on our tramway of a length of about 60 miles, where the principal crop is cotton. He was also shown the different varieties of cotton under trial in the State gardens. Thus every facility was given to him to visit the different parts of the State, so that he can send in his full report. I shall therefore feel very much obliged if you will kindly send me a copy of his report. We are very much obliged to you for the help you have given us by sending Mr. Mankad, who was very busy here during his stay with his work and for this he also deserves our thanks in no less degree." The Director of Agriculture, Baroda, submitted for valuation two samples of cotton grown in Kathiawar at Kodinar. The first, of New Orleans type, was selected out of the prevailing mixture in the fields and grown separately to as- certain its value. The plot was flooded three times by heavy rain during the season. In spite of this a yield of 208 lbs. of seed cotton per acre was obtained, the ginning percent- i 114 REPORT OF THE AGmCTIT/TURAL RESEARCH age being 30-3. The clean cotton was valued by Messrs. Tata, Sons & Co. at Rs. 315, compared with Sind American of the same date at Rs. 310. The value of the second sample, which was a selected local Mathio, was Rs. 190, equal to fine Mathio of the day. No figures of outturn were supplied with this. It has been suggested to the Director to repeat these trials during the present season. Southern Mahratta Country.- The following notes were sent to the Director of Agriculture, Bombay, after an in- spection of the cottons in the Southern Mahratta Country : — " Dharwar- -There are now series of 10 generations of Broach cotton on this farm. The percentage has dropped to 29, which is, however, about 4 to 5 per cent, higher than the maximum of Kumpta, so that, judged on this point alone, it still leads. Some members of the local Agricultural Association have offered to grow annually 300 acres of Broach from imported seed and to guarantee the distribution of seed only from cotton of the first class from this area, the standard to be fixed when lots are ginned to ascertain the percentage. This seems to be the most practicable plan to ensure the continuous supply of selected Broach seed in the District. The longer growing season of Broach would always be a strong factor against the possibility of its ever supplanting Kumpta in any great degree. By steady selection the gin- ning percentage in Kumpta has been raised to 29, an advance of 4. It is quite possible that, by steadily aiming for per- centage, a still further increase could be arrived at. The cultivation of Cambodia has been abandoned at Dharwar. The crosses between Soft Peruvian and Cambodia are not promising after all; they seemed to have retained the perennial character and may fruit if held over for another season. As perennial cottons have INSTITUTE AND COLLEGE, PUSA, FOR 1913-14. 115 been proved unsuitable for conditions in India, there seems no good ground to justify the maintenance of these crosses. One hundred pounds of selected Kumpta seed have been given out, but no results are yet available. It has been proved that the use of a fence of Shervi as a wind break is not practicable, as it exercises a distinctly bad influence on contiguous crops. As far as I could gather, there is no dissatisfaction ex- pressed regarding the quality of the imported Navasari seed this year. Gadag.--This farm is now restricted to trials with American types of cotton. As at Dharwar, the cross between Cambodia and Soft Peruvian is not at all promis- ing. The whole of the Cambodia is now treated as being one variety, and the trials are directed with a view of keeping up the standard of staple and percentage. The two forms of Dharwar American, which were isolated upon my advice last year, have been grown with a high percentage of purity. There is still a doubt as to whether the Upland or New Orleans type is superior. I am informed that some of the villages producing superior Dharwar American cotton are said to grow the New Orleans type exclusively. I have suggested that a fresh survey of these types in the district should be undertaken.1' The following valuations were kindly supplied by Messrs. Tata, Sons & Co. : — Valuations. Basis of f rices on 11th June 1914 Its. (1) Navasari . 335 (2) Surat .... . 320 (3) Madras Cambodia . . 310 (4) Kumpta . 290 (5) Fine Broach . . 285 (6) Sawgirmed . 265 lie REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH Serial No. 3 4 i 8 9 10 11 12 13 n 15 10 17 18 Registered No. 1027 A 13(54 2l il >3 1339 2016 Name. 1027A 1339 D/ianvar Farm. Kumpta X Ghogari (Surat Cross) Do. Dharwar Cross old Do. Dharwar Cross new . Kumpta Cross Kumpta selected for quality Do. for quantity Broach, 1st generation (new seed) „ 2nd „ „ 3rd ., 4th „ 5th „ „ 6th „ „ 7th „ 8th „ 9th (Old seed introduced in 1904.) Kumpta X Comilla . Valuation. Kumpta X Ghogari . Kumpta Cross . Kumpta ordinary from plot 608 We place them in the follow- ing orders as regards length of staple and general quali- ty : first No. 2, second No. 3, third No. 4, and then No. 1. Of Nos. 5 and 6, » No. 5 is better than No. 6. We value:— No. IRs. 305, No. 2 lis. 325, No. 3 Rs. 320, No. 4 Rs. 305, No. 5 Rs. 300, No. 6 Rs. 295. Of these, No. 8 is the best. No. 7 comes nest and rest are almost all more or less equal, though we find that Nos. 13, 14 and 15 are a little better than Nos. 9, 10, 11 and 12. We value:— No. 7 Rs. 310, No. 8 Es. 315, No. 9 Rs. 300, No. lo Rs. 300, No. 11 Rs. 300, No. 12 Rs 300, No. 13 Rs. 305, No. 14 Rs. 305, No. 15 Rs. 305. Compared with No. 28, No. 7 is superior to it in length of staple, and is rather thin. J The crossing has materially improved in the length and strength of staple over Assam. There seems to be no deterioration. If any- thing, it has improved. Value Rs. 285. In crossing, it has obtained white colour of Ghogari and in staple it is ordinary Kumpta. Value lis. 290. It seems to have improved. Value Rs. 300. Compared with Nos. 1 to 0, there can be no compari- son with them, since both are very inferior as re- gards length and strength «j of staple. Of the two, ; No. 19 is superior to No. 21 which is even weaker than Kumpta in the local market. Value No. 19 at Rs. 280, and No. 21 at Rs. 260. INSTITUTE AND COLLEGE, PUSA, FOR 1913-11. 117 Serial No. 20 22 24 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 Registered No. 102E 12i'E 1345 1356 1339 Name. Cambodia • • Cultivator's Kumpta . * t Valuation. Oadag Farm. Dhaiwar American (Green-seeded) Cambodia t • • Christopher X Christopher Christopher X Culpepper • • Dharwar American (Gadag- Market sample). Gokak Farm. Broach New seed Kumpta Cross . • t • Kumpta Ordinary 102E Cambodia • • • • Cultivator's Kumpta (Arbhavi) . The cotton is very weak in fibre and irregular in length, Valuo lis. 280. It is no way superior to ordi- nary Kumpta, equal to local cotton. Value Rs. 290. It is better than ordinary Sawginned coming in the local market. Value Rs. 280. This cotton seems to be little better than No. 20 of the Dharwar Farm, but still it is weak in fibre. Value Rs. 300. It is longer in staple than No. 24, but equally weak. Value Rs. 310. This is a very long stapled strong fibred cotton. Every way a desirable stuff. Value Rs. 360. This deserves to be widely cultivated. This seems to be a mixture of Sawginned and Kumpta kappas. Hence there seems to be some strength in the fibre. Otherwise the cotton is of very inferior quality. Value Rs. 260. It is slightly inferior in length of staple than Nava- sari. Value Rs. 320. It has improved in every way. Value Rs. 295. It has lost in length of staple. Value Rs. 285. It has entirely deteriorated on the Gokak Farm. Value Rs. 275. It is better in length than farm Kumpta No. 30. Value Rs. 290. 118 REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH Of four crossed cottons, Kwnpta X Ghogari (Dharwar Cross old) was valued at Rs. 325; Kumpta X Ghogari (Dharwar Cross new) valued at Rs. 320; Kumpta Cross valued at Rs. 305 ; Kumpta X Ghogari (Surat Cross) valued at Rs. 305. Kumpta selected for quality was valued at Rs. 300 and the same selected for quantity at Rs. 295. The samples of Kumpta ordinary cotton were valued at Rs. 280 and Rs. 260, thus testifying to the far higher value of the improved varieties given above. A sample of cultivator's cotton from Dharwar was valued at Rs. 290, equal to local cotton. Another Kumpta Cross was valued at Rs. 295. A sample of cultivator's Kumpta from Arbhavi was valued at Rs. 290. A sample of Cambodia from Dharwar Farm, where the conditions are unsuitable for it, was valued at Rs. 280 only, on account of its weak and irregular fibres; even a sample from the Gadag farm, where the conditions are far more favourable, was valued at Rs. 300 only. Green-seeded Dharwar American from the Gadag farm was valued at Rs. 280. A market sample from Gadag seemed to be a mixture of Dharwar American and Kumpta. It was valued at Rs. 260. Of the Upland Crosses, that of Christopher X Culpepper seems to hold the first position in value. Messrs. Tata remarked that this is a very long stapled, strong fibred cotton and, in every way, desir- able stuff, which deserves to be widely cultivated. They valued it at Rs. 360. Of the 9 generations of Broach cotton at the Dharwar Farm, Messrs. Tata valued 2 at the best, 1 as the second, and the rest more or less equal, though they found 7, 8, 9 a little better than 3, 4, 5, 6. Last year, it appeared that the deterioration was continuous, but, from this year's figures, it would appear that after thorough acclimatiza- tion perhaps an improvement may set in. The auction sale of Broach Cotton. — The auction sale of Broach cotton was held at Dharwar on the 12th April 1914. In all 80,000 lbs. seed was distributed during the INSTITUTE AND COLLEGE, PUSA, EOR 191 ,VM. 110 year 1913-14 (30,000 lbs. seed imported from Navasari and 50,000 lbs. locally grown Broach cotton seed). All the seed was not sown for want of timely rains, the approximate area sown would be between 4,000 and 5,000 acres. Sowing commenced from the end of June to middle of July. Season on the whole was not favourable either to Broach or to local cotton Kumpta. There were no late rains and consequently cotton plants suffered. In all 3,500 dhokras of kapas were received (4 dhokras are equal to 1 Naga, that is, equal to 1,344 lbs.) at the auction Depot, I am informed by the Agent of Messrs. Tata, Sons & Co. that more than 300 Nagas were sold away by the cultivators before the auction sale for immediate requirement of money. Broach cotton at the Depot was graded in six classes according to ginning percentages. The following prices were realised per Naga of 1,344 lbs. :— Clans. Uinning percentage. Price. Rs. Special class — 34 and abovo, 190 I . 33-5 185 II . 32-5 176 III . 31-5 175 IV . 30-5 171 V . 29-5 155 Kapmta Cross 27-5 139 The rate of the local cotton Kumpta on the day was lis. 129 per Naga, 120 REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH The low ginning percentage may be due to (a) the deterioration of the local cotton seed, (b) poor ginning per- centage of the last pickings. The representatives of the Bombay mill-owners and the local merchants who attended the sale were thoroughly pleased with the quality of cotton and believed that the stuff was similar to Navasari cotton except that the staple was rather rough and added that there will be no difficulty in realising good prices for this class of cotton up to 10,000 Nagas, and wished that the cultivation of this cotton should be extended. There were no complaints regarding the quality of seed, but it is absolutely necessary to renew every year a large quantity of Navasari seed to keep up the standard of staple and ginning percentage.* It is interesting to know that a man who had put out only 6 acres under •Broach cotton, realised Rs. 574 at Rs. 95 per acre. Cambodia Cotton. — The cultivation of this cotton has been tried in so many diverse localities that it is as well to collect all our scattered references under one head. Guzerat. — Mr. Mankad has supplied the following note on Cambodia prospects in North Guzerat as the result of his inspection in November last :■ — " Believing that the cultivation of Cambodia must have spread at Bawla, I went there on the 9th November, when I was informed that the cultivation was not undertaken during the present year. The glowing report on this cotton is said to have had some effect in a village called Vasna in the Dholka Taluka and it is reported that a few acres have been put under this cotton. It is a fact that Cambodia seed in these parts was sold at an enhanced rate, 5 to 6 rupees per maund of 40 lbs. * The ginning percentage this year, on the whole, seems to be high throughout. INSTITUTE AND COLLEGE, PUSA, FOB 1913-14. 121 The details of the three methods of cultivation of both, Bhuri and Cambodia, in the Goradu soil on the Nadiad Farm are as follows : — (1) Start given by two waterings from May. (2) Rain-fed. (3) Two waterings to be given after the cessation of rains. The new exotics were found attacked by wilt and aphides. White-ants had also destroyed a good many plants. Judging from the growth of the plants, the local cotton, Lalio, appeared more promising. Bhuri seems to be hardier and earlier in ripening (3 weeks) than Cambodia, but the low outturn combined with a low ginning percent- age and a weak fibre are the greatest objections to it. Cambodia tried at Shahpur near Petlad and at Cambay in the Kaira District also suffered from the attacks of leaf- rollers and aphides. The experimenters now report that the outturn is disappointing. I am inclined to think that the following points do not seem to appeal in favour of Cambodia :- (1) During the very first year of its trial in 1912-13 it gave a decidedly low ginning percentage on the Farm, and it seems doubtful whether it will keep up both in quality and ginning per- centage; these two factors are of vital import- ance in the successful cultivation of cotton. (2) Being a delicate variety, it is more susceptible to insect pests than the local cottons. (3) Unless cultivation extends fairly on a large scale there seem small prospects of establishing a market for the disposal of this kind of cotton. It is also a question how far the product will be kept thoroughly pure. (4) It seems difficult in practice to start the crop under (me or two waterings in May to get good returns. K 122 REPORT Oh THK AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH ^Irrigating the crop after the cessation of rains is likely to prolong the period of maturity." In the Cambay State, 4 acres were put out, yielding at the rate of 140 lbs. seed cotton per acre. The sample of the clean cotton was submitted to Messrs. Tata, Sons & Co., who remarked that " the cotton seemed to be carelessly picked and ginned. It has retained the length of fibre and silkiness. We value it on Dhollera Basis Rs. 10 below Dhollera at Rs. 250. We may mention that if it had been carefully picked and ginned, it would have fetched Rs. 265 per candy." In the Kaira District, at Shahpur also Cambodia was given a trial. The crop suffered badly from insects and no outturn figures were supplied, but the sample of the pro- duct was valued at Rs. 270, Cambodia on the day being at Rs. 290. Dhrangadhra (Kathiawar). — Half an acre of Cam- bodia from seed supplied by us yielded 12 maunds and 30 seers (510 lbs. of seed cotton), as an irrigated crop, whereas Kanvi local cotton yields 10 maunds (equal to 400 lbs.) for half an acre in open fields; a mill-owner estimates that Cambodia would fetch 16 per cent, more than the price of the local cotton. A sample of this Cambodia cotton was reported on as follows by Messrs. Tata, Sons & Co. : — It is out and out superior and is the best Cambodia of the samples examined to-day. We value it at Rs. 320, equal to Navasari and Rs. 5 over the basis of Madras Cam- bodia." Further trials are to be made this season in dry land. The auction sale of Cambodia cotton. — The auction sale of Cambodia cotton took place on the 19th April at Gadag. The area under this cotton was much limited during the year owing to its failure during the year 1912-13. Purified Madras seed was distributed in the Gadag and Ron Talukas of the Dharwar District. INSTITUTE AND COLLEGE, PUSA, EOR 1913-14. 123 About 500 to 600 acres were grown under Cambodia. Sowing took place in the middle of September. The season was not favourable to any class of cotton and I am inclined to think from personal observations that Cambodia comes out well in a bad season. In all 587 Dhokras (4 Dhokras make one Naga of 1,344 lbs.) were received at the auction Depot. The cotton was graded in 6 classes according to ginning percentages and realised the following prices per Naga of kappas (1,344 lbs.) : — Class. Special Class purified I TI III IV V Ginning percentage. Price. Rs. 37 an d above. 196 3G-5 157 35-5 180 34-5 177 33-5 172 32-5 166 | Except the special class other classes may have an ad- mixture of Uppam and Karunganni plants to a small extent and this may account for slightly low ginning percentage. The local cotton Dharwar American on the day stood at Rs. 126 per Naga of 1,344 lbs. N.B. — The cotton was perfectly clean but harsb to touch, staple also shorter than the standard of Cambodia. The cotton of the special class was thoroughly purified by the Department and it is intended to distribute seed of this class only, together with that received from the Gadag Farm. On the whole, the auction sale was a great success and Cambodia fetched very satisfactory prices. It is possible that the cultivation will considerably extend during the ensuing year. 124 REPORT. AGRI. RES. INSTITUTE ft COLLEGE, PFSA, 1913-14. Messrs. Tata, Sons & Co. have kindly furnished the actual valuations of all the five classes : — Specif 1 Class . I )> • II 51 • III )) • IV n • Rs. 275 280 200 270 285 Basis on 17th July 1914:- Madras Cambodia Sawginned . Wavasari Kumpta Being ginned not in ordinary gins but in sawgins, the staple seems to have been cut and cotton pre- Y sents a happy appear- ance. We value them on the basis of the value of sawginned ' at Rs. 270. Rs. 315 270 320 275 From the valuations, it will be seen that the trade appreciate the ginning percentage and not the quality so much. As in former years, I have to thank Messrs. Tata, Sons & Co. for the care and trouble they have taken in furnish- ing valuations of the numerous samples of cotton submitted to them. III. — Programme of work for the year 1914-15. (1) To visit and advise on points regarding cotton and its cultivation whenever requested to do so by Provincial Departments of Agriculture. (2) The study of the behaviour of Bourbon, Bhuri, Cambodia and other such cottons in non-cotton-producing tracts, as detailed in the last year's programme, will be con- tinued. (3) An enquiry on the manurial requirements of cotton will be continued. (4) Researches on the botany of cotton will be continued. J OAUU7TTA : PRINTED EY SUPDT. GOVT. PRINTING, INDIA, 8, HASTINGS STREET. REPORT OF THE Agricultural Research Institute and College, Pusa (Including the Report of the Imperial Cotton Specialist) 1914-15 CALCUTTA SUPERINTENDENT GOVERNMENT PRINTING, INDIA 1916 ^Price 8 annas or 9d, REPORT OF THE iVgricultural Research Institute and College, Pusa [Including the Report of the Imperial Cotton Specialist) 1914-15 CALCUTTA SUPERINTENDENT GOVERNMENT PRINTING, INDIA 1916 TABLE OF CONTENTS I. Eeport of the Director, Agricultural Eesearch Institute and College, Pusa — Page I. Charge and sta ff . 1 II. Work of the Institute 2 III. Publications . 4 IV. General administration 5 V. Accounts . 6 VI. Visitors ..... 7 II. Eeport of the Imperial Agriculturist — I. Administration and tours 8 II. Farm cultivation . 9 III. Live-stock . 10 IV. General ...... 10 V. Programme of work for 1915-16 11 Ill . Eeport of the Imperial Agricultural Che] nist — I. Administration and tours 12 II. Education .... 13 III. Meteorology . 13 IV. Soil problems • • ■ 13 V. Manures . i ' • • * 24 VI. Saltpetre . 25 VII. Feeding stuffs ■ 25 VIII. Sugar • • • 25 IX. Starch • • * 28 X. Milk « 29 XI. Programme of work for 1915-16 29 XII. Publications . 29 IV. Eeport of the Imperial Economic Botanists — I. Introduction .... 30 II. Investigations at Pusa 30 Wheat . 30 Wheat-breeding 34 Tobacco . • • • 34 USfURT ■ ' fiky 11 Indigo Gram Fibres Oilseeds Soil ventilation and drainage III. The development of the chistan agricult ure of Balu- Dry Farming Fodder crops Fruit investigations IV. Programme and publications V. Report of the Imperial Mycologist — I. Charge and establishment II. Training .... II. Diseases of plants . (1) Paddy . (2) Tobacco (3) Rubber (4) Sal tree (Shorea robusta) (5) Rhizoctonia (6) Anthracnose IV. Miscellaneous V. Systematic work VI. Programme of work for 1915-16 VII. Publications .... VI. Report of the Imperial Entomologist — I. Charge and establishment. II. Tours ..... III. Training ..... IV. Crop Pest and other investigations (1) Cotton Pests . (2) Sugarcane Borers (3) Garden Pests . (4) Parasites of Scale Insects (5) Parasites of Aleurodids . (G) Economic Aleurodidse (7) Pyrilla aberrans Page 34 37 38 40 4a 43 44 45 48 50 51 51 51 51 52 53 53 54 55 56 57 57 58 59 59 60 60 60 61 61 61 62 62 62 Ill (8) Nephotettix bipunctatus (9) Life-histories . (10) Insecticides (11) Stored grain pests (12) Silk (13) Lac (14) Bees V. Illustrations VI. Miscellaneous VII. Insect Survey VIII. Entomological Conference IX. Programme of work for 1915-16 X. Publications .... Page 62 63 67 67 67 68 69 70 70 70 71 72 72 VII. Report of the Imperial Pathological Entomologist — I. Administration II. Educational III. Research . IV. Miscellaneous (a) Lice (6) Bugs (c) Ticks (d) Mosquitos (e) Fruit-flies (/) Other Diptera V. Collaboration . VI. Programme of work for 1915-16 VIII. Report of the Imperial Agricultural Bacteriologist I. Administration and tours . H^ II. Training- ..... III. Soil Bacteriology IV. Special enquiries V. Programme of work for 1915-16 VI. Publications .... IX. Report of the Imperial Cotton Specialist — I. Charge and tours .... 74 74 74 75 75 75 76 76 76 76 77 77 78- 79 7£ 89 92 9.S 94 IV II. Cotton in the Provinces . (a) United Provinces of Agra and Oudk (6) Central Provinces . (c) Bombay .... (d) Madras .... (e) Burma .... III. Programme of work for 1915-16 Page 94 94 99 101 115 118 119 Report of the Agricultural Research Institute and College, Pusa, (Including the Report of the linperial Cotton Specialist) 1914-15, REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR. (Bernard Coventry, CLE.) I. Charge and Staff. Charge. I held charge of the office of Agricultural Adviser to the Government of India and Director, Agricul- tural Research Institute, Pusa, and Mr. Wynne Sayer, B.A., of the office of Assistant to the Agricultural Adviser to the Government of India throughout the year. Mr. A. C. Dobbs, B.A., who was the permanent Assist- ant to the Agricultural Adviser was transferred to Ranchi as Deputy Director of Agriculture under the Government of Bihar and Orissa on the 26th April 1915 and Mr. Sayer has been appointed to the post. Staff. The Chemical Section was in charge of Mr. J. W. Leather, V.D., F.I.C., during the year. Mr. Jatindra Nath Sen, M.A., Supernumerary Agricul- tural Chemist, has been posted at the Agricultural College at Sabour since September 1914 for research work. Mr. A. Howard, CLE., M.A., held the office of the Imperial Economic Botanist during the whole year. Gabrielle L. C Howard, M.A., has been appointed as Second Imperial Economic Botanist, from 10th February 1915. As in previous years Mr. and Mrs. Howard pro- ceeded to Quetta in May 1915 and will stay there for five months for work in connection with the development of the fruit industry in Baluchistan. 2 REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE Dr. E. J. Butler, M.B., the Imperial Mycologist, was on leave during the year. Mr. F. J. F. Shaw, B.Sc, Super- numerary Mycologist, who has been appointed to officiate as Imperial Mycologist was in charge of the Mycological Section. Mr. T. Bainbrigge Fletcher, F.E.S., F.Z.S., held charge of the Entomological Section. Mr. A. J. Grove, M.Sc, Supernumerary Entomologist, was on deputation to the Punjab to carry out work on grain pests and cotton boll-worm till 27th April 1915 when his services were terminated on expiry of his probationary period. Mr. F. M. Howlett, B.A., F.E.S., remained in charge of the Pathological Entomological Section during the year except for the period from 30th August to 22nd September 1914, when he was on privilege leave. The Bacteriological Section was in charge of Mr. C. M. Hutchinson, B.A., throughout the year. Mr. J. H. Walton, B.A., B.Sc, Supernumerary Agricultural Bacteriologist, has been appointed to the Indian Army Reserve of Officers. He left Pusa on the 4th June 1915 to join his duties in the Military Department. Mr. A. C. Dobbs, B.A., remained in charge of the Agri- cultural Section till 25th April 1915 when Mr. S. Milligan, M.A., B.Sc, on return from leave resumed charge of the duties of the Imperial Agriculturist. The two posts of Supernumerary Agriculturists are now vacant, as Mr. Sayer has been appointed as Assistant to the Agricultural Adviser to the Government of India from 26th April 1915, and the services of Mr. G. D. Mehta, L.Ag., B.A., Super- numerary Agriculturist, who was posted to Madras for training, were terminated on 31st March 1915, on the expiry of his probationary period. II. Work of the Institute. Scientific Work. The scientific work of the Institute during the period is indicated in the reports of the various sections. AND COLLEGE, PUSA, FOR 1914-15. 3 Training. The post-graduate course students continu- ed to receive training and short courses were also given in Sericulture and Lac culture. The probationary research assistant under the Agricul- tural Chemist to the Punjab Government referred to in the last year's report completed his training in Agricultural Bacteriology during the year under report and the student deputed by the Department of Agriculture, Central Provinces, is under training in the same section. An assistant deputed by the Indian Tea Association is also under training in Agricultural Bacteriology. In the Botanical Section a graduate of the Sabour Agri- cultural College deputed by the Bengal Department of Agriculture and a graduate of the Poona Agricultural Col- lege deputed by the Bombay Department of Agriculture completed their training in Botany during the year under report. The latter after finishing his course at this Insti- tute has proceeded to England with a scholarship from the University of Bombay for further training in plant-breed- ing work. A Fieldman deputed by the Principal, Agricultural College, Sabour, is undergoing training in Mycology in the Mycological Section. In the Entomological Section an assistant deputed by the Punjab Government and a private student who is a graduate of the Lyallpur Agricultural College are under training in general Entomology. Besides the regular students referred to above the fol- lowing visitors also worked in the laboratories : — Mr. B. L. Gupta, Professor of Biology, Reid Christian College, Lucknow, referred to in the last year's report, completed his course in Mycology and left on 8th July 1914. Mr. S. L. Ajrekar, B.A., Assistant Professor of Mycology, Poona Agri- cultural College, worked in the Mycological Laboratory from 28th October to 5th November 1914. b2 4 REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE Mr. Awati worked in the laboratory of the Pathologi- cal Entomologist for some time at the taxono- mies of Muscidce. III. Publications. The Agricultural Journal of India, Scientific Memoirs and Bulletins continued to be issued during the year. The Department published during the year 13 Memoirs and 14 Bulletins. Of these a fair number was contributed by the Provincial Departments. The memoirs continued to main- tain their standard of excellence and were much in request from scientific institutions abroad. The bulletins containing matters more of practical than scientific interest continued to be in good demand particularly in India. They covered a large range of subjects such as sugarcane crushing, sugar machinery and manufacture, bee-keeping, improvement of indigo cultivation and sericulture. Among these bulletins four were contributed by the Provincial Departments and one containing notes on sugar machinery and manufacture in Northern India is a report by Mr. Peter Abel, an autho- rity on the manufacture of sugar, who toured in this coun- try with a view to advise the Government of India in con- nection with sugar matters generally. The grant for pub- lications amounting to Rs. 29,000 has been made perma- nent. It has been decided to publish a revised edition of the Manual of More Deadly Forms of Cattle Disease in India. This useful manual was last revised in 1903, and opportunity has been taken to bring it up to date and to practically rewrite it. This will considerably add to its utility. As in the last two years, strictest economy was exercised with the result that it was possible to keep down expendi- ture within the sanctioned grant. But as the superior staff of the Department capable of making original investiga- tions is continually increasing, the volume of matter offered for publication will tend to increase when the present grant will be found inadequate. AND COLLEGE, PUSA, FOR 1914-15. 5 IV, General Administration. Buildings and Works. During the year under report the construction of two additional bungalows for European officers and the extension of the Pusa Library were com- pleted. Additional quarters for the subordinate staff of the Institute are under construction. The schemes for the installation of electric lights and fans in the European bungalows and the Rest House at Pusa and for the addi- tion of a female ward to the Pusa hospital as well as the proposal for a new ice machine at Pusa have been sanc- tioned. Library. The third edition of the catalogue of the Pusa Library will shortly be out. During the year under report over 500 volumes were added by purchase besides many foreign bulletins, memoirs, reports, etc., which are received in exchange from different parts of the world. Pusa Schools. The Middle English School was raised to the status of a High School on 2nd January 1915, and one of the long felt wants of the residents was thus satis- fied. The number of pupils attending the school at the close of the year was 185. It has a staff of one Head Mas- ter and 14 Assistant Masters and promises success. A Lower Primary Girls' School was also started on 20th Feb- ruary 1915. General Health of the Station. The general health of the station during the year under report continued to be good. Medical relief was afforded to 10,217 persons of whom 9,969 were treated in the out-patients' department and 248 admitted as indoor-patients. Ninety-one cases among the European officers and their families were attend- ed to. The daily average number of patients treated was 69-19 out- door and 12-14 in-door. Ten deaths occurred in hospital, some of these cases were brought to the hospital in rather advanced stages of disease, 6 REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE The epidemic of cholera, which broke out in the villages in the immediate vicinity of Pusa during the months of May and June, threatened to be a source of great danger. Immediate and successful measures were taken to prevent its entering the Estate, the chief of which was keeping of the water supply pure by disinfecting and cleaning of the wells. One hundred and ninety-eight surgical operations were performed of which 27 cases were major and 171 minor. Fourteen primary and four re-vaccinations were per- formed during the year. V. Accounts. The total expenditure during the financial year 1914-15 was Rs. 4,79,825 as under : — Us. Office of the Agriculture \\ Adviser to th( t Government of India and Director of the i Institute • . . . 2,03,046 Chemical Section • • 41,807 Mycological Section • . 25,015 Entomological Section • • • 43,142 Pathological Entomologies tl Section 25,662 Botanical Section. • • • . 38,220 Bacteriological Section * • • 31,592 Agricultural Section • • • Total . 71,341 4,79,825 Out of the grant of Rs. 1,10,000 for the development of the Indian Sugar Industry referred to in previous year's report, a sum of Rs. 35,000 was provided in the budget for 1914-15 for meeting the expenditure in connection with the engagement of Mr. W. Hulme as Sugar Engineer in the United Provinces. A sum of Rs. 15,000 was paid as grant-in-aid to the Indian Tea Association. The principal items of expenditure under the annual grant of Rs. 10,000 placed at the disposal of the Agricul- AND COLLEGE, PUSA, FOR 1914-15. 7 tural Adviser to the Government of India for special Agri- cultural Experiments were as follows : — Us. Purchase of two Ayrshire bulls for the Pusa Farm and the Agricultural Department, Central Provinces ..... 1,920 Contribution to the Bacteriological Section . 1,030 Distribution of Pusa wheat seed No. 12 in the United Provinces .... 4,000 Experimental cotton cultivation conducted by the Imperial Cotton Specialist . . . 1,500 Purchase of silk yarn for sericulture experi- ments at Pusa ...... 240 The gross receipts during the year from the sale of farm produce, milk, publications of this Department and other articles amounted to Rs. 16,843 as against Rs. 22,157 of the previous year. VI. Visitors. During the year under report His Highness the Maha- raja Bahadur of Darbhanga, the Hon'ble Sir Robert Car- lyle, K.C.S.I., C.I.E., I.C.S., Member-in- Charge of Revenue and Agriculture, Government of India, the Hon'ble Mr. Lallubhai Samaldas, C.I.E., Member of the Legislative Council of the Government of Bombay and Mr. A. E. English, CLE., Registrar of Co-operative Societies, Burma, and many others visited the Institute. REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE REPORT OF THE IMPERIAL AGRICULTURIST. (S. Milligan, M.A., B.Sc.) I. Administration and Tours. Mr. Dobbs continued in charge of the Agricultural Section until my return from combined leave on April 25th, 1915. The number of the Supernumerary Staff has been reduced to nil owing to the termination of Mr. Mehta's agreement and the appointment of Mr. Sayer to the post of Assistant to the Agricultural Adviser. Mr. McLean, Deputy Director of Agriculture, Bengal, and Mr. D. R. Sethi, Deputy Director of Agriculture, Bihar and Orissa, were posted to Pusa for preliminary training for periods of three and four months respectively. Mr. Judah Hyam, Veterinary Overseer, continued in charge of the breeding herds. Mr. L. S. Joseph, Veteri- nary Assistant, acted for him in addition to his own duties for one month. Mr. Md. Ikramuddin held the post of 1st Farm Over- seer during the year. He was on privilege leave for three months from 2nd January to 31st March 1915. Mr. Arjan Singh held the post of the 2nd Farm Over- seer throughout the year and officiated for the 1st Farm Overseer for three months from 2nd January to 31st March 1915 in addition to his own duties. Babu Brajaraj Mukerji, Fieldman, was promoted to the post of senior fieldman from 1st April 1915. Mr. Imdad Hoossain Khan has been appointed as a Fieldman on Rs. 50 — 5 — 75 on probation for three months from 15th May 1915. Mr. Dobbs visited Ranchi in October 1914 and the agricultural stations of Bengal, Bihar and Orissa, and the Central Provinces in December and January. AND COLLEGE, PUSA, FOR 1914-15. f» Mr. K. P. Roy from Bengal, attended the general course of instruction in Agriculture from 4th June to 16th September 1914. II. Farm Cultivation. Character of the season. The total rainfall of the season (June 1914 to May 1915) amounted to 54-88 inches. An abnormally heavy fall in August (28 inches) caused serious flooding in the lower lands and affected both the standing crops and the ensuing rabi crops. Crop Experiments. The field experiments dealing with the maintenance of soil fertility under a double crop- ping system (i.e., two crops per annum) by the use of manures, have been continued. The green manuring experiments in collaboration with the Imperial Agricul- tural Bacteriologist have been altered in accordance with the experience gained. A large expansion of " quantita- tive ' experimental work will not be possible for a lew years until the land recently laid out for this purpose has been properly tested. Cultivation. The Fowler's double engine tackle pur- chased in 1913 has proved its suitability to special circum- stances with careful supervision. As was pointed out by Mr. Dobbs in last year's report Pusa Farm is far from being ideal for the use of such machinery and much better economic results could undoubtedly be obtained under more favourable conditions. The tackle is, however, of parti- cular value at Pusa, with its large area under crop, in lightening the work of the supervising staff, and allowing of more concentration on experimental work and necessary improvements. The writer considers it premature to express any definite opinion as to the economic value of such tackle until correct figures can be worked out for depreciation and repairs which cannot be done while the machinery is new. Trials of a new type of motor plough were undertaken for the makers. Some modifications of the engine to suit 10 REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE the Indian climate have proved necessary and are being introduced. III. Live-Stock. Cattle Breeding. As mentioned in last year's annual report two herds are now being maintained at Pusa one of selected Sanhiwal (Montgomery) cows and their descend- ants, the other of cross-bred Avrshire- Sanhiwal cattle. As the breeding operations have since 1912 been based entirely on the milk records of the females the initial steps have been completed towards the building up of " milk pedigree " but results will not be apparent until the calves of the present generation have grown up. The cross-breeding operations with imported bulls must be considered as purely experimental, the primary object being to gain information regarding the transmission of characters, valuable or otherwise, of the exotic breed. Sheep Breeding. The operations as described in last year's report, viz., the crossing of local sheep with Merinos with a view to gaining information regarding the inherit- ance of wool characters, have been continued. There is nothing to report as the second generation of cross-breds has not yet been produced. IV. General. Drainage. A new protective drainage scheme has been completed. The Pusa Estate has now been provided with its own outlet to the river and a pumping station has been erected to deal with excess water in times of high river levels. The main drains of the low-lying area have been enlarg- ed. New roads have been made to improve the shape of the fields and a new field added to the experimental area. Experiments in puddling rice land with steam disc har- rows are in progress and arrangements have been made to control the irrigation and drainage of the rice area, AND COLLEGE, PUSA, FOR 1914-15. 11 V. Programme of work for 1915-16. The following are the lines of work in progress : — Major investigations. 1. The economics of cultivation by steam and motor engines. 2. The puddling of rice land by the double engine sys- tem of steam cultivation 3. The combination of irrigation and drainage in the growing of rice. 4. A study of inheritance of the more important charac- ters of dairy cattle by crossing. 5. The building up of milk pedigree in cattle by selec- tion. Minor investigations. 6. The inheritance of wool characters in sheep. 7. Experimental tillage in the growing of maize and sugarcane. 8. Improvement of pastures. 12 REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE REPORT OF THE IMPERIAL AGRICULTURAL CHEMIST. (J. Walter Leather, V.D., F.I.C.) I. Administration and Tours. Charge. The section was in my charge during the whole year. Establishment. Mr. Jatindranath Sen, the Super- numerary Agricultural Chemist, was posted to work at Sabour from September 1914. Babu Surendra Lai Das Gupta, M.Sc, was appointed a probationary assistant on 6th February 1915 and he promises to prove a useful addition to the staff. Babu Debendra Nath Chatter jee has been transferred to the office of the Chemical Examiner and Bacteriologist, United Provinces, from 7th June 1915. Babu Mahabir Prasad was appointed a probationary assistant from 6th April 1915, but has reverted to the Edu- cation Department of the United Provinces. Mr. G. K. Lele was dismissed in November 1914. Tours. The following tours were made by me : — 1. September 1st to 9th. To Indore to advise as to the nature of the local soils. 2. September 12th to October 18th. Hill recess, when a memoir on Soil Temperatures was written. 3. November 4th to 20th. Tests of the freezing points of milks were made at the military dairies at Lucknow and Allahabad. I also attended the camp-of-exercise of the United Provinces Horse. 4. December 29th to January 10th. I visited Peshawar in order to test sugarcane at the time it was put into clamps. 5. March 13th to 28th. I visited Peshawar again to test the sugarcane when being taken out of the clamps, And college, pusa, for 1914-15. i3 II. Education. No students have been admitted during the past year. III. Meteorology. In addition to the usual records for the Meteorological Department, records of (a) soil temperatures, {b) drainage, and (c) pressure by means of a barograph have been main- tained. IV. Soil Problems. Soil temperatures. The temperature of the soil is well known to have an important influence on the soil, chemi- cally and physically, but perhaps more especially on its biological activity, both with respect to the higher plant and lower organism. Moreover, since plant growth is principally confined to the upper two or three feet of soil, it is the temperature, and the temperature change, occur- ring in this stratum which is of importance. Several re- cords of soil temperature have been maintained by the Meteorological and Survey Departments, but these have related rather to the temperature change of considerable depths than to that of the uppermost soil. For these reasons it was decided in 1910 to maintain such a record at Pusa. The soil being a bad conductor of heat, it is to be expected that the chief diurnal temperature changes will occur within the first few inches. It was then evident that for a record of soil temperature to be of service, it must relate to planes near to the soil surface. The nature of the soil-surface had also to be considered. Commonly this is rough, including lumps of earth varying from one to several inches in diameter with open spaces between them. How would such an irregular surface affect a thermometrical instrument ? A further primary question was what effect would a growing crop have on soil-temperature changes ? It was originally desired to ascertain the temperature changes for exposed soil («) with a plain surface and (b) with a rough one, as well as for land bearing crops, but preliminary work showed that the diurnal variation in the first 3" of soil was so great that an irregularity of 1" caused 14 REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE by the presence or absence of any odd piece of earth over the thermometer, would seriously impair the record; that indeed it would be necessary to know the distance from the surface to the instrument to within 01" if the record was to be at all correct with reference to depth below the sur- face. For example, if two thermometers were placed at a nominal depth of 2" below the surface, and owing to rough cultivation of the soil above them, the actual depth or thick- ness of soil were altered to 1-5" and 2-5" respect- ively, these two instruments instead of registering the same temperature, say at midday, would actually show a difference of more than 1° C. The rough cultivation com- monly employed throughout India in the hot weather, which has been styled tw hot weather weathering," implies a surface much more irregular than that just exemplified, and it was almost immediately clear that any record which was maintained below a roughly cultivated surface would be valueless because of the impossibility to define the dis- tance from the surface to the instrument. The records maintained at Pusa have referred to the soil below (i) a smooth oare-fallow surface, and (ii) a similar surface on which crops were growing. The instruments employed were self-registering mercurial and alcohol thermometers of a good make, the errors being determined periodically. They were placed in tubes running horizontally below the soil surface at 1", 2", 3", 6", 9", 12", 18", and 24" deep. This arrangement is not what has been usual when observ- ing soil temperatures, instruments being commonly insert- ed vertically into the soil. The latter is open to criticism in several respects ; the instruments are exposed to the sun , they will generally possess a different, and often greater conductivity than the soil; the thermometer bulbs or sensi- tive part of a pyrometer indicates the mean temperature of the soil stratum in which it rests, and not that of a plain which is actually what is desired; if then the instrument is placed horizontally, this soil stratum is considerably thinner than if it is placed vertically in the soil, that is, this source of error is reduced. AND COLLEGE, PUSA, FOR 1914-15. 15 The information has been published as a Memoir of the Department of Agriculture in India (Chemical Series, Vol. IV, No. 2) and the principal items of information are as follows : — (a) In bare-fallow soil, (i) There are naturally both diurnal and seasonal changes of temperature. The former extends to between 1 ft. and 2 ft. from the surface; at 1 ft. deep it amounts about 1° C, but at 2 ft. it is doubtful whether it ever exceeds 01° C. in Bihar and probably never exceeds 0-2° C. in any part of India. Near the surface the diurnal change is very considerable. The seasonal change at 2 ft. deep amounts to about 13° C. The minimum temperature occurs in January and the maximum in May. (ii) There is a fairly close correspondence between the soil temperature at 1" deep, in bare- fallow soil, and the air (shade) temperature; approximately the soil-minimum is 2° higher and the soil- maximum 3° higher than the air temperature. (iii) There is a similar relation between the diurnal change of temperature in the soil and air; at 1" deep this change is about 1-5° C. greater in the soil than in the air. This diurnal change is least during the monsoon and greatest during the dry season, as is the case in the air. The amount of the change varies from 10° C. to 20° C. (iv) Regarding the soil-temperature at the surface this could not be ascertained directly, but judg- ing by collateral evidence, with a clear sky it probably rises to about 20° C. higher than the air (shade) maximum temperature during the day, and falls to approximately the air mini- mum at night. (v) The above relations are substantially independent of season, and since the range of temperatures at Pusa is considerable, it seems reasonable to if* REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE conclude that they would apply to soils general- ly in India. (vi) The temperature of the soil near the surface, (down to 3" or 4") is above the mean tempera- ture for only about 8 hours and below it for about 16 hours. (vii) The lag in temperature change is about 2 hours at 3" deep and about 8 hours at 18" deep. (viii) A change in the specific heat and conductivity of the soil due to change of proportion of water, does not always affect the maxima and minima. During the monsoon period when the soil con- tains very much more water than during the dry season, and when both its specific heat and conductivity are consequently very much greater, the relation between soil temperature and air (shade) temperature remains substan- tially unaltered. That a wet soil requires con- siderably more heat to raise its temperature 1° C. than does a dry soil is of course well understood, but apparently the period of ex- posure is sufficiently great to allow the soil's temperature to assume during the day or the night the same relation to the air temperature whether it is wet or dry ; the effect of increased conductivity counterbalancing that of increased specific heat. If, however, a heavy shower of rain falls on the desiccated soil of the hot weather, the conditions are different. Such showers are accompanied by a marked fall of air maximum temperature and the soil-maxi- mum falls in a corresponding degree. But the air humidity at this season rapidly falls after such showers and evaporation of moisture from the soil increases very greatly, causing a marked change in the soil-minimum. (b) In cropped land. The effect of a covering crop on the soil-temperature is naturally very marked, AND COLLEGE, PUSA, FOR 1914-15. 17 for it both prevents the surface soil from rising to the temperature which fallow land assumes, and also modifies the diurnal change. Thus whilst the temperature of exposed soil at 1" deep rises to about 3° C. above that of the air, that of cropped land is about 2° C. below it; and whilst the temperature of exposed soil at the surface rises to probably some 20° C. above that of the air, the corresponding figure for cropped land is only some 2° or 3° C. even in March, whilst in the rains it is actually lower than the air. Also in respect of diurnal change; at 1" deep, whilst exposed soil suffers a change of some 20° C. in March, that of cropped land is only about 13° C. at the same depth; and during the monsoon whilst exposed soil suffers a diurnal change of some 10° C. at V deep, that of cropped land is only about 3° to 4° C. Soil gases. For some time attempts have been made at Pusa to devise an apparatus by the aid of which the gases contained in a portion of undisturbed soil, taken from a specified depth, might be extracted, measured and analysed. Hitherto the gases contained in soils have been separated for analysis by inserting a tube into the soil and aspirating a portion of gas out of it. By this latter method contamination with the outside air is possible, the real situation from which the gases flow into the tube is uncer- tain, and the direct measurement of the gas per unit volume of soil is impossible. But if a portion of undisturbed soil could be taken from the field in a tool which could be subse- quently closed and provision made for attaching this to a pump, the volume of gas so obtained could be compared with the volume of the soil specimen taken from a specified depth and contamination with atmospheric air would be excluded. Although an apparatus for this purpose was designed several years ago and employed on some preli- minary work on soil gases, it was not free from imperfec- 18 REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE tions, and the more perfect one which has been employed for recent investigations was only designed and made in 1913. By its aid the gases contained in a known volume of soil taken from a specified depth below the surface can be separated, measured and analysed. One of the first questions that occurs is whether a finely divided material like a soil condenses much gas on its surface. A volume of soil will include mineral and organic matter, water and gases. The volume of soil in the apparatus above referred to can be measured; the volumes of the solid material, and of the water can be derived from their weight and density, that of the gas which is extracted can be measured. Some of the latter will be in solution in the water, but the volume of this can be calculated. Thus these various measurements yield on the one hand the volume of the soil ; on the other the volumes of solid material, water, gases. If there were no condensa- tion of gas by the soil material, the sum of the latter would equal the volume of the soil in situ. But if the soil mate- rial is able to condense gases, the sum of the several consti- tuents will exceed that of the soil. The measurements are naturally accompanied by some errors and it is not possible to say that the Pusa soil condenses no gas, but the propor- tion is certainly very small and is less than 4 per cent, of the total gas present. The amount of gas which the water in the soil dissolves is of great interest. In dry land soils, the only gas which dissolves to any material extent is carbon dioxide, the volumes of dissolved oxygen and nitrogen being too small to be of any consequence. By the aid of the work1 on the bicarbonates of calcium and magnesium which was done in this laboratory by myself and Mr. Sen, it is possible to calculate how much of the carbon dioxide is dissolved and in the gaseous state in the soil respectively. In fallow soil in all ordinary conditions very much the greater part of the carbon dioxide is in the dissolved state. 1 Mem. Dept. Agric. Ind., vol. I, no. 7, and vol. Ill, no. 8, AND COLLEGE, PUSA, FOR 1914-15. 19 In the case of swamp paddy soil gases, the amount of dissolved oxygen and nitrogen has an important bearing. Messrs. Harrison and Subramania Aiyer have given reasons' for assuming that the dissolved oxygen is of importance both to the surface film and to the roots of the plant below. Calculations regarding the sources of the nitrogen in the gases have shown that probably about one-third of it is derived from the dissolved nitrogen of the irrigation water. Regarding the examination of soil gases generally it is of importance not merely to ascertain the proportions of oxygen and carbon dioxide present. Although our know- ledge of the biology of the soil is so imperfect, the general conclusion that oxygen is commonly used up in the produc- tion of carbon dioxide is no doubt justified, but the ordi- nary gas analysis might not show whether oxygen was being utilized in other ways. Again percentages of oxygen and nitrogen do not themselves show whether there has been an absorption of the one or an evolution of the other. For example supposing nitrogen gas were being liberated the effect would be an increased per cent. N, a decreased per cent. 0; but these figures would not show whether oxygen was being absorbed by the soil or nitrogen liberated. An important case of this nature is the origin of the nitrogen in paddy land gases. Messrs. Harrison and Subramania Aiyer after discussing the matter2 by means of indirect evidence, concluded that a part of the nitrogen in these gases was derived from the organic matters of the soil and manure, but a means of directly testing the question was clearly of importance. Such a question could be solved by the estimation of a gaseous element which takes no part in biological processes. The gases present in the soil are derived from (i) the outside atmosphere and (ii) the pro- ducts of biochemical change. Hence if the nitrogen in the soil were derived solely from the atmosphere, its ratio to the rarer elements, argon, helium, etc., in the soil gases should be the same as in the atmosphere, whilst if nitrogen 1 Mem. Deft. Agric. Ind., vol. Ill, no. 3, p. 81. 3 Loc. cit., p. 82. c2 20 REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE gas were being produced from organic matters or if it were being assimilated by a plant, its ratio to the rarer elements would be altered. The estimation of the proportion of argon in soil gases offered a probable solution of some of the above indicated questions. Argon takes no part in animal or vegetable economy, and except for very slight possible alterations due to diffusion, its ratio to oxygen and nitrogen in the soil would be the same as that in the air. unless these latter gases were absorbed or liberated during biochemical change. The atmosphere contains only 0-93 per cent. A against about 79 per cent. N, and since the accuracy of the estimation of the one depends on that of the other, the probable error in the ratio is not inconsiderable, but nevertheless as an aid to the examination of soil gases, the argon determination has proved of great use. Mr. Harrison very kindly sent me samples of the gases obtained from paddy lands and the result of the analyses was to show quite conclusively that nitrogen gas is liberated in these lands from the organic matters. The N : A ratio in atmospheric air is 83, whilst those found in the paddy land gas varied from 92 to 98. Moreover it has to be realized that the outside air is so perfectly excluded that, apart from any nitrogen evolution in the soil, the nitrogen and argon in these gases are largely derived from the dissolved gases in the water, in which the N : A ratio is 33. Hence the conclusion was admissible that a high propor- tion of the nitrogen in these gases is derived from the decomposition of the organic matters. In other cases the N : A ratio has not proved so service- able as was at first hoped. The assimilation of nitrogen gas by Papilionacece is a case in point. It is usually assumed that the assimilation, by these plants of a part of their nitrogen is effected indirectly by the agency of the bacterium, Bac. radicicola in the root nodules, but the assumption lacks direct experimental proof. Allowing the truth of the assumption, then the N : A ratio would fall in the gases present in the neighbourhood of the roots of such plants. As a matter of fact nearly all the N : A ratios AND COLLEGE, PUSA, FOR 1914-15. 21 found for samples of such gases were low, but unfortun ately it is not possible to determine this ratio very pre- cisely, and the difference actually found had to be referred to probable error. In addition, subsequent considerations of the quantities of nitrogen involved indicated that it is doubtful if the question of the assimilation of this element by the roots of Papilionacece can be solved by the N : A ratio. Another question naturally arises, namely, whether other gases than carbon dioxide or nitrogen are produced in soils ? The gases of swamp rice-land include much hydro- gen and methane, but the conditions are anaerobic and the general opinion has been that in ordinary dry-land soils such gases would not be produced. For example recent samples of gases from Rothamsted soils1 were found to be free, or substantially free, from hydrogen and hydrocar- bons. In some of the Pusa soil gases small, though well defined, amounts of hydrogen were present. This was the case particularly in the neighbourhood of the roots of crops, san hemp, indigo, maize, and must be referred to bacterial activity. In the same situations very large proportions, 16 to 20 per cent., of carbon dioxide, and low proportions — 2 to 4 per cent. — of oxygen were found. Such propor- tions of these gases have not been met with elsewhere in the neighbourhood of crops, but it is to be recollected that the subject is one which has been hardly investigated hitherto and indicates a very intensive activity of lower organisms at least during the monsoon in India. The conditions during a period of rapid nitrate forma- tion are again very interesting. When discussing the drainage of rain water through soils, 2 evidence was adduc- ed showing that intensive nitrification in the first few inches of soil followed immediately after the first heavy rain of the monsoon, in 1910; this occurred similarly in 1911 and 1914. During this process considerable amounts of oxygen are required, and calculation showed that this 1 Jour. Agric. Sci., VII, 4. a Mem. Dcpt. Agric. Ind., Chemical Series, vol. II, no. 2. 22 REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE oxygen could hardly be accounted for by that which was present in the soil. Other experiments showed that this soil utilizes under such conditions even much more oxygen than that required for the nitrate formation. On the other hand analyses of the gases in 1914 showed that despite the large amount of oxygen required, the percentage of this element in the soil was nearly normal. It became evident therefore that a sufficient supply of oxygen must have been diffusing into the soil from the atmosphere. The process of diffusion of gases through soils has been generally believed to be a very slow one. Direct experimental evidence on the subject is limited to that of E. Buckingham * who concluded that there was a direct relation between the " porosity " of a soil and the rate at which gases could diffuse through it. The " porosity " he defined as that fraction of the whole volume of soil which is occupied by gases. He defined any particular portion of soil as unity and the " porosity " is therefore less than unity. Soils commonly include as gas some 20 to 40 per cent, of their volume, and the " porosity " in such cases varies from 0-2 to 0-4. Buckingham considered that the equation : D = K S2 was sufficiently accurate to define the quantity of a gas diffusing through a known column, (or depth) of soil, under known gradient; and that this quantity is less than would diffuse if no soil were present by the square of the porosity. The results of such experimental work should, if possible, be checked by independent evidence, but the difficulty is to provide such independent evidence. Buckingham's equation was applied to several of the cases which have formed the subject of the work on soil gases at Pusa, and in some respects at least it is supported. For example where green manure was applied during the monsoon, the calculation showed that 0-0658 c. dm. of C02 was leaving the soil per sq. dm. per day during the first 10 1 Contributions to our knowledge of the aeration of soils by E. Buckingham ; U. S. Deft. Agri. Bur. soils, Bull. no. 25, Washington, 1904. AND COLLEGE, PUSA, FOR 1914-15. 23 days. Assuming a uniform rate of decomposition, the whole of the green manure would be oxidized in about 95 days. There is, however, reason to suppose that the rate would fall off as time went on, so that as an independent test of the reliability of the equation, it may be considered to support it very well. Again the calculated amount of carbon dioxide production in soils in which nitrification was in progress agreed very fairly with what was experi- mentally determined under controlled conditions in the laboratory. On the other hand calculations for the volumes of oxygen diffusing into the soil yielded unexpectedly high figures. One cannot go further with the matter at pre- sent, but it is at least certain that the process is a much more rapid one than is commonly supposed. The value of good cultivation of the surface soil has been usually attributed to the fact that by stirring the soil, gaseous interchange is suitably accelerated, carbon dioxide is allowed to escape and oxygen to enter. It is often easy to suggest an explanation which on paper bears the neces- sary " hall-mark," but it is somewhat remarkable that among the many who have accepted this explanation for the advantage of good cultivation, none appears to have considered that much deeper stratum of soil — several feet in thickness — which is never disturbed by cultivating implements but in which crop roots develop freely and which it is equally necessary to aerate. If for efficient gaseous interchange it is necessary to plough the top 6'', it should be similarly necessary to plough the succeeding several feet of soil ! So long as one is content to accept the proved value of good cultivation without attempting to give explanations for its advantage, the position is unassailable ; but if one goes further and states that the explanation is that thereby objectionable carbonic acid is released from or valuable oxygen admitted into the soil, the premises are very readily open to criticism. Even allowing Bucking- ham's experimental work to have been a good deal in error, the consideration of the cases which have been examined at Pusa shows that, so far as aeration is concerned, the culti • U REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE vation of the surface soil might be omitted altogether; its well established value must be referred to other causes. A memoir on the subject is now in the press. V. Manures. Village ashes. Owing to the war the supply of potash salts from Stassfurt has ceased and since these mines have formed the chief source of the world's potash supply lor a number of decades, the price of all potash salts has risen seriously. India is not a large consumer of potash salts, but there is a small steady demand for such among the tea and coffee planters of Southern India, and it was thought to be worth while to examine samples of village ashes obtained from the several provinces in order to ascertain whether potash could be economically extracted from them. Seventeen samples were examined and the percentage of potash varied from about 1 to 10 per cent. From one quarter to two-thirds of this is frequently soluble in water. The re- mainder could be extracted by the agency of strong acid, but this could not possibly pay. The water soluble potash could be readily and very cheaply extracted in a manner similar to that employed for the extraction of saltpetre from earths. The evaporation of the water, in order to obtain the crude potash salt, would require relatively a good deal more fuel than is required for the evaporation of the crude saltpetre liquors, and since the crude potash salts obtained per 100 Ho. of water evaporated would not be worth nearly as much as the corresponding quantity of crude saltpetre, and since also the latter operation hardly pays the nuniah to continue his industry, I concluded that it is very doubtful if the manufacture of crude potash salt from village ashes could succeed. It seems probable that tea and coffee planters who require potash salts could most readily supply the present deficiency by either burning waste timber on their own estates or by doing so in the nearest forest, and putting the wood ashes direct on the land, or possibly after first AND COLLEGE, PUSA, FOR 1914-15. 25 treating the ashes with a limited amount of sulphuric acid. A note has been submitted on this subject.3 VI. Saltpetre. The experiments on the improvement in methods for refining saltpetre have progressed considerably during the past year and there is now every reason to hope that by the use of a filter press and other appliances the outturn of re- fined saltpetre will be considerably greater than is usually obtained by refiners. VII. Feeding Stuffs. A considerable number of specimens of cattle foods have been analysed during the year more particularly on behalf of the military authorities. It is intended to issue these and other analyses shortly in the form of a bulletin. VIII. Sugar. Sugarcane. The nature of the sugar investigations which have been in progress during the past three years at Tarnab, Peshawar, was explained at length in my last annual report. The only additional work which has been done during the past year consisted in a test, on a large scale, of the safety of " clamping " large quantities of sugarcane. It will be recollected that from the manufac- turing point of view the advantage of being possibly able to preserve sugarcane over the months of February to April was recognized and experiments with small lots of sugar- cane were made during the cold weather of 1913-14. These indicated that the local sugarcane could be so preserved until at least sometime in March without suffering serious depreciation. It had to be recognized, however, that in order to draw a safe deduction the tests should be made with large quantities of cane such as would probably occur in practice, because the conditions in small heaps would be different in some respects; the weight of cane in a large heap would subject the cane at the bottom to a greater 1 Indian Trade Jour. July 23rd, 1915. 26 REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE pressure than would occur in a small heap ; the care which could be economically devoted to the handling of a large quantity of cane might not be sufficient to prevent consider- able breakage of cane, resulting in a possibly serious amount of rotting ; it was also desirable to estimate the cost of clamping. Accordingly Mr. Robertson Brown arranged to calmp two lots of sugarcane in January, the one from approxi- mately an acre and weighing about 20 tons, the other from half an acre and weighing about 16 tons. The former was " striped Mauritius," the latter " local pounda " cane. These two lots of cane were put into the clamps during the 1st week of January and the clamps were opened and tested during the third week of March, that is after a period of about 10 weeks. In the following table the chief data are set out, from which it will be seen that the amount of change suffered by the cane was nominal. Striped Mauritius Local pounda January 1-74 71-6 1319 0*83 16-1 84-7 March January March Weight per cane (lb.) .... Juice per cent. . ..... Sucrose ~\ r r per 100 parts of juice. Invert sugar 3 ( Co-efficient of, purity .... 1-79 657 12*11 0-73 14*8 ^84-6 1-78 73-1 12-34 1-29 153 83-6 191 711 11-20 1-04 145 81-5 These two experiments leave no doubt that sugarcane can be safely preserved in clamps until the end of March at Peshawar without suffering any serious loss. The number of canes which rotted in the clamp was very small; rotting was quite definitely restricted to cane which had been accidentally cut or broken and did not extend beyond the originally damaged part, nor did it spread to sound cane. No sound cane was damaged at all. AND COLLEGE, PUSA, FOR 1914-15. 27 Mr. Robertson Brown and the writer have discussed the practicability of employing this process on the large scale for the advantage of a factory. There is no doubt that it is rather more troublesome to take cane up by the roots than to cut it off; there is also the cost of putting the cane into clamps, and the cost of taking it out again. Altogether apparently this increased cost would come to about one anna per maund of cane. On the other hand it is to be realized that a factory situated in this part of India could certainly afford to pay somewhat more for cane in February and March rather than stop working altogether, for in the latter event the whole of the more expensive staff is kept idle and the daily paid labour becomes dispersed. It is therefore by no means necessarily the case that because it costs something to put cane into clamps, it would not pay everyone concerned to employ the process. Estimates were obtained during the year for a small sugar factory fitted for working beet and cane and capable of producing from 1 to 2 tons of sugar per day. These were submitted to the Agricultural Officer, North- West Frontier Province. Briefly the factory would cost about Rs. 1,50,000 erected; the annual running charges would come to : — Rs. Wages, etc. 10,000 Cost of 900 tons of cane . . . 9,150 Cost of 900 tons of beet .... 10,800 29,950 whilst the value of sugar produced (155 tons) would be about Rs. 33,480. The total sugar annually imported into the North- West Frontier Province is about 9,000 tons which is either consumed locally or re-exported to other frontier countries. Some of this sugar could be easily grown and manufactured locally without in any way seriously affecting the local production of gur, which is considerably greater, namely, about 35,000 tons. 28 REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE Cocoa-nut " milk." At the request of the Chief Com- missioner of the Andamans and Nicobar Islands the milk of cocoa-nuts was examined with a view to ascertaining whether it possesses potential commercial possibilities. About twelve lakhs of nuts are utilized annually in the Jail, but for the milk there is no commercial outlet and it is thrown away. It is only a weak solution of sugars and other carbohydrates with small amounts of proteids. The sample sent to Pusa contained 01871b. sucrose, 00561b. glucose and 02581b. of other matters, mostly gums, per gallon of the milk. Boiled down to the dry state it formed a very pleasant tasting *' toffee," but it could not possibly pay to conduct this process on the manufacturing scale. IX. Starch. During the year my attention has been directed to the possibility of economically manufacturing starch from Indian materials. One of the results of the war has been to cut oft' some of the usual sources of manufactured starch, resulting in enhanced prices. The process involved in starch manufacture is extremely simple, but in order to be financially successful the raw material must be cheap and the factory machinery both efficient and well run. This implies expensive manage- ment which can only be economically applied for large quantities of starch. Among Indian raw materials which could possibly fulfil the requirements of the industry, is the sweet potato, {Ijjomoea batatas,) which is cultivated widely in Bihar, yields well per acre at small cost, comes into the market at several different seasons and some varieties contain upwards of 20 per cent, starch. Experiments have there- fore been commenced on the subject of starch manufacture generally and primarily from this material in particular. A very good quality of " farina " can be readily prepared from it. AND COLLEGE, PUSA, FOR 1914-15. 29 X. Milk. Detection of added water in milk. The value of the freezing point of milk as a means of detecting added water was referred to in my last annual report. It was there explained that the value of the test could only be given serious weight after determining the freezing point of a considerable number of milks of known purity, and if the variation were then found to be sufficiently small. I took the opportunity when on tour to apply the test to a further number of milks at dairy farms, and although the variation of freezing point among milks of Indian cattle is greater than has been found elsewhere, there is no doubt that it forms a much more delicate test for added water than those hitherto employed. It is proposed to publish a note on the subject shortly. XI. Programme of work for 1915-16. Major1 subjects : — 1. Records of the amount and nature of drainage water from fallow land, and land bearing crops are maintained. 2. Experiments on possible improvements in the refin- ing of saltpetre will be continued. 3. The relation between the transpiration of water by plants and the assimilation of plant material during the period of growth will be examined. 4. An examination of the proportion of starch in some of the Indian starch producing crops will be made and their possible utility from the manufacturing standpoint will be considered. Minor subjects : — None. XII. Publications. ] . Indian Village Ashes as a Source of Crude Potash Salts, by J. Walter Leather. The Indian Trade Journal, xxxriii, p. 132. 30 REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE REPORT OF THE IMPERIAL ECONOMIC BOTANISTS. (A. Howard, CLE., M.A. and Gabrielle L. C. Howard, M.A.). I. Introduction. The Imperial Economic Botanist held charge of the section during the year under review. On February 10th, 1915, the Personal Assistant was promoted by the Secretary of State, on the recommendation of the Government of India, to the post of Second Imperial Economic Botanist. The work of the staff continues to be satisfactory. The post of Fourth Assistant was filled by the appointment of Chowdhri Ram Dhan Singh, who was confirmed after twelve months' service as a probationer. The good work of the Second Assistant, Maulvi Abdur Rahman Khan, was rewarded during the year by a substantial increase in pay. At Quetta, Overseer Chandu Lall has made satis- factory progress. Two advanced students, from Bombay and Bengal respectively, worked for a session in the section. The former then proceeded to England, having obtained a scholarship for three years for plant-breeding work; the latter has been recommended for trial in the Bengal Agricultural Department as a probationer. II. Investigations at Pusa. Wheat. Pusa 12. In the last report, a detailed account was given of the successful trials by cultivators of Pusa 12 in the chief wheat-growing provinces of India and of the initial steps contemplated in the establishment, on a com- mercial scale, of an improved grade of white wheat. During the year under review, considerable progress has AND COLLEGE, PUSA, FOR 1914-15. 31 been made in both these directions and important results have been obtained. In connection with the trials of Pusa 12 by the ryots in the various wheat-growing areas, the results obtained in the United Provinces are perhaps the most important. The season in these provinces was not a very favourable one for wheat. The rains ceased early and, in many Dis- tricts, the crop had to be sown in too warm a seed-bed. The winter rains were late and although there was a marked improvement in February, this was speedily followed by long continued wet weather which brought on rust and seriously diminished the yield. Under these adverse conditions, Pusa 12 did well and stood out conspicuously from the country wheats. The general results are thus summed up by the Director of Agriculture in " United Provinces Agricultural Notes for March, 1915 " which appeared in the Pioneer of April 11th last. " Pusa No. 12 wheat, of which a considerable area is now grown over different parts of the Provinces, has done well everywhere. It has shown itself relatively rust- resisting, and has given a good yield even in the worst affected districts. This feature has attracted particular attention in a year like the present, and there is little doubt about its rapid spread in future." In the previous wheat year, 1913-14, a season of short moisture, Pusa 12 did much better than the country wheats as it was able to ripen a good crop with com- paratively little moisture. Shortness of moisture during the growth period, the early cessation of the rains (leading to a warm seed-bed and subsequent liability of the seedlings to wither and to be destroyed by white ants) and long continued wet weather after the crop comes into ear (giving rise to serious attacks of rust) are the chief factors which limit the yield of wheat in the Gangetic alluvium. From the point of view of the testing of a new variety in this tract, the two seasons, 1913-14 and 1914-15, have been very favourable ones as, in both cases, adverse factors have been experienced. In both years, Pusa 12 has shown a 32 REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE marked superiority over the local wheats and these facts must be regarded as of the greatest promise for the future of this variety. During the year, the best yield of Pusa 12 so far re- ported was that obtained by Mr. Clarke at the new Sugar- cane Experiment Station at Shahjahanpur, where over 500 maunds of seed were obtained from an area of 16^ acres, although a portion of this was badly lodged by rain and wind just after the crop came into ear. This outturn is over 30 maunds or 40 bushels an acre. Very good returns were also obtained on the private farms of the Taluqdars of Oudh as well as in other parts of the Provinces. The results clearly show that it is possible to produce in India wheats which combine both high yield and good quality when grown by the people themselves. Progress has been made in the work relating to the shipment of Pusa 12 for trial by the Millers of the United Kingdom. This side of the work is being carried out in the Central Circle of the United Pro- vinces with the co-operation of Mr. B. C. Burt, Deputy Director of Agriculture, who is working to replace the country wheats by Pusa 12 from certain centres near Cawn- pore. The surplus will be bought up by Government and shipped by Messrs. Ralli Brothers who, with Mr. Humph- ries, have undertaken to bring this wheat to the notice of the Home Millers so that they may have an opportunity of getting first hand experience of its qualities and behaviour. In the District work, the Co-operative Credit movement has been utilized as well as Court of Wards' estates and large zamindars. In spite of the shortness of seed from Bihar and the disinclination of the ryots to sell their surplus produce, a beginning has been made during the present year and the first parcel was sent to London in June iast. In 1916, it is hoped to send larger quantities and to organize the work in such a manner that certain of the local wheat markets will in time be able to supply pure Pusa 12 to the shippers. The work in the Central Circle of the United Provinces in attempting to replace a country crop by a AND COLLEGE, PUSA, FOR 1914-15. S3 new variety of better quality is an important undertaking which, if successful, will be a distinct step in advance. Up to the present, what has been done has been to produce improved wheats and to test them under cultivators'' conditions. The next stage is to replace the country crop by the new kind and, while this is in progress, to convince the Home Millers that India can produce much more valuable wheats than those now exported. Once a large area is completely replaced, the wheat trade can supply itself and fraudulent admixture with local wheat will be rendered difficult. Besides Pusa 12, two other new wheats, No. 4 and No. 6, are proving useful in certain parts of India. Where the supply of soil moisture is limited and where the general conditions require a rapidly maturing wheat, Pusa 4 is meeting a long-felt want. This variety possesses strong straw, good grain and is also practically immune to yellow rust. In Bundelkhand, it is being successfully distributed to the cultivators by Mr. Burt. As a cover crop for Java indigo in Bihar, this variety is also likely to be of use. The kind, however, which appears to suit Bihar best as a single crop is No. 6, which for the last few years has done exceedingly well on the Belsund estate. It is practically immune to both the common rusts in Bihar and seems to thrive even under adverse conditions. With the spread of drainage in Bihar, it will be possible to extend the cultivation of wheat and to make sure of a fair crop even in unfavourable seasons. In addition to the results obtained in India, the new Pusa wheats have been tried with success in other countries. In the Argentine, where the ordinary crop is often damaged by hot winds before harvest, Pusa 12 and Pusa 4 have given good results and a stock of seed is being worked up for distribution on the Government farms. Equally favourable reports have been obtained from Australia and the Sudan. It seems probable that, in addition to India, Pusa will prove of use as a wheat-breeding station for the warmer wheat-growing areas of the world. P 34 REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE Wheat-breeding. Considerable progress has been made during the year in still further improving Indian wheats in the direction of increased rust-resistance, better standing power and higher yield. The past year has been perhaps the worst for wheat so far experienced at Pusa. The root development was poor, due to the warmth of the sub-soil, and, after the crop came into ear, the wet weather was followed by an epidemic of rust. Notwithstanding these adverse conditions, a good many of the cultures were not affected by either of the three rust fungi which attack wheat in Bihar. These new wheats are now in the fifth generation and are practically fixed. Tobacco. The demand for seed of the cigarette tobacco, Type 28, continues to increase and a large quantity was distributed during the year. It will be necessary to raise still larger quantities of this seed in future years to meet the ever increasing demand. The seed was cleaned and separated into two grades before issue by a special machine on the principle of a corn dresser. All light and poorly matured seeds are removed and the resulting seed- lings are stronger and more robust than those raised from ordinary untreated seed. The tobacco seed is so minute that only those individuals which are heavy and well filled contain sufficient reserve material for producing rapidly- growing seedlings. During the year, the practical results obtained in the cultivation and curing of tobacco were published as a bulletin. These have been referred to in previous reports and it is unnecessary to repeat them here. The experiments connected with improved methods of raising tobacco seed- lings and with green-manuring for this crop are being continued. Progress has been made during the year in tobacco breeding and in the study of the inheritance of characters in both N. tabacum and N. rustica. Indigo. A considerable amount of progress was made in the indigo investigations which enabled definite recom- AND COLLEGE, PUSA, FOR 1914-15. 35 mendations to be placed before the planting community. A study of the so-called wilt disease, which has been responsible for the great diminution of area under Java indigo in Bihar in recent years, led to the realization of the important part played by the root nodules in the general economy of the plant and also in the production of indican. This in turn made it possible to perceive the factors on which the yield of indigo depends and to work out improved methods of production both of indigo and of indigo seed. Indigo wilt was found to be the last phase in a star- vation process which always takes place in this crop when the work of the root nodules is seriously interrupted. Wilt may be produced in two quite different ways. In the first place, when indigo has been subjected to long continued wet weather, resulting in a waterlogged condition of the ground and in an insufficient supply of air for the roots and nodules, the plants cease to thrive, growth slows down and the characteristic unhealthy foliage associated with wilt is produced. Such plants die slowly without setting seed and when the wilted condition has been reached are found to have lost most of their nodules and feeding roots. In the second place, wilt is produced in healthy plants growing in soil where there is plenty of air and moisture, when the nodules are suddenly deprived of their food supply. If rapidly growing Java indigo, sown in August for seed, is cut down to the ground in October, most of the plants die and only a few make fresh growth. In the majority of cases, this new growth is wilted and such plants maintain themselves during the cold weather with the greatest difficulty. Examination of the roots, soon after the cutting back, shows that the nodules are in a moribund condition. These results enabled improved methods of cultivation and of seed-growing to be devised, which were immediately tried and found successful on the indigo estates themselves. The secret of success in the cultivation and manage- ment of both Java and Sumatrana indigo has been found d2 36 REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE to be efficient surface cultivation in the hot weather com- bined with drainage in the monsoon. The hot weather cultivation, for which suitable implements have been introduced into Bihar, enables the crop to obtain an ample air supply and also leads to the destruction of weeds and to a great saving in the cost of production. Surface drainage on the Pusa system, by preventing the flow of surplus rain water over the indigo fields, assists in main- taining the essential air supply to the roots and nodules and so tends to increase the growth and to prevent wilt. The adoption of these methods on the Dholi estate for the 1914 crop led to a record yield both of finished indigo and of seeth. The discovery of the nature of the wilt disease also led to a method of growing the seed of Java indigo which is rapidly being taken up all over Bihar. Formerly, the old indigo crop was kept over the cold weather and seed was collected from these plants. This placed the planters at the mercy of the season as, in many cases, the crop became so weak from wilt that it produced only a small quantity of poor seed. At the same time, very large areas had to be set aside for seed which became very foul with weeds. The new method makes the planter independent of the season and leads to the certain production of well-grown seed from a comparatively small area which can easily be kept in a clean condition. For seed, Java indigo must be sown in early August in high-lying, well-drained fields which are in good condition. The plants must be well- cultivated and properly spaced so that they grow rapidly and come into flower towards the end of October. At this period, the weather is warm and dry, bees are abundant and all the conditions for pollination are present. This method was adopted on the Dholi estate for the 1915 harvest when a very fine crop of seed of over eleven maunds to the acre was obtained. The land was afterwards kept through the hot weather and yielded crops of leaf in the ordinary way. The provision of a better cover crop for Java indigo has enabled several estates in Bihar to reduce the cost of AND COLLEGE, PUSA, FOR 1914-15. 37 cultivation. A new variety of wheat, Pusa 4, has been introduced which can be grown with indigo on high lands. This wheat is a rapid grower, does not tiller much, has a strong straw and is provided with few leaves. On this account, the young indigo plants get a full supply of light and air and the two crops do very well together. It is hoped later on, when this new wheat spreads, to establish a grade for the Calcutta market. Among the items of investigation now in progress with regard to indigo may be mentioned the selection work on Java and Sumatrana and the experiments devised to increase the efficiency of seeth as a manure. New varieties of Sumatrana and Java indigo are being tried this year on an estate scale and the results will be dealt with later. Evidence has been obtained that a part of the value of seeth in tobacco growing is its power of aerating the soil and of providing the soil organisms and the roots of the tobacco with an adequate supply of air. If this is con- firmed, seeth can probably be made to go further by adding the proper proportion of broken tiles (thikara) to the soil. The progress that has already been made in the indigo investigations indicates that the prospects of resuscitating the industry are very favourable. The competition of the synthetic product has, for the time, been removed, a period of high prices has set in which will be the means of establishing confidence and of putting the estates whiclj are growing indigo into order. The value of the industry to Bihar agriculture is considerable. Seeth is an excellent manure and the part played by the Java plant in the rotation in aerating the subsoil is much greater than is commonly realized. Apart from all the other aspects of indigo growing, the industry is well worth saving from the point of view of the welfare of the people and of the maintenance of the fertility of the soil. Gram. For some years, a botanical study of the varieties of gram, cultivated in India, has been in progress at Pusa and a good deal of work has been done on the general requirements of this crop as regards soil and culti- 38 REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE vation. A considerable volume of results has been obtained which has now been arranged for publication. As in Java indigo, the well-being of the crop depends to a very large extent on the physical condition of the soil and on a copious supply of air to the nodules and roots. The results obtained, on different classes of soil in the Botanical area, explain both the present geographical distribution of gram in India as well as the dependence of the yield of seed on the season. The two chief climatic conditions which limit the yield are heavy rains, which produce surface crusts and deprive the roots of air, and damp weather at flowering time which interferes with pollination. Self-pollination is the rule in gram at Pusa but instances of natural cross- ing occasionally occur. Twenty-five types, differing widely in habit and yielding-power, have been isolated which are now being tested for yield under varying conditions. One interesting fact has already come out of these variety trials, namely, the union of high yield and good quality in the same variety. Type 9, grown at Pusa for the last four years on a large scale, on widely varying soils and in very differ- ent seasons, has given an average yield of just over twenty maunds per acre. This is the second highest average out- turn, the best being that of twenty maunds thirty-three seers yielded by Type 18. Taking both yield and quality into consideration, however, and on the basis of the valua- tion of Messrs. Ralli Brothers, Type 9 gave the best return, an average of Us. 78-11-0 per acre while the average pro- duce of Type 18, the highest yielder, was worth only Rs. 61-4-0 per acre. This result is another illustration of the value of selection methods in improving Indian crops in the present condition of agriculture in this country. Had an attempt been made by hybridization methods to achieve such a union of yielding power and grain quality, the work entailed would have been arduous and long continued. Fibres. In 1910, a study of the varieties of patwa (Hibiscus cannabinus) was completed at Pusa when it was observed that one of the kinds, Type 3, appeared to be much more suitable for cultivation than any of the others. In And college, pusa, for 1914-15. 39 the account of this work published in 1911 (Mem. Deft, of Agr. in India, Botanical Series, Vol. IV, No. 2), mention was made of a possible method of keeping cultures of this type pure by removing heterozygotes in the seedling stage. If this could be done in practice, the difficulties with regard to vicinism in the case of a crop in which a good deal of natural crossing takes place, would be surmounted. Since that time, Type 3 has been grown from unprotected seed and every year the plot has been rogued in the seedling stage and again before flowering commenced. In this way, all heterozygotes have been removed and the kind has been kept pure, notwithstanding the many opportunities of crossing which occurred with the other types grown in the Botanical area. A pure seed supply having been obtained and the method of production having stood the test of time, steps were taken to work out the best way of retting and to obtain expert opinion on the produce as compared with the fibre produced locally. By cutting the plant at the proper time and retting it in clean river water, a very fine sample of fibfe was produced which was submitted for opinion and valuation to Messrs. Wiggiesworth & Co., 82, Fenchurch Street, London, E.C., who valued it at £18 per ton compared with £8 from the locally produced fibre. Messrs. Wiggiesworth stated that the sample of Type 3 was " of excellent growth, being 10 to 12 feet long, excep- tionally light-coloured, correctly retted and thoroughly cleaned. Judging by the individual stalks, I should conclude that the yield of fibre must have been of quite exceptional weight. The fibre is pure from end to end and is free from root. It is also of good tensile strength and I have no hesitation in pronouncing it the best specimen of fibre from the Hibiscus cannabinus plant which has ever been submitted to me. This class of fibre could be sold in almost unlimited quantities." Great stress was laid by Messrs. Wiggiesworth in their report on correct and thorough retting and on the import- ance of this in connection with manufacture. Their valuation will serve to draw attention once more to the 40 REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE" great increase in value of fibre, such as Deccan and sarin hemp, which would immediately be obtained if more care were taken in retting and in placing the product on the market in the most suitable form. All this has been pointed out many times before but the fact that a carefully retted sample from India should have made such a favour- able impression on the brokers proves how low is the present standard of preparing fibre in this country for the European manufacturers. Seed of Type 3 can now be obtained at Pusa and trials of this fibre on some of the estates in Bihar are being arranged. The work on the inheritance of characters in Hibiscus Sabdariffa and on sanai (C rotatoria juncea), referred to in the last report, was continued during the year and considerable progress was made. Oilseeds. For some time, a botanical study of the oil- seeds of India has been in progress at Pusa and the results obtained in the case of two of these crops — safflower (Car- thamus tinctorius, L.) and rai (Brassica juncea, H. f. & T.), -have been prepared for publication. During the coming year, it is hoped to continue the study of Indian linseed. Safflower. Both as a source of oil and to some extent of colour, safflower is widely distributed over many parts of India. The crop has been under investigation at Pusa for six years during which period a fairly detailed botanical study has been completed. Form separation has been undertaken, the heterozygotes have been removed and twenty-four different types, covering a considerable norphological range, have been studied in pure culture. The pollination mechanism of the flowers has been investigated as well as the influence of moisture on setting. Self-pollination is the rule in this crop but a fairly large proportion of crossing also takes place. In 1914, when the types were grown next to next in lines, this was proved to be about sixteen per cent. The distribution of the red colouring matter (carthamin) to the flowers of safflower was found to be complex, indi- AND COLLEGE, PUSA, FOR 1914-15. 41 eating the existence of a number of different colour factors. Carthamin is absent altogether in some of the types while in others it is but feebly developed. Dr. Marsden of Madras, who carried out some dyeing tests with the various types, found that the best colour bearing variety was eight times better than the worst. In the percentage of oil in the seeds, the range in values is nothing like so great as in the case of the carthamin content of the faded flowers. With one exception, the percentage of crushed seeds ex- tracted by ether varied from 20-77 to 30-19. Nineteen of the twenty-four types contained over one quarter of their weight of oil. Oil and carthamin content were not found to be antagonistic and in several types high oil and high colour occurred together. Indian mustard (rai). The most interesting feature of this crop, when studied in pure culture, was found to be the extraordinary range in form. One hundred and two pure types were isolated which varied from thirty inches to nearly ten feet in height. Almost every conceivable intermediate form between these extremes was represented and so close was the resemblance that in many cases the types would only be distinguished by the massed habit. Self-pollination was found to be the rule in rai but crossing, to the extent of about fourteen per cent., occurred when the types were grown next to next in lines. The pollination details were found to agree in the main with those previously described in other species of Brassica. A certain amount of evidence was obtained on the inheritance of characters in this crop which indicated the existence of numerous factors. Time will not admit of this aspect of the work being continued. Both in safflower and in rai? the results obtained in this study point to the overwhelming importance of selection in the improvement of crops like these in which some crossing takes place and where the range of form is so great. Form separation, if conducted on a broad basis, would almost certainly lead to the isolation of any desired type which could be multiplied at once and distributed to 42 REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE cultivators. Hybridization work, on the other hand, begun without exhausting the possibilities in selection, might easily prove to be unnecessary even if, after many years of work, it proved successful. Soil ventilation and drainage. For some time the existence of an important limiting factor in crop produc- tion has been suspected in India, namely, the want of suffi- cient air for the soil organisms and roots of plants. A large number of observations on plant growth have been made at Pusa, at Quetta and in other parts of India which can be most easily explained by a want of proper aeration of the soil. All the evidence obtained, as well as the results of a number of experiments, have been consistent with this view. During the year, a preliminary statement of the case was put forward in Bulletin 52 in which some of the work in progress was outlined. The volume of the gases in the soil is naturally bound up with the amount of water present and this in turn opens up many questions with regard to irrigation and to the saving of water in crop production. The practical applications of the views put forward are many and obvious. In some cases, they have already been translated into practice. The regulation of the air supply of the soil in the case of Java indigo has given important results which have been indicated above under that crop (p. 35). There seems little doubt that the future of the indigo industry in Bihar depends on the copious aeration of the soil in which this crop is grown. In the case of green-manuring in India, soil ventilation appears to be one of the chief factors on which success depends, while in tobacco cultivation in Bihar there is reason to believe that the cost of manuring can be mate- rially reduced if means of permanently aerating the soil are adopted. Perhaps the most important direction in which the air supply of the soil can be increased in Bihar is by means of surface drainage. A method has been worked out at Pusa and is now in successful operation on several of the estates in Bihar. This consists in dividing up the area AND COLLEGE, PUSA, FOR 1914-15. 43 to be drained into areas, of from five to ten acres in extent, by means of a set of trenches, so devised that the surplus rain water is got rid of and, at the same time, soil erosion is prevented. On the Dholi estate, some remarkable results were obtained during the year. In one case, a large area, which previously gave little or no return on account of waterlogging, was so transformed in a single year by surface drainage that it was let out to ryots for chillies at a rent of ninety rupees a bigha, to the manifest advantage both of the cultivators and of the estateu In another case, a portion of the zerat which had previously been rendered very infertile by scour was let to tobacco growers, for the first time, at a rent of one hundred and forty rupees a bigha. Similar results have been obtained on other estates and there is little doubt that this improvement, the capital cost of which is not more than two rupees a bigha, will spread rapidly in Bihar. To obtain the best results, however, it will be necessary to study the rivers in North Bihar in detail and to draw up proper drainage maps and working plans. This aspect of the subject has been dealt with in Bulletin 53. The full development of drainage in Bihar is now beyond the means of the Botanical Section and can only be realized by the employment of engineers. Enough has been done, however, to show how much the production of Tirhoot can be improved by in- creasing the air supply in the soil by surface drainage. Bihar is now the waterlogged garden of India. Drainage would double its production. III. The Development of the Agriculture of Baluchistan. The preliminary work connected with the establishment of the fruit and agricultural Experiment Station at Quetta has been described in detail in previous reports. During the past year, the final details connected with the irrigation arrangements and storage of water were completed. In addition, a good many results of practical value were obtained. 4i REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE Dry farming. The saving of irrigation water in wheat growing in India is one of the problems which is certain to receive, in the future, an increasing amount of attention on the part of the Agricultural Department. Any exten- sion of the area irrigated by the water now available means increased revenue to Government and greater openings for the surplus agricultural population. At the same time, the less water applied per unit area, the smaller is the danger of waterlogging and of interference with the general healthiness of the locality. A study of the wheat crop under irrigation in many parts of India indicates that too much water is often given and that satisfactory crops can be grown with much less than is now applied. This is particularly the case in the Quetta valley, where good crops of wheat are only grown on heavily manured land which receives at least six and sometimes more water- ings. These frequent waterings are considered essential, as the crop has to ripen under a rapidly increasing temperature and in a wind-swept area where the humidity is low. The circumstances at Quetta appeared to be exceedingly favourable for experiments in water saving. These have been completed during the year at the new Experiment Station and the results are of more than local interest. It has been found that very satisfactory crops of wheat can be grown on a single irrigation. This is applied to the land during September after which it is cultivated and sown in October. A good germination is obtained and there is ample moisture in the sub-soil for the develop- ment of a deep root system during the autumn and winter. After each fall of winter rain or snow, the soil moisture is conserved by harrowing with the Canadian lever harrow and, by the time the crop begins to shoot in March, there is a good deal of moisture left in the ground. There is also an ample supply of air for the roots and crops grown in this way ripen much earlier and better than the ordinary irrigated crop. The wheat thus escapes a good deal of the heat and dry winds of May and June. The yield obtained on an area of 2-85 acres of unmanured land at AND COLLEGE, PUSA, FOR 1914-15. 45 Quetta on one irrigation was 47 maunds 24 seers or 16 maunds and 28 seers to the acre — an outturn which compares well with the average of 13^ maunds per acre grown on similar land with six or seven waterings.1 In the above experiment, the conditions were not very- favourable. The rain which fell during the life of the crop was badly distributed. There was little rain in January and February while the late falls in April formed surface crusts which could not be broken up on account of the height of the crop. A yield of over 16 \ maunds to the acre with one irrigation, compared with the average of 13^ maunds with at least six waterings, clearly proves that at the present time large quantities of valuable water are being wasted in growing wheat in the Quetta valley. There is little doubt that the same thing is taking place in the Punjab where the duty of irrigation water could be in- creased considerably. Fodder crops. One of the great needs in Baluchistan agriculture at the present time is some crop by means of which the porosity and moisture holding capacity of the soil can be increased. Leguminous fodder crops, which can also be used as green manure, offer a possible solution of this problem and accordingly some attention has been paid to this matter. Shaftal. The most promising fodder crop suitable for green-manuring purposes so far found at Quetta is Persian clover or shaftal (Trifolium reswpinatum). When sown 1 The results of numerous crop-cutting experiments in the District are summed up in the Quetta P'ishin Gazetteer (p. 102) as follows : — " In Quetta, 75 experiments were made in 1895-96 and the outturn of wheat per acre in irrigated land was found to be 15g maunds, the highest being 17g maunds in the Kasi Circle and the lowest 14 maunds in the Baleli and Durrani Circles. Mr. J. A. Crawford, in commenting on the items, remarked that the results of crop experiments were notoriously apt to be high. Further experiments, made in 1903-04, however, showed still higher returns, the average in irrigated and manured land being 24 maunds, 6 seers, and in irrigated land not manured 13g maunds. In other parts, the average has been found to be as under : — Pishin Shorarud Chaman Mds. Mds. Mds. Land irrigated and manured 25 15 15 Irrigated land not manured 16 12 10 Dry land ,..,,. 5 5 3 46 REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE in August, under a thin cover crop of maize or juar, Persian clover, if properly managed, gives on good land three cuts of green fodder, weighing about 60,000ib. per acre, before the end of the following May. In addition, the last cut can either be ploughed in as a green manure or else kept for seed. The }deld, however, is greatly reduced both by overwatering or by failure to cut the crop in time. The beneficial effects on the soil following shaftal are very great particularly on the tilth and general fertility. This is now being recognized and a considerable amount of seed was distributed in 1914. Before shaftal can be taken up on the large scale by zamindars, some method of disposing of the crop to ad- vantage must be found. The green crop is a safe fodder for horses and cattle and particularly for dairy cows, provided care is taken to mix it with sufficient bhusa. Lucerne, however, is undoubtedly a more popular green fodder and is now grown on a large scale round Quetta. Green forage, however, can only be produced in the summer and during the winter there is a large demand for dried fodder. This is at present met by lucerne, dried in the country fashion, without fermentation. The harsh and brittle nature of this food is obvious and it has the further disadvantage that it cannot be made into pressed bales. During 1914, experiments were made in the drying and baling of shaftal. By carefully adjusting the moisture it was found possible to make shaftal into good hay, to obtain the proper fermentation in the stack and to press it into bales. This can only be done in the exceedingly dry climate of Quetta by conducting the operation in all its stages in such a manner that the shaftal never becomes air dry. Once it is completely dried out, it is so brittle that it cannot be handled and baling is out of the question. The final product was indistinguishable from good English clover hay. Over a hundred bales were prepared in 1914 and tried as a fodder by one of the Heavy Batteries at Quetta during the winter. The Commandant reported that it was an excellent fodder, much superior to AND COLLEGE, PUSA, FOR 1914-15. 47 dried lucerne. A much larger number of bales has been prepared during the present year which will be offered to various units of the Quetta Division for trial next winter. The military advantage of a pressed fodder, equal to English clover hay, is obvious in India while the extended cultivation of shaftal in the Quetta valley would be certain to increase production and thus augment the present supplies. Lucerne. The methods of growing lucerne in Baluchis- tan are of some interest. The land is first of all manured before sowing and every year the crop is top dressed with more manure during the winter. There is no cultivation at any stage and water is applied by flooding the surface. The frequent manuring evidently promotes aeration of the surface soil and so removes some of the disadvantages attending the method of watering. Evidence has been obtained that surface cultivation of the lucerne after irrigation by means of the spring tine cultivator is likely to take the place of the manurial dressings. An experiment has been started to compare the yield of green crop under the two methods of treatment. Some trials were made in 1914 to prepare and bale real lucerne hay in place of the dried unfermented local product. While it is possible to make good lucerne hay in the dry atmosphere at Quetta, the process is not easy on account of the fact that the moisture is so readily lost before fermentation takes place. Shaftal is much more easily made into hay at Quetta than lucerne. Other fodder crops. Besides shaftal, several other new fodder crops have been tried. Ordinary English red clover grows at Quetta and withstands the hot weather of July but the rate of growth is not great and this fodder is not likely to compete with shaftal and lucerne. Italian rye grass behaves much like red clover but the difficulties con- nected with the germination of the seed under local condi- tions are likely to prevent this crop ever being taken up. A mixture of rye grass and shaftal was found to be unsuit- able for hay as the rye grass dries much too quickly. Ber- 48 REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE seem (Trifolium aleocandrinum), which does so well in Sind, will grow at Quetta but the weight of crop is small and it is not likely to be of use in the valley. A Mediter- ranean fodder crop known as sulla (Hedysarum coro- narium) was tried in 1914 at the suggestion of Mr. A. C. Dobbs, Assistant to the Agricultural Adviser to the Gov- ernment of India, but it proved a complete failure and was largely killed by the cold. Fruit Investigations. Im/proved fruit boxes. The supply of improved fruit boxes for the use of dealers and the public was continued during the year. The demand is steadily increasing both on the part of the Indian dealers and also from the general public. About 2,500 boxes were sold during the year and as these are distributed all over India they ought in time to help to raise the present low standard of fruit packing in the country. Some improvements have been made in the design of the packages for the five seer parcel rate. The use of chip compartments is being given up while the boxes are being made more thief -proof. In place of the separate chip com- partments, a collapsible cardboard fitting has been used. This folds flat and is imported ready for use. Peach boxes entirely of cardboard were put on the market for the first time in 1914. The whole of the outside of the box consists of a single piece of cardboard and the boxes can be set up very rapidly. The separate compartments are of collaps- ible cardboard. With these boxes, thefts in transit are quite impossible. The supply was sold off at once and, judging by the demand, cardboard fruit boxes are likely to become exceedingly popular in India. They can be used several times over if necessary. For consignments over five seers in weight, fruit pack- ing cases must be made of wood and, to travel well for long distances under Indian conditions, it is essential that there should be a system of small units like the two pound punnets which are now being adopted at Quetta. There is one difficulty, however, which must be overcome, namely, AND COLLEGE, PTJSA, FOR 1914-15. 49 a reliable source of box boards at a reasonable price. Originally, these box boards were imported from Glasgow but the rise of wages and freights has increased the cost considerably. At the present time, the conditions of trade with Great Britain have still further increased prices. A large amount of time has been spent in trying to discover an indigenous source of suitable wood but without much success. India apparently has not yet reached the stage when cheap boxes are required in numbers. Most of the trade is still in the gunny bag and wicker basket stage. It is possible that after the war, the necessary boards for fruit packing boxes can be best obtained direct from Norway. Stiffly of fruit trees. A beginning was made in 1913 in the supply of fruit trees to the public. Only good varieties which suit local conditions are propagated and care is taken to shape the trees in the nursery during the summer before they are distributed. The demand for this stock has rapidly increased and during the past year between four and five thousand trees were sold. No trees are given away and proper prices are charged. This tends to check waste and also ensures that most of the trees distributed are properly cared for afterwards. Experience shows that the further development of fruit growing in Baluchistan is to a great extent a question of suitable varieties propagated on suitable stocks. A large collection of the best local and imported kinds is being made and added to every year. The experiments on the influence of the different stocks are already yielding most interesting results. The mahaleb, mariana, mirabolan and almond are likely to prove exceedingly useful as stocks in the Quetta valley. For the present, the first three have to be imported from France. With proper care, however, the percentage of deaths is very small and it might easily prove cheaper to import stocks in bulk than to raise a local supply. As the new varieties come into bearing and as the various experiments with stocks develop, it will be possible to improve the nursery work still further. Before the Experiment Station was started, no records of varieties had 50 REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE been kept at Quetta so that all this work has had to be done over again from the very beginning. IV. Programme and Publications. Programme of work for 1915-16. Plant breeding and plant improvement. Work will be continued on the follow- ing crops, on the lines indicated in the annual reports and in the publications of the section — wheat, tobacco, gram, fibre plants, indigo, oil-seeds and fruit. Publications. Some progress was made during the last twelve months in the publication of results but the arrears have not yet been overtaken. The following papers Were published during the year : — 1. The influence of the environment on the milling and baking qualities of wheat in India. No. 3. The experiments of 1911-12 (with H. M. Leake). Mem. Dept. of Agr. in India [Botanical Series), Yol. VI, No. 8, 1914. 2. Pusa 12. Agr. Jour, of India, Vol. X, Part 1, 1915. 3. The improvement of tobacco cultivation in Bihar. Bulle- tin 50, Agricultural Research Institute, Pusa, 1915. 4. First report on the improvement of indigo in BiliMr. Bulletin 51, Agricultural Research Institute, Pusa, 1915. 5. Soil Ventilation. Bulletin 52, Agricultural Research In- stitute, Pusa, 1915. 6. Soil Erosion and surface drainage. Bulletin 53, Agricul- tural Research Institute, Pusa, 1915. 7. Second report on the improvement of indigo in Bihar. Agr. Jour, of India, Vol. X, Part 2, 1915. Reprinted as Bulletin 54, Agricultural Research Institute, Pusa, 1915. 8. Report on Agricultural Botany for 1913-14, for the Board of Scientific Advice. AND COLLEGE, PUSA, FOR 1914-15. 51 REPORT OF THE IMPERIAL MYCOLOGIST, (E. J. F. Shaw, B.Sc.) T. Charge and Establishment. The Officiating Imperial Mycologist remained in charge of the section throughout the year. There were no changes in the establishment. The Officiating Imperial Mycologist was on tour for 77 days during the year and the First Assistant for 75 days ; the ' uf ra " disease in Eastern Bengal, the wilt of chillies at Peshawar and the recent out- break of " black thread " on rubber plantations in Burma absorbed most of this time. The number of mycological investigations in progress at some distance from Pusa, for Provincial Departments of Agriculture and Forest and Opium Departments, is increasing every year. All the staff have worked well. II. Training. Babu Jamini Bhusan Sinha, Fieldman in Mycology, Sabour, was under training from December 5th, 1914. Mr. S. L. Ajrekar, B.A., Assistant Professor of Mycology, Poona College, worked in the laboratory from 28th October to 5th November 1914. Mr. B. L. Gupta, B.Sc, of the Reid Christian College, Lucknow, completed a course in Mycology, which he commenced on 11th May 1914, and left Pusa on 8th July 1914. III. Diseases of Plants. The investigation of the diseases of crops, the collection and identification of Indian fungi and giving assistance to cultivators and officers of the Department formed the prin- cipal work of the section. (1) Paddy. The work on " ufra," the nature of which was described in the last annual report, was continued and experiments were conducted at Comilla and at Pusa with a view to the discovery of some remedial measure. Owing to a deficiency of water in the experimental area at Comilla 52 REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE this work did not give any conclusive results. The experi- ment is being repeated this year with additional precau- tions. Working with small plots at Pusa it was found that the disease could lie dormant in the soil and infect a new crop. Cutting the diseased crop and burning it in situ, with a little kerosine, prevented the infection of a succeeding crop. It is unsafe, however, to generalise from a small experiment such as this, for it is possible to subject a small area to a much more thorough burning than would be practicable on a field scale. The infected area in Eastern Bengal appears to be much the same as last year (see map) and the disease has been again reported in the vicinity of Eanchi, in Bihar and Orissa, where it is said to occur on transplanted paddy and not upon the early broadcast. A diseased condition of the paddy crop in Balasore and on the Government Farm at Bankipore was investigated but " ufra " was not found; at Balasore drought appeared to be the cause of the trouble but at Bankipore the condi- tion was said by local officers to be that known as " chatra/' however, no trace of a parasite could be found. The " gwa-bo " disease, which is the cause of extensive damage in Burma, was investigated without any very defi- nite result. In some areas about 50 per cent, of the disease appears to be due to Sclerotium Oryzce Catt. (vide Memoirs of the Department of Agriculture in India, Botanical Series, Vol. VI, No. 2, July, 1913) but it is almost certain that the diseased condition is the result of the combination of a number of adverse factors and is not due to the attack of any single parasite. In particular some insects appear to be responsible for a large amount of the disease. (2) Tobacco. Field experiments with " tokra " of tobacco were commenced and yielded some results of scientific interest. Orobanche cernua Loefl. and Orobanche indica Buch. both occur on tobacco but 0. cernua is much the more serious parasite of tobacco and solanaceous crops generally, while 0, indica is a source of heavy damage to And college, pusa, for i9i4-is. hi Cruciferce (e.g., mustard, cabbage). A good crop of tobacco was raised on a field which had been under cabbages in the previous season and which was known to be infected with 0. indica. Further experiments to test the effect of different chemical manures on the incidence of vw tokra " are in progress. (3) Rubber (Hevea). At the request of the Director of Agriculture, Burma, the section undertook the investiga- tion of a disease of Hevea called " black thread " in Lower Burma. The disease is characterized by the appearance of longitudinal black lines in the naked tissue immediately above the tapping cut. These black lines mark areas of disintegration, stretching through the cambium into the wood, and as tapping proceeds they follow the fresh cut down the stem. The flow of latex becomes decreased, but, the most serious aspect of the disease is the failure of an infected tree to regenerate the bark over the tapped area. Microscopic examination of the black cracks has, up to the present, failed to demonstrate the presence of any fungus parasite, but in the bark immediately adjoining the infected area hyphse of a fungus often occurred. This fungus was identified as Phytophthora the cause of the :' canker ': of Hevea. At the moment of writing the investigation has not been carried further but experiments are in progress.1 (4) Sal tree (Shorea robusta). At the request of the Bengal Forest Department the section undertook the investigation of a disease in the sal forests of the Duars, said to be due to a fungus parasite. In the Buxa Division a considerable number of sal trees can be seen in a dead and dying condition. When dead the trees are left standing bare and leafless and in dying trees the foliage is scanty and there are obvious indications of a decrease in vigour of growth. In all the dead and dying trees which were examined there were indications of a fungus attack in the roots. If the main root of an unhealthy tree is laid bare 1 Infections with pure cultures of this Phytophthora have since been successful in producing this disease on healthy trees. 54 REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE to a depth of about 3 feet and the outer corky tissues are cut away with a knife it is found that the phloem has been destroyed leaving nothing but the bast fibres; in the disin- tegrated tissue between the strands of fibres white rhizom- orphs occur and a fungus mycelium is everywhere common. In dead and badly affected trees this condition is found to extend up the trunk sometimes as much as 2 feet above the soil. In such cases a fructification of a bracket fungus (probably Fomes) is often found on the stem. In every case examined in which this fructification was present the phloem showed the diseased condition described above. Thus while all unhealthy trees show a diseased condition of the phloem, with the presence of a mycelium with rhiz- omorphs, the most advanced cases of disease also bear a sporophore. From field observations therefore there is a strong presumption that the disease is due to the attack of a basidiomycete of the genus Fomes; the fact that this fungus is one of a group which is responsible for most diseases of timber strengthens the evidence and moreover the presence of rhizomorphs in the diseased phloem is what would be expected in association with a Fomes fructifica- tion on the exterior of the trunk. The fungus has been obtained in pure culture and will be tested by inoculations. While it is not unlikely that the fungus is the direct source of damage it will probably be found that the conditions under which the sal trees are living are such as favour the presence of a fungal parasite and decrease the vitality of the sal tree. When the factors which are necessary for the fungus to gain entrance into a healthy sal tree are known it may be possible to control the disease by altering the hygienic conditions under which the trees live and thus lessening the chances of a successful infection. It is improbable that it will be possible to apply any remedial measures in dense jungle such as occurs in Buxa; treatment might, however, be possible in the case of plantations. (5) Rhizoctonia. Work on this fungus was continued and the results are published as a memoir of the Depart- AND COLLEGE, PUSA, FOR 1914-15. 5o ment. The species R. Napi West, was found to be a dangerous parasite of mustard and gram. This fungus is incapable of active growth at temperatures above 29°C. — a circumstance which limits its depredations in India. A fertile stage was discovered and found to be identical with the well known Botrytis cinerea Pers., which was described as a disease of mustard by Frank some forty years ago. As a result of this it is considered that R. Napi is not a true member of the genus Rhizoctonia, which should be restricted to those species with a fertile stage in the genera Corticium or Hypochnus. The species R. destruens Tass. was found to be the cause of serious disease of betel vine and potato in Lower Bengal, Bihar and parts of Bombay. In the latter province it also occurred on suran, lucerne and groundnut. There were some indications that the fungus had a perfect stage in the genera Corticium or Hypochnus but no satisfactory proof could be obtained. Experiments suggested that corrosive sublimate was a more reliable fungicide against Rhizoctonia than formalin or copper sulphate. In continuation of the research into the blight of opium poppy experiments were conducted with a view to discover- ing whether Rhizoctonia or Peronospora was the chief cause of this disease. Poppy was grown at Pusa from seed supplied by the Opium Department and the resulting crop became infected with P. arbor escens. This fungus was also very plentiful on poppy in the vicinity of Ghazi- pur, but at Patiali Rhizoctonia, and not Peronospora, was found. The matter cannot be regarded as definitely settled but it is probable that Rhizoctonia is only a serious para- site of poppy when conditions such as poor soil or defective drainage are inimical to the growth of the crop. (6) Anthracnose. The investigation into anthracnose of betel vine did not yield any results of practical import- ance. There is no doubt, however, that the perfect stage of this C olletotrichum is an ascomycete belonging to the genus Glomerella. Attempts to secure successful inoculations failed and our knowledge of this disease is therefore not 56 REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE in so good a position as it appeared to be last year. The well known anthracnose of chillies appears to be the cause of a good deal of trouble in the chilli growing districts of Burma and some form of treatment may be necessary. IV. Miscellaneous. A certain amount of work was done on the fungi of Pusa soil. The chief interest of this preliminary investi- gation was the striking similarity between the fungus flora of an Indian soil and that which occurs in Europe. The species isolated in Pusa were — Cunninghamella elegans Lendn. Aspergillus fumigatus Fres. Aspergillus niger v. Tiegh. Sterigmatocystis nigra v. Tiegh. Rhizoctonia Napi West. of which the first three are all known in the soil in Europe. The fungus which causes " red rot " of sugarcane was found to be parasitic upon juar under laboratory condi- tions but so far is not known to cause serious damage to this crop in the field. A rot of bananas was examined by the First Assistant and found to be due to a parasitic Fusarium. A preliminary account has been published in the Agricultural Journal of India, it appears that the disease is distinct from the well known Panama disease of bananas. The results of some observations on potato blight in India have been published as a memoir of the Depart- ment, the chief point of practical importance is the fact that the fungus cannot survive in the heat of the plains. Mr. Dastur has continued his work on Phytophthora with the study of some forms parasitic on Vinca, it is hoped to publish results shortly. Some preliminary work on the disease of chillies at Peshawar indicated that the disease was of the type known as " wilt.'' Inoculations with a fungus isolated from diseased plants were not successful and this year the inci- dence of the disease is much less. Treatment of oat smut AND COLLEGE, PUSA, FOR 1914-i5. 6? With formalin on certain estates in Bihar was, as usual, completely successful. V. Systematic Work. The additions to the herbarium amounted to 155 speci- mens during the year. Collections of fungi for naming were received from, and duplicates were issued, if required, to the Mycological Officers of Provincial Departments. The publication of systematic mycology by the Imperial Mycologist has been largely done in collaboration with Herrn H. and P. Sydow of Berlin; the outbreak of war with Germany has of course prevented this collaboration being continued and will hinder the publication of the series " Fungi Indiae Orientalis." VI. Programme of work for 1915-16. (1) Research work. All new fungus diseases of crops will be the subject of investigation as they come to the notice of the section but the following diseases will receive special attention and will constitute main lines of investi- gation : — (1) Ufra of paddy. (2) Smut of sugarcane. (3) Wilt of cotton, sesamum, gram and chilli. (4) Black thread disease of rubber. (5) Blight of opium poppy. (6) Root rot of sal tree. Research work will also be continued upon phanero- gamic parasites and fungi of the soil. (2) Systematic work. The care of the herbarium will continue to form an important part of the work. Minor papers on systematic mycology will probably be published. (3) Training. This will be continued on the lines indi- cated in the prospectus. Short courses may be given as necessary. (4) Routine work of advising on plant diseases will be continued and assistance will be given as usual to Provin- 58 REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE cial Departments of Agriculture, the Forest Department, Planters1 Association and general public. (1) Butler, E. J. (2) Dastur, J. F. (3) Shaw, F. J. F. VII. Publications. . The cultivation of Rice in Spain and the Recent International Rice Congress at Valencia. Agri., Jour., India, IX, Pt. 4, Oct. 1914. . The Potato Blight in India. Mem. Dept. of Agri., India, Bot. Ser. VII, No. 3, April, 1915. Report on Mycology, 1913-14, for the Board of Scientific Advice. AND COLLEGE, PUSA, FOR 1914-15. 69 REPORT OF THE IMPERIAL ENTOMOLOGIST (T. Bainbrigge Fletcher, F.E.S., F.Z.S.) I. Charge and Establishment. The Imperial Entomologist held charge of the section throughout the year. Mr. A. J. Grove, Supernumerary Entomologist, whose services had been lent to the Punjab Department of Agriculture since 27th January 1914 for the investigation of insect damage to stored wheat, left the Department on 27th April 1915 on termination of a six months' extension of his probationary period. Mr. G. R. Dutt was on privilege leave from 5th October to 4th No- vember 1914 and Mr. D. Nowroji from 5th to 31st October 1914. The services of G. D. Ojha, Fieldman, were lent to the Department of Agriculture, Central Provinces, for six months from 5th April 1915 in connection with work on N ephotettiat. II. Tours. The Imperial Entomologist was on tour in Burma from 26th July to 6th October, in the Punjab and North- West Frontier Province from 9th to 25th October, in the Cen- tral Provinces from 9th to 18th April, in the North- West Frontier Province from 13th May to 1st June and also visited Calcutta to work at the Indian Museum from 14th to 23rd June, a total absence from headquarters of 130 days. Mr. C. S. Misra, First Assistant, visited the Central Provinces in July 1914 to investigate cane-borers and again in February 1915 to inquire into an outbreak of A r ephotettioe in rice areas for which purpose he also toured in the Cen- tral Provinces and Orissa from 5th to 21st June 1915. He also visited the Karauli and Benares States in February and May respectively to advise regarding development of the lac industry. 60 REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE Mr. C. C. Ghosh visited the Sepaya Farm in September 1914 to examine the indigo planted in connection with Psylla experiments. Mr. G. R. Dutt toured in Southern India from 29th March to 17th May 1915 to collect information and speci- mens of insects, especially Hymenoptera. Mr. M. N. De, Sericultural Assistant, visited Muktesar in October 1914 to distribute directly from there the uni- voltine mulberry silkworm eggs which had been placed in cold storage during the hot weather. He also went to Calcutta in November 1914 to assist in displaying the silk exhibits sent from Pusa for the Exhibition of Indigenous Products as compared with Enemy Goods. The Fieldmen were sent on tour as occasion required throughout the year in connection with outbreaks of pests. III. Training. No students completed the course in Entomology during the year but two were received from the Punjab in June 1915. G. D. Ojha and Harihar Prasad, Entomological Fieldmen at Pusa, were also given some special training. The short courses in Lac and Sericulture only attracted four students, a number much below the average; the Banswara State, Central India, sent one man for the Lac course in June 1915, one student completed a course in Eri and Mulberry Silk and two Sericultural students remained under training at the close of the year. The reduction in numbers of the short-course students seems to be directly due to the publication of popular Bulletins on the culture of lac and silk, although it may be noted that mere book- instruction cannot take the place of practical work. IV. Crop Pest and other investigations. 1. Cotton Pests. Experiments, which are still in pro- gress, were made to test the relative immunity of different varieties of cotton to attacks of bollworm (Earias). A large number of sowings were made of numerous cottons from the United Provinces, the Punjab, the Central Provinces and AND COLLEGE, PUSA, FOR 1914-15. 61 Bombay in combination with other malvaceous plants, and weekly counts made of the bollworm infestation. The boll worms found were also examined for the presence of parasites, which were recorded, bred out and liberated in the experimental area. So far as noted hitherto the infes- tation of E arias by Rhogas is remarkably small (less than 5 per cent.) even under the most favourable conditions, and it would appear that the influence of Rhogas has been greatly exaggerated. In May and June 1915, in compli- ance with a request from the Director of Agriculture, all the Rhogas pupae obtained were sent to the Punjab to assist in establishing the parasite there. Some work has also been done on the life-history of Machairota planitia?, whose nymph lives in a curious calcareous tube on stems of cotton. The presence of this insect frequently stunts the growth of the young shoots and it may occur in sufficient numbers to do considerable damage. 2. Sugarcane Borers. Borers in sugarcane (both new sowings and ratoon canes), maize, juar, and rice stems and stubble have been collected and the insects bred out for further study and comparison. Affected canes were also received from the North- West Frontier Province and the insects reared. In March 1915 fresh sowings of cane were made with maize as a trap-crop and, as soon as the presence of borers became apparent, these were collected, counted and reared for further study to ascertain whether the borers in cane and maize are really distinct ; this experi- ment was not concluded at the end of the year. 3. Garden Pests. The study of pests of fruit-trees, flowers and vegetables was continued and illustrations made for a Bulletin on Fruit-pests. 4. Parasites of Scale-insects. With a view to sending parasites of Aspidiotus aurantii to Italy, a study was begun of the parasites of this scale-insect which occurs commonly at Pusa on Citrus spp. and roses, but very few parasites could be obtained, 62 REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE A large amount of Lecaniinse material was collected with a view to finding any parasites which might be of use in the control of Coccus viridis (Lecanium viride) in the coffee districts of Southern India, but it was found that the majority of the local Lecaniince were free from Chalcid parasites; only those scales found on Ficus religiosa and Ricinus communis were parasitized to any extent. 5". Parasites of Aleurodids. As noted in last year's report, attempts have been made to procure a parasitized colony of A leurodes citri for export to Florida. The para- site which attacks A . citri on Jasminum is the same as the one which attacks A. ricini on castor, and castor plants were therefore grown and infected but unfortunately became heavily infested with Tetranychus bimaculatus and later on by a leaf-fungus and the plants therefore had to be rejected. A very similar parasite attacks another A leurodes on Ficus and trials with this are also being made. 6. Economic Aleurodidce. Life-histories of Aleu- rodes citri, A . bergi, and A . ricini were completed. 7. Pyrilla aberrans. The complete life-history of Pyrilla aberrans was worked out during the year and repeated thrice to check the period of a life-cycle. Chalcid, Dryinid and Stylopid parasites were also reared, some of these being new. It may be noted that three species of Pyrilla (P. aberrans, P. perpusilla and P. pusana) are found on sugarcane at Pusa, all formerly confused under the first name. 8. Nephotettix bipunctatus. Much time was given to the outbreak of Nephotettix bipunctatus, the rice leaf- hopper (locally called " Maho ") in the Central Provinces. This insect was first reported as a pest from the Sakti State in the Bilaspur District of the Central Provinces. A Fieldman was sent to make investigations on the pest and to try measures suggested from Pusa. These measures con- sisted of (1) bagging with large field bag-nets, (2) bagging with hand-nets, (3) brushing over the infested fields with a rope dragged over the plants, (4) oiling the infested fields with kerosine and then dragging a rope across so as to AND COLLEGE, PUSA, FOR 1914-15. 63 submerge the plants temporarily, (5) spraying with contact insecticides, and (6) putting up lantern traps in the affected fields. Of these, it was found that the last was the most efficacious and that most readily adopted by the cultivators. A leaflet on this pest in English and Hindi was written and issued by the Department of Agriculture, Central Provinces, and widely circulated amongst the cultivators of the affected districts. It has also been translated into Uriya and issued by the District Board in Balasore, where an outbreak of Nephotettioc also occurred. A trained Fieldman was lent to the Central Provinces to carry on continuous observations of the pest and to advise adoption of remedial measures in the Raipur and Bilaspur districts which were severely infested last year. 9. Life-histories. In the insectary were reared some two hundred insects which had not been reared previously. Considerable attention has been paid to various insects (mostly Coleoptera) found at and just below soil-level and about sixty different beetles have been reared and their breeding-places, earlier stages, food and habits noted. Many of these beetles are predaceous and are therefore beneficial by destroying plant-feeding crop-pests; amongst such may be noted an unidentified Carabid predaceous on a Cydnid bug, a species of Chlcenius predaceous both in the larval and adult stage on caterpillars of Utetheisa pulchella, and several Elaterid beetles. Of these last a single grub of A grypnus sp. ate more than 200 Scarabceid grubs in the course of about three months, and another Elaterid larva was found to exercise a considerable check on Tenebrionid grubs feeding at the roots of gram and other crops. A point, which has been observed with regard to some common insects (Laspeyresia, Chilo, Chloridea) reared for observation of exact cycles of their life-history, is that out of the same batch of larvae, feeding and commencing to hibernate at the same time, some hibernate and emerge as adults whilst others hibernate during the cold weather, 64 REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE then aestivate during the hot, dry season and emerge at irregular intervals thereafter as late as July or August. From the practical point of view of control this is of some importance, as measures taken on the first appearance of the insects after hibernation may be rendered abortive, or will at least require to be supplemented, in view of these later emergences. An observation of this kind, apparently trivial in itself, emphasizes the fact that an intimate know- ledge of the habits of the insects concerned must be the first step towards their control. Crocidolomia binotalis is a cold weather pest of Cruci ferae. Unsuccessful attempts were made to find out how it passes through the rest of the year. Zonabris pustulata is an extremely common black and red Blister beetle whose life-history is yet unknown. Eggs were obtained in November 1914 and hibernated in the soil, hatching at the end of the cold weather, but all attempts to get the young larvae to feed on eggmasses of various grasshoppers proved unsuccessful, and the grubs could not be reared. Dr. Roepke, of the Experimental Station at Salatiga in Java, has recently informed me that he found larvae of this species feeding on eggmasses of Cyrtacanthacris ; it is probable that this beetle has a similar habit in India. Another failure was encountered in further attempts to obtain the life-history of Anthia seocguttata, a giant Carabid which feeds in the adult state on practically any insects it is able to catch. A Bruchid beetle (Bruchus ajfinis) was observed to lay eggs extensively on pea-pods at Pusa in January and Feb- ruary, so that the peas may be infected in the field before being stored. These seeds have been treated and stored in various ways to ascertain the extent of damage and how it can best be checked. An unidentified Dermestid beetle in stored wheat has been found to complete its transformation in from one to two years, AND COLLEGE, PUSA, FOR 1914-15. 65 Further observations have been made on the life-history of Odoiporus longicollis, a weevil which bores in plantain stems, and the life of the adult beetles has been found to extend to a period of up to two years. With reference to the campaign against A grotis ypsilon at Mokameh it was not known how this insect passes through the hot weather and rainy season in the plains of India, Large numbers were therefore obtained in March and it has been found that, under conditions in the Insect- ary, continuous broods have been obtained, which suggests that it may breed somewhere in the vicinity of the areas attacked in September-December. The status of Tenebroides mauritanicus as a grain-pest having been doubtful, this was ascertained by experiments, by which it was found that this beetle and its larvae cer- tainly can and do eat wheat and rice grains, preferring wheat to rice. The adult beetle preys upon the adult rice weevil, Calandra oryza?, so that in grain affected by C. or y zee the presence of these beetles is beneficial as, when present in sufficiently large numbers they will ultimately rid the grain of the weevils although they themselves will eat a small proportion of the grains ; but the resultant loss will be less than if the weevils bred unchecked. Further experiments will be undertaken with this insect. Batocera tubus, a longicorn beetle commonly boring in Fig, Mango, etc., has been reared from the egg and the complete life-cycle observed to occupy a year. Balaninus c-album has been traced throughout the year, though not reared from eggs. The life-cycle occupies a vear. Complete life-cycles have been observed of Plotheia celtis, Porthesia xanthorrhosa, Perigea capensis, Spodop- tera mauritia, Liogryllus bimaculatus, Terias hecabe, Hypolimnas bolina, Euplcea core, Junonia orithiya, Huphina nerissa, Papilio polytes and Deilephila nerii and further observations have been made on numerous other insects, F 66 REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE Fruit-flies have been reared in large numbers — in thousands in some cases — from various fruits in order to procure parasites and to ascertain the proportion parasi- tized. In the case of Bactrocera cucurbitce the results have been disappointing as parasites were very few and it is perhaps owing to this fact that this fruit-fly does so much damage to cucurbitaceous vegetables. Only in one lot of fruits of Momordica charantia were the maggots found to be attacked by a Braconid parasite to the extent of about 16 per cent., and even this parasite was not found to be present throughout the year. The peach-flies (Bactrocera zonata) showed an insignificant percentage of parasitism and the parasitic grubs were observed to remain in a resting condition throughout the remainder of the year. Carpomyia vesuviana was reared from fruits of Ber (Zizyphus jujuba) and was found to be extensively para- sitized. Attempts will be made, at the request of the Royal School of Agriculture at Portici, to introduce this parasite into Italy, whence this fruit-fly was originally described its specific name being derived from the fact that the original specimens were taken on the slopes of Mount Vesuvius. The flies remain in the pupal state for some time, from about February to June or later, but the para- sites emerge about March and probably have an alternative host. In order to test the effect of poisoned sprays on fruit- flies long series of flies reared in the insectary were fed with a solution composed of Lead Arsenate 2\ to 5 oz., guv 2J lb. and water 4 gallons, and it was found that a strength of 3 to 5 oz. of Lead Arsenate kills the flies in about 36 hours. A Braconid parasite of Diacrisia obliqua was bred for a generation to note its life-cycle and rate of increase and some work was also done on an Ichneumonid parasite of Spodoptera mauritia. Odontotomies assmuthi, the largest of the five Termites known to occur at Pusa, has been under observation for the last four years. From the emergence of adults which AND COLLEGE, PUSA, FOR 1914-15. 67 took place in July 1914 several observation nests were established in the Insectarv and new colonies were success- fully started and soldiers and workers reared. This is the first time, so far as I am aware, that any species of the true earth-dwelling Termitidw has been reared from the egg to any adult stage under observation, although some of the woodliving Protermitidce and Mesotermitidce have been reared in Europe. Further colonies are now being reared. 10. Insecticides. Experiments in the preservation of wood against attacks of Termites (White Ants, so called) were continued, the species of Termite experimented with being Microtermes obesi (anandi), which is apparently a common species throughout the plains of India. ' Powel- lized " wood, supplied by the agents for testing, has failed almost wholly within four years. " Sideroleum," tested as a preservative of wood against Termites, has also failed; •further tests will be made of it. Testing of " Micro- lineum " as a preservative has been started. Creosote was tried to make sugarcane setts immune to Termites without interfering with germination, but these experiments failed. 11. Stored grain pests. A series experiments on the preservation of rice, wheat and pulses against insects under stored conditions has been commenced on a small scale. The methods found most effective will be tested on a larger scale. 12. Silk. One student completed a short course in Eri and Mulberry and two were undergoing training at the close of the year. The univoltine mulberry silkworm eggs, which were sent to Shillong and Muktesar for rearing in March, gave satisfactory results but those sent to Muktesar for rearing in October did not hatch properly as the natural temperature of the place from July to October was not sufficiently low. Our attempts to establish a superior stable multivoltine hybrid race, which would not degene- rate, were continued. Mulberry silkworm eggs were supplied to 171 rearers and eri eggs to 144 applicants and f2 68 REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE mulberry and castor seeds to 20 applicants. One Fieldman dnd a rearer were sent to Jeolikote, Kumaon, for rearing eri worms in April and May as it is difficult to procure a fresh stock of eggs for distribution in June and July. Thirty-one pounds of eri cocoons were supplied to Messrs. Inagaki & Co. of Kyoto for testing in the mills of Japan. Difficulty was experienced by the rearers in disposing of eri cocoons in small lots. Silk exhibits were sent to Ex- hibitions held at Muzafferpur, Monghyr, PudukvUtai, Mysore and to Calcutta, Madras and Cawnpur in connec- tion with the Exhibition of Indian as contrasted with German and Austrian goods. The Secretary of the Mysore Dasara Exhibition awarded a silver medal for the exhibits. Eighteen silk pieces were loaned to the Director General of Commercial Intelligence, Calcutta, for the Exhibition of Indian as contrasted with Enemy Goods. Eight sets of silk exhibits were sent to the Superintendent, Central Seed- store, Bengal, Sibpur. His Highness the Maharaja of Darbhanga took a keen interest in all the operations of the industry during His Highness' visit to the Institute. In- struction was given by correspondence in silk- dyeing, bleaching, silkworm rearing, reeling and spinning. Rupees 937 worth of silk, manufactured at Pusa, was sold. 13. Lac. During the past year emergences of larva? took place on the 28th September 1914 and 10th June 1915 and in the two seasons 120 Ber trees were inoculated. Broodlac was supplied to 7 persons. Specimens of lac from two new food-plants, which were not hitherto re- corded, were received from the Honorary Secretary, Agri- Horticultural Society of India, Calcutta, and the Economic Botanist, Lai Bagh, Bangalore. Parcels for sending in lac specimens were sent only to such Forest Officers from whose Division or Range the series of specimens was not complete. Unfortunately serious gaps occurred in the past and these have not been filled up as yet. Five tubs containing Kusumb (Schleichero trijuga) plants were inoculated and despatched to Mr. N. Fujii, AND COLLEGE, PUSA, FOR 1914-15. 69 Hozan, Formosa, through the Consul- General for Japan. Calcutta. During the year the services of Mr. C. S. Misra, First Assistant, were requisitioned by the Karauli Durbar to report on the progress of lac cultivation started by the Forest Officer of the Durbar who was trained in Lac work at Pusa. A separate report embodying his suggestions was submitted to the Durbar through the Political Agent Bharatpore. In May 1915 Mr. Mistra's services were requisitioned by the Benares State to advise on the possibility of extension of Lac cultivation in the Chakia district of the State. A separate report on this embodying his suggestions has been sent to His Highness the Maharajah of Benares through the Political Agent to His Honour the Lieutenant-Governor of the United Provinces, Benares. A student was deputed by the Banswara State in Cen- tral India to undergo a month's training in Lac culture. The student joined the course on 7th June 1915 and went back to the State on the 3rd July 1915. Copies of the Lac Bulletin in English and Hindi were sent or sold to numerous inquirers. 14. Bees. During the year experiments with the Indian Bee (Apis indica) were continued, special attention being paid to the three principal defects of this bee m the plains, viz., (1) deserting the hive in autumn, (2) inability to defend the hive against Wax Moth, this being one of the causes which lead to desertion, and (3) frequent swarming. The results obtained this year go to show that the bees can be prevented from deserting the hive and a little care prevents the Wax Moth, a well-made hive being of great help in this direction. A little care bestowed on these bees leads to an increase of the population in the colony but stimulates swarming. Efforts made at checking swarming were not successful. It appears that the old principle of inducing swarming early in the season so as to have a number of colonies from which to take surplus honey in the honey season, will be more suitable to these bees than the 70 REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE new principle of checking swarming and having larger surpluses from strong and populous colonies. The work will be continued. A Bulletin on Bee-keeping was issued at the close of the year. V. Illustrations. Illustrations were prepared, to the extent of artistic assistance available, of the insects studied during the year. Coloured plates, showing the complete life-history, were prepared during the year of the following insects : — Utetheisa pulchella* Odoiporus longicollis* Atracto- morpha crenulata, -Oxycarenus Icetus, Plusia orichalcea. Perigea capensis, Etiella zinckeneclla, Glyphodes indica and Chilo simplex* of which those marked # are printed and available. Numerous line drawings have also been made and will be utilized as occasion arises. The issue of coloured plates and lantern slides has been continued. VI. Miscellaneous. Correspondence. A total of 103 parcels of specimens, mostly of crop-pests, was received during the year for identification and advice, whilst 1,119 letters were received and 1,374 issued, but these numbers are exclusive of a large amount of routine correspondence. VII. Insect Survey. Steady progress has been made in additions to and arrangement of the collection. The whole of the collection of Hymenoptera has been rearranged in one series, so that all the information on any species or group is now available in one place. The same is being done with the Coleoptera, and other groups will be taken up as time and staff permit. The following collections were sent to specialists in the groups named and our thanks are due to them for the help afforded : — Chalcididae to Dr. L. O. Howard, Formicidse to Mr. W. M. Wheeler, Stylopidae to Mr. Dwight Pierce, Dryinidse to Mr. J. C. Crawford, Rhynchota to Mr. W. ]SJ, Distant, Coccidse to Mr. E. Ernest Green, Noctuidae and And college, pusa, for 1914-15. 71 Pyralidse to Sir George Hampson, Rutelidse, Cetoniada and Dynastidae to Mr. G. J. Arrow, Carabidse to Mr. Andrewes, Histeridae to Mr. George Lewis, Curculionidse (part) to Mr. G. A. K. Marshall, Lucanidse to Mr. F. H. Gravely, Microlepidoptera to Mr. E. Meyrick, Trypaneidse to Professor M. Bezzi and their parasites to Professor Silvestri, and various Diptera to Mr. E. Brunetti. Our thanks are due to His Excellency Lord Carmichael for a small named collection of moths from Darjiling. Numerous sendings of specimens of insects have been identified for correspondents as far as possible. Collections of flies, bugs, lice, ticks and other animals of interest as disease-carriers, made during the year at Pusa and whilst on tour, were transferred to the Imperial Pathological Entomologist. VIII. Entomological Conference. A meeting of the Entomological staff both of Pusa and the Provinces, was held at Pusa from 2nd to 8th Februarv 1915. Similar meetings have been held previously, but not since 1909, and have hitherto been confined purely to the Agricultural Department. Opportunity was taken of the present occasion to extend the scope of the meeting to in- clude others engaged in similar entomological work, and the Forest Zoologist, the Entomologist in the Indian Museum, and the Entomologist to the Indian Tea Associa- tion were also invited and attended and gave us the benefit of their experiences with various insects, which were of mutual interest. Besides these, Mr. E. Ballard, Govern- ment Entomologist in Madras, came from Coimbatore and Mr. E. J. Woodhouse, Economic Botanist, Bihar and Orissa, attended part of the meeting, whilst the Central Provinces and Bihar and Orissa each sent both their Entomological Assistants, and one came also from each of the following Provinces and States, viz., Madras, Bombay, United Provinces, Assam, Baroda and Travancore. An abstract of crop-pests had been prepared beforehand and specimens of each got out in show-cases in order that n REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE there might be no doubt regarding the identity of any species under discussion. The list was worked through systematically and each insect discussed as regards its distribution, crops attacked, damage done, control, etc. The gaps in our knowledge respecting distribution espe- cially, which revealed themselves during the meeting, were emphasized by the absence of the Entomological Assistants from Burma, Bengal, the Punjab and North- West Frontier Province, but in spite of this the meeting proved most valuable, especially to the Provincial Staffs, who are thereby helped to keep in touch with our work done at Pusa and that done in Provinces other than their own. It is hoped that similar meetings may be held regularly in the future. IX. Programme of avork for 1915-16. This will follow generally on the lines of work of the current year and will include general investigations of crop-pests and especially of the pests of rice, sugarcane and cotton, of fruit-trees and of stored grain. A commencement has been made of collection of inform- ation for a general book on the crop-pests of India and progress in this will be continued, as also in the publication of information regarding life-histories of pests and colour- ed plates, of which a large number are now ready for print- ing. Work and experiments in Silk, Lac and Bee-keeping will be continued, and new Insecticides and insecticidal methods tested as occasion arises. . Advice and assistance will be given as far as possible to Provincial Departments and to all inquirers on entomological subjects. X. Publications. The following publications have been actually published during the year under review : — Books. Some Soutli Indian Insects, by T. Bainbrigge Fletcher. (Madras Government Press, Imperial 8vo., pages xxii-f 565, 50 Plates and 440 text-figures.) AND COLLEGE, PTJSA, FOR 1914-16. 78 Bulletins. No. 28. The Cultivation of Lac (Hindi edition), by C. S. Misra. No. 39. Instructions for rearing Mulberry Silkworms (Beug;ili edition), by M. N. De. No. 44. How to Improve Silk Reeling in Bengal, by M. N. De. No. 46. Bee-keeping, by 0. C. Ghosh. No. 48. First Report on the experiments carried out at Pusa to improve the Mulberry Silk Industry, compiled by M. N. De. Leaflets. Maho (N eyhotettix biyunctatus) , by C. S. Misra (published by the Agricultural Department of the Central Provinces in English and Hindi and by the Balasore District Board in TJriya) . Practical Instructions for the Kollegal Mulberry Silkworm Rearers, by T. Bainbrigge Fletcher. [Madras Deyt. of Agri., Leaflet No. I of 1914.) Some General Methods of Controlling attacks by Insect Pests; Agricultural Methods; Mechanical Methods, by T. Bain- brigge Fletcher. {Madras Deyt. of Agri., Leaflets III and IV of 1914.) Miscellaneous. Note on Tiger-Beetles from Coorg, by T. Bainbrigge Fletcher. [Journal of the Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc., XXIII, 379.) Report on Agricultural Entomology for 1913-14 for the Board of Scientific Advice for India, by T. Bainbrigge Fletcher. 74 REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE REPORT OF THE IMPERIAL PATHOLOGICAL ENTOMOLOGIST. (F. M. Howlett, B.A., F.E.S.) I. Administration. I was in charge of the section for the year, save for the period July, August, and September 1914, when I was absent on privilege leave and Hill recess. Mr. P. G. Patel was absent on privilege leave for 29 days and Mr. H. N. Sharma for one month and 20 days. II. Educational. No educational work was done. Mrs. Kilby and Mr. Awati worked in the laboratory for some time, the former at the reflexes of Cimex (Clinocoris), and the latter at the taxonomies of Muscidae. III. Research. There have been three main lines of enquiry : — (1) A thorough investigation of the flies and other insects which breed in decaying or septic animal matter, including those that infest wounds and sores in domestic animals and man. Veteri- nary officers are being circularized for speci- mens of maggots, and the Pusa species have been under close observation for the last nine months. I have endeavoured to combine with the life-history observations an enquiry into the " chemotactic " reactions of the insects and of the parasites which evidently share them, but the chemical problems involved are such as re- quire the assistance of a skilled biological chemist, who is unfortunately not available. The practical importance of an enquiry into these reactions is considerable, as a knowledge AND COLLEGE, PUSA, FOR 1914-15. 75 of them would certainly simplify preventive and antiseptic measures. (2) Energetic relations of insects : their consumption and economy of chemical energy under varying conditions. Mr. S. K. Sen is obtaining data for this investigation during my absence, in the form of food, oxygen, and water curves for the whole life-history of various insects. I hope subsequently to correlate this work with enzyme-investigations of the type recently carried out by Mr. Barnes at Lyallpur. Re- sults of practical importance may or may not be obtained. (3) The pure chemical substances responsible for the " chemotactic " reactions of the males of three species of fruit-fly have now been definitely and certainly ascertained. They are methyl - eugenol and iso-eugenol. Similar reactions in the case of a small Oscinid are produced by Isovaleric aldehyde. Analogous but not pre- cisely similar cases are under observation. The immediate practical value of this work is almost negligible ; its ultimate value may be large, since it indicates the practical possibility of entirely new methods of insect- control. It is far and away the most important result yet achieved by the section. IV. Miscellaneous. (a) Lice. The lice of sheep and goats were investigat- ed. A lime-sulphur spray or wash, followed by a spray of weak vinegar, was found to give excellent results. Internal administrations are being experimented with. On human lice the effect of extremely small quantities of mercury compounds was found to be very marked, though the way in which they act is obscure. (b) Bugs. An attempt was made to elucidate the nature of the " biting-reflex " in the bed-bug. The enquiry proved difficult, but there were indications that the ventral 76 REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE sense-organ was of importance; the work will be resumed at a later date. (c) Ticks. Ornithodorus savignyi, a possible disease- carrier, is under observation. (d) Mosquitos. A Taeniorhynchus and Culex gelidus have had their life-histories determined. Both are ex- tremely troublesome to cattle, and C. gelidus breeds normally or very frequently in cow's urine. The breeding-places of mosquitos in Pusa were care- fully mapped in March, and some time later the Director gave facilities for an anti-mosquito campaign on " control- breeding " lines. This has been successfully carried on and I hope that my absence on leave may have no appreciable effect on the success of an experiment which opened auspi- ciously. With a view to determining the influence of local waters on mosquito-breeding, experiments were made on the effect of equimolecular salt solutions on the larvse. The results were of interest as indicating that an unexpectedly high percentage of lime in water is to some species distinctly beneficial. (. roseum, purified white-flowers; (b) arboreum x roseum, purified vellow-flowers, seventh generation; (c) arboreum x roseum, purified pink-flowers; (d) arboreum x indicum var. Molli- soni (Type VII), pink-flowers, narrow-lobed ; (e) arboreum x Mollisoni, red-flowered, purified. At Cawnpore, under Mr. Burt, Black Rattler and other fancy types of American cottons have been tried with fresh seeds obtained from America but so far they show no promise. Bhuri seemed hardier and better in growth than Cawn- pore-American and also higher in ginning percentage. The fibre of both, however, seemed weak. On the seed farm roseum appeared more promising than either Type VII or Cawnpore- American. At Aligarh, the white-flowered local cotton (roseum) seemed better than Type VII. This gives an average outturn of 800 lb. seed cotton, with a ginning percentage of 37 to 38. The cultivators in this Circle have been in- dependently selecting white-flowered cotton seed. It is possible that in the future the whole of the cotton in the tract will consist solely of this. The conclusions arrived at by Mr. Mankad are that (1) the local cottons are the same as those of Sind (a tract with which he is familiar), but less hardy. (2) Of the pure types, indicum var. Mollisoni and roseum, the former pro- duces the better staple, but is poorer in ginning percentage, (34) the latter gives a very high ginning percentage and it AND COLLEGE, PUSA, FOR 1914-15. 99 is hardier. (3) Of the crosses, arboreum x Mollisoni is promising. It resembles sanguineum in all respects. Mr. Mankad has not personally seen the Mooltan cotton but from samples of it received from Lyallpur, it appears to him that cotton of this cross is lacking in colour although it has a finer staple. Of the American types, Cawnpore- American and Bhuri, he does not think that either will really succeed in this tract. Central Provinces. At Telinkheri Farm the most promising selection is a cross between Bani and roseum. The selections of roseum vary in percentage from 41 to 43. Cambodia seems to ripen too late for this tract. Allen's Long Staple is not promising. At Tharsa, there is a very well-grown plot of roseum and there is no particular reason why it should not do well in this locality. At Chhindwara, an Upland cotton has produced beautiful bolls in Mr. Lawrie's orchard and that gentleman has promised to save the seed and put it out on a large scale. At the Seoni Farm the cottons are early ripening Chapra and Saugar. They are most suited for this tract. They are also being grown to demonstrate the advantages of drilling over broadcasting which is the local method. It is to be hoped that the people will follow the excellent examples shown on this farm. The kamdar is a particularly intelligent man and has a very clear idea of the nature and value of the experiments under his charge. At Sindewahi, Cambodia and roseum are being tried under irrigation on wardi soil. This is the third year of the trial on a large scale. Last year, under irrigation and manuring, the crops were 1,000 lb. of Cambodia and 1,200 lb. of roseum. The cotton was of a good quality. So far the cultivators hesitate between the claims of rice and cotton. This is not really a cotton-growing tract and it would only partially replace rice in the event of cotton prices ruling high. Mr. Clouston has hopes of a cross between deshi Lahore and roseum. It is valued at 8-J per h2 100 REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE cent, more than Hinghanghat. Roseum everywhere is a strong competitor against Bhuri, which will be restricted ultimately to wilt-infected areas. Cotton from the Sindewahi Farm was reported on as follows by Messrs. Tata and Sons of Bombay : — Roseum. Compared with roseum grown on the Akola Farm, it is a little longer in staple and softer in feel, though the class is dull. Can spin up to 12's. Value Rs. 190 per candy or equal to the price of Akola cotton on the day. Bani x Deshi Lahore. Seems to be a little better in staple than the same variety sent from the Akola Farm; though not so bright as the other. Can spin up to 22's and 24's. Value Rs. 240 per candy. Cambodia. Compared with bani of the Akola Farm it is weaker in fibre and a bit shorter in staple. Can spin up to 30's. Value Rs. 260 per candy. An analysis of these valuations based on the acreage outturn of seed cotton and percentage of cotton to seed shows that in actual values the three varieties from Sinde- wahi stand as follows : — Roseum, Rs. 65 per acre. Cambodia, Rs. 59 per acre. Bani x Deshi Lahore, Rs. 40 per acre. On the same basis nine varieties of cotton received from the Akola Farm stand as follows : — (1) Bani x Deshi Lahore (2) Gossypium neglectum, var. rosea . (3) Gossypium neglectum, var. Cutchica (4) Gossypium neglectum, var. Malvensis (5) Gossypium hirsutum, var. Bhuri . (6) Gossypium neglectum, var. vera . (7) Gossypium indicum (Bani) (8) Gossypium neglectum (Berar Jari) (9) Gossypium neglectum (Saugor Jari) Per acre Rs. 58-14 53-3 50-2 3314 326 314 30-10 295 26-13 And college, pusa, for 1914-15. 101 Bombay: Southern Mahratta Country. After my visit to Gokak Agricultural station to inspect and report on some interesting experiments conducted by Mr. Kottur, I submitted the following note. Egyptian cottons. In 1908-09, Abassi was grown. The plants were very vigorous and tall and gave good cotton. In 1909-10, the plants were stunted and were attacked by red-leaf blight. In 1910-11, Abassi and Meta- Eifi were both tried with seed procured from Sind. The plot became water-logged, the plants were attacked by red- leaf blight and the outturn was small. In 1912-13, the plants were moderate. This year they have done better. Mr. Kottur thinks that, by selection, he can finally make the cultivation of Egyptian cotton in Gokak a success and, as he is endowed with the spirit of independent research, I recommended that he should be encouraged to persevere. In this tract, cotton is grown under irrigation on four thousand acres out of an area of forty thousand acres, so in the event of success a large area could be put out under a high class cotton. Cambodia cotton suffers from red-leaf blight. It gives a good yield under a low rainfall and a bad one under a heavy rainfall. The crosses from Nadiad- Abassi x Bour- bon, Bourbon x Abassi, Abassi x Cambodia are not promis- ing and they are becoming later in ripening. Broach cotton is only fairly satisfactory. Selected Kumpta does well. The local variety kumpta is the most to be depended upon under all conditions. Under irrigation it yields up to six hundred and seven hundred pounds of seed cotton per acre. The following observations made by Mr. Kottur on Meta-Fifi sown from seed imported from Egypt by me are interesting as showing differences caused at once by a new environment : — (1) The height of the plant, instead of being eight feet, is from four to five feet. 102 REPORT OK THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE (2) Instead of bearing numerous long, upright, basal branches, it has none or very short ones. (3) Instead of the fruiting branches being produced only above the middle of the plant they are pro- duced from one-third the height of the plant upwards. (4) The plants are glabrous. (5) The teeth of the bracteoles, instead of being short, are long. (6) The colour of the flower is light yellow and not bright lemon yellow. (7) The length of the petals, instead of being two inches, is one and a half to one and three- quarters inch. (8) The bolls in most cases are not well-filled, the tops being often blunt. (9) The number of cells (locks) is three in all cases. (10) The staple is one-half to one inch long. (11) The covering of the seed varies. It is green-tufted at both ends, or only so at the tip ; brown-tufted at both ends ; brown-tufted at the tip only ; and almost naked. Although the seed was procured from a reliable source in Egypt it is quite probable that I may not have been supplied with the real article, and all the above differ- ences may not arise from altered conditions. The opinion of Messrs. Tata on a sample of Egyptian cotton from Gokak Farm is as follows : — It is a long stapled excellent cotton having all the characteristics of Egyptian. Wc have no basis to value this cotton. Broach cotton at Dharwar. There is now the eleventh generation of Broach. The percentage of cotton to seed has fallen to 29. The crop ripens almost as early as that of Kumpta. Mr. Kottur has detected eight different shapes of bolls in the Broach cotton. He is to sow the seeds from each of these separately so as to ascertain whether any differences will ultimately occur in ginning percentage and other factors. AND COLLEGE, PUSA, FOR 1914-15. 103 There are four experiments being conducted on this farm in connection with Broach cotton :— (1) Shevri (Sesbania oegyptiaca) and jowar used as wind-breaks. Owing to the absence of easterly winds this year the results are indefinite. As it has had effects on contiguous crops, shevri should be removed and the jowar alone kept on. (2) To test the prevailing idea that jowar follows Kumpta more profitably than it does Broach. (Last year's conclusion served to prove that jowar follows Broach just as well as it does Kumpta.) (3) Wilt disease. It has only appeared this year and is increasing in Broach cotton, especially in that from the new seed. (4) Deep versus shallow ploughing. Subsidiary tests are in progress to find out whether jowar sown in August will come on as quickly as that sown in July, the difficulty at present being that the culti- vators say they cannot get their fields ready in July for sowing jowar after Broach cotton. Very little of the Broach cotton produced by members of the Agricultural Association ranked as first class in the auction. They should not be discouraged by this failure but repeat the experiments in more carefully selected areas. The members of the Association have also imbibed the idea that Broach has a bad effect on the succeeding jowar crop. The experiments on the farm (already referred to) may reassure them on this point. Mr. Mankad has the following note on the sale of Broach cotton which took place on the 16th May 1915 at Dharwar : — " In all, 39,000 lb. of seed were distributed covering an area of about 2,500 acres (10,000 lb. fresh seed imported from Navasari and 29,000 Ho. from the special class of the auction sale of last year). 104 REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE The cultivation of this cotton is chiefly confined to Dharwar, Hubli, Bankapur and Haveri Talukas of the Dharwar District and the Sampgaon Taluka of the Belgaum District. Sowing took place in July as well as August. Heavy continuous rains spoiled especially the black soil area bordering Malacl so much so that the crop had to be grubbed up and the area had to be put out under wheat. 1 he shed- ding of the leaves was tremendous and the bolls dropped down; the opening was also unsatisfactory. The average yield in this area, viz., the black soil area bordering Malad, was very disappointing — 50 ft. per acre only. In the eastern portion of the black soil area bordering Malad the yield per acre averaged 200 ft. kapas. The crop did not suffer much in these parts as the rains were not very heavy. The late rains in January and February were most unfavourable for all cotton crops and especially to Broach. The excessive moisture at that time induced the plants to throw out more of leafy and woody growth and the bolls already formed, did not open at all. Picking was very leafy. The local cotton Kumpta was also a six anna crop. The total number of dhokadas of Broach cotton received at the Depot was 1,274. The cotton was graded in six classes according to ginning percentages and the following prices were obtained per naga of 1,344 ft. kapas: — Class Special 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th Ginuing per cent. Price per naga * Kb. . Nil Nil . 33-5 150 . 32-5 143 . 315 136 30-5 127 29-5 124 Rejected Broach 110 And college, pusa, for ioh-15. 105 The local cotton Kumpta on the day stood at Rs. 107 per nag a. In addition to Broach cotton 438 dhokadas of Kumpta cross having a ginning percentage of 27-5 and 26 5 got Rs. 110^ and Rs. 108^ respectively per naga of kapas. The prices were offered from the point of ginning percentages. Broach cotton graded in Class IV was stronger and better in colour than that of Classes I and II. The ginning percentage of Kumpta cross was very low this year owing perhaps to the deterioration of the variety due to local seeds being used every year. No seed was therefore bought back this year. Similarly the ginning percentage of Broach was low this year. It will be seen from the statement that not even one dhokada has come in the special class. The number of dhokadas even in the first class was very small, viz., 52. All the Broach cotton was purchased by Mr. Jijibhai Ardeshiar Dewecha who was specially deputed by Messrs. Tata, Sons & Co., Bombay. It is proposed to get about 3,000 lb. fresh seed from Navasari and to obtain all seed from the first class of the sale at 40 lb. a rupee (this will give about 10,000 lb.) so that in all there will be about 13,000 lb. for distribution this year. From the quantity of seed intended for distri- bution it seems that the area under Broach cotton will considerably fall this year." Messrs. Tata make the following valuations and re- marks on six samples sent from Dharwar : — Serial No. 1 o 3 4 5 Name of Variety Kumpta from plot 608 Kumpta selected for quality. Kumpta cross Kumpta x Ghogari Broach first generation Broach 11th (last) Remarks } No. 2 is in every respect superior to No. 1. No. 1 can > spin up to 24's and No. 2 can spin up to 32's. ) Value No. 1, Rs. 230. No. 2, Rs. 245. } No 3 is superior to No. 4 — especially in strength of [ fibre. Can spin up to 24's. Value No. 3, Rs. 240 ) and No. 4, Rs. 235. } No. 5 is decidedly superior to No. 6. No. 6 has [• much deteriorated. No. 5 can spin 40's. Value ) Rs. 260. No. 6 can spin up to 30's. Value Rs. 240. LUtJ REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE Basis of prices per candy of 784 lb. on 21st July 1915 : — Rs. Kumpta (mixed) Kumpta (pure) Navasari 210 230 260 Surat 240 Broach 220 Saw-ginned 215 Cambodia 240 F. Gr. Mathia 160 Value per acre Rs. A. 61 9 56 3 44 11 43 11 40 9 17 0 By analysis of the market valuation and acreage on them these samples stand in the following order : — (1) Kumpta Cross (2) Kumpta selected for quality (3) Broach (11th generation) (4) Kumpta (from plot 608) (5) Kumpta x Ghogari (6) Broach (1st generation) Exotic cottons at Gadag. New Orleans, imported from the United States of America, in 1908, does not differ now from Dharwar-American. The seed, at first naked, is now fuzzy. Allen's Long Staple is coming down to the local per- centage and Boyd's Prolific has changed in the same way. Texas Long Staple is maintaining its percentage better. Texas Long Staple and Allen's Hybrid are the best of the exotics at Gadag. They ought to be put to the test on a larger scale, as soon as possible. Dickson, Peerless and Cook are also to be tried on a larger scale next season. In alternate lines of Dharwar-American and Cambodia evidence of inter-crossing is apparent to the extent of one per cent. The belief is gaining ground that Cambodia is more suitable than Dharwar-American for dry areas. AND COLLEGE, PUSA, FOR 1914-15. 107 Dharwar- American. New Orleans type comes true. It is later in ripening than the true Upland form. The staple seems better than that of Upland although the latter was valued more highly in the market. The Upland has a ginning percentage of about 30, the New Orleans 28. The Upland type is being grown pure in the Rane- bennur Taluka by Mr. Kottur. The two varieties are grown mixed in Gadag and Ron Talukas. The following is a note on the auctions drawn up by Mr. Mankad :- " The auction sale of Cambodia kapas was held ar, Gadag on the 9th May 1915. In all 20,000 lb. of Cambodia seed were reserved for distribution purposes, 3,000 1ft. from the Gadag Farm and the remaining 17,000 1ft. from the purified lot of the special class of the auction sale of last year. Of this quantity, about 7,500 1ft. to cover about 400 acres were sown in the Gadag and the Ron Talukas. The same quantity was intended for the villages of the Bijapur District, but on account of the suggestion made by the Gov- ernment to put out larger areas under cereals, only half the quantity was distributed chiefly in the village of Kundergi in the Bagalkot Taluka and the villages of Mangoli and Muttigi along the Don river where the conditions seem more favourable. The area under Cambodia cotton in the Bijapur District will be roughly 200 acres. Sowing was done from the end of September till the first week of October. On the whole the season was not unfavourable to Cambodia cotton in the Gadag and the Ron Talukas of the Dharwar District but it proved very unfavourable to the Dharwar- American. In the Bijapur District, however, the crop suffered on account of abnormal- ly heavy rains. With regard to the sowing period, it seems that Cambodia in the District thrives much better when sown in the beginning of October. The experience gained on the 1CM REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE Gadag Farm shows that Cambodia gives better results when sown in the middle of September. The Divisional Inspector of Agriculture has taken up this matter of find- ing out the right season for sowing as a special study. The District Agricultural Officers during their tour in connection with the inspection of the corp have found Cambodia thriving much better in the village of Sudi in the Ron Taluka and in the villages of Kurtkoti and Hul- koti of the Gadag Taluka than in other places. The soil and other conditions do not materially differ and the com- paratively poor progress of the Cambodia cotton in other places requires careful investigation. The outturn per acre varied from 400 lb. to 100 lb. kapas with a ginning percentage from 32-5 to 37. In some well-cultivated fields at Sudi the yield was 600 lb. per acre, while the yield of Dharwar- American was not more than 500 lb. in any fields. Experience shows that Cambodia thrives in years when the rainfall is moderate. 1 am strongly inclined to believe after examining the cotton that the staple of the Cambodia cotton has not only become weak but has considerably deteriorated in length also, i.e., the staple is both weak and short. Unless selec- tion work is undertaken, I am afraid that this cotton will lose its reputation. Experienced cultivators say that the cotton bolls are now becoming smaller in size than they were when the cotton was first introduced. The varying results of Cambodia cotton would always be a strong factor against the possibility of its extension in larger areas; the extension will also remain limited, as the Dharwar-American cotton is very promising in the Ranebennur Taluka and the adjacent parts. All the kapas was not received at the auction depot, as the needy cultivators cannot wait till the auction sale is arranged for. In all 1,189 dhokadas (4 Dhokadas = l Naga = 1,344 lb.) were received at the depot. The cotton was graded in six classes according to the ginning percentages. AND COLLEGE, PUSA, FOR 1914-15. 109 The prices offered for each class are given below per naga of 1,344 lb. : — GiDning percentage Price Rs. 37 and above 154 36-5 . 145 35-5 . 146 34-5 . 140 33-5 . 140 32-5 . • • • 135 . 132 Class Special 1st . 2nd . 3rd . 4th . 5th . Unclassified The price of Dharwar- American on the day was Rs. 108. The prices realized are mostly from the point of ginning percentage. It is proposed to purchase all the seed of the special class at 36 Ha. a rupee, and about 1,000 lb. will be avail- able from the Gadag Farm; so that the total quantity available for distribution this year will be about 10,000 lb. With regard to the prospects of Cambodia and Broach cottons in the Southern Division, it can be said that : — The two varieties of cottons have not been well estab- lished, as yet. In some favourable seasons they give excellent yields, while in some, they yield less than the local Kumpta. In some years there is timely rain for sowing the Broach variety early in July, while in others, the sowing season is unfavourable either through insufficient or too much rainfall. Similarly heavy late rains spoil Cambodia crop. Besides, there is a belief that the Broach crop impoverishes the soil and the following- crop of jowar becomes very poor. The percentage of lint also varies according to the nature of the soil though the seed sown is of very superior quality. Notwithstanding the above adverse conditions, people have a tendency to sow Broach cotton at least on a small scale and this tendency is due to the high price en- sured to them by holding an auction sale by the Department. 110 REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE The present high rate given by merchants in the auction sale is for the following reasons : — (a) A large quantity of Broach and Cambodia kapas is gathered at one place by the efforts of the Department; (b) The kapas is graded and there is a sort of guarantee for the declared percentage of lint; (c) There is some Departmental check over the culti- vators not to adulterate the cotton with other inferior varieties. When the auction sale is stopped, merchants will not have the facilities mentioned above and the mill-owners will not be induced to buy the ka/pas at such high rates. The only merchants on whom the Broach and Cambodia cotton growers will have to depend, will be the local middle men, who, when they understand that there would be no auction sale, would offer as low a price as possible. The only solution to continue the cultivation of Broach and Cambodia cottons in the absence of auction sales by the Department would be either : — (a) that the cultivators should gin their own kapas and sell the lint, or (b) that some organized bodies like the Agricultural Associations or Co-operative Societies should take up the work of arranging the auction sales on the same lines as is done at present by the Department. The former appears to me to be impracticable. As re- gards the latter, it is a question whether the Agricultural Association, Dharwar, can undertake this sort of work independently. I understand that the holding of auction sales has been financially successful to the Department. Besides, the work brings the Departmental Officers in close touch with numerous cultivators and cotton merchants. The expert merchants and mill- agents consider that the Broach cotton grown at Dharwar is as good a cotton as that grown at AND COLLEGE, PUSA, TOR 1914-15. Ill Navasari or sometimes better. They have all along been giving good prices to encourage the cultivation and are still ready to continue the same. In the last auction sale Mr. Jijibhoy Ardeshiar Dewecha, Manager, Swadeshi Mills, Bombay, expressed his opinion that the cotton was very good and he would be glad to buy up to 10,000 bales of such cotton grown in the Southern Division. In conclusion, it seems highly desirable that, until the cultivation of these two cottons becomes permanent on an extended scale, the auction of these should be continued by the Department. Similarly the steady supply of good seed (a large quantity from Navasari) will also have to be undertaken annually by the Department." Messrs. Tata have the following valuations and remarks on six samples of cotton from the Gadag Farm : — Remarks 3 4 5 6 Dharwar- Amer i c a n- New Orleans type. Dharwar-American — Up land type. Dharwar-American Ordi- nary. Cambodia, saw-ginned Cambodia Double Rol- ler-ginned. Christopher X Cul- pepper. y Both are far superior to Ordinary Saw -ginned Dharwar especially in length and strength of fibre. They have retained some characteristics of American. No. 2 is weaker in fibre than No. 1. No. 1 can spin up to 40's. Value Rs. 260. No. 2 can spin up to 301 s. Value Rs. 245. It is ordinary saw-ginned. Can spin up to 20's Value Rs. 215. No. 4 is so nicely ginned that the staple does not seem to be cut as it ordinarily ought to appear. The length of staple almost equals that of No. 5, roller ginned. Can spin up to 32's. Value both Rs. 240. It is superior to Nos. 4 and 5 especially in strength of fibre. Can spin up to 40's. Value Rs. 260. Bases of prices are the same as those given for the six samples of Dharwar above. An analysis of the valuations and average outturn places the Gadag samples in the following order : — (1) Dharwar-American, New Orleans type (2) Christopher x Culpepper (3) Dharwar-American, Ordinary . (4) Dharwar-American, Upland type (5) Cambodia, saw-ginned (6) Cambodia, double roller ginned Per acre Es. A. 33 4 ai 9 29 o 4- 22 6 19 8 19 8 112 REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE Karkeli cotton. This was tested at Bhilvadi in the Tasgaon Taluka of the Satara District by the Inspector of Agriculture, Sholapur. The outturn of seed cotton was 204 1ft. The Inspector says that the outturn was poor owing to the want of rain at the time of sowing, and from heavy rain after sowing. The germination was hence not satisfactory. The ginning percentage was 30. Messrs. Tata made the following remarks on a sample of this cotton :- 'It seems to have deteriorated a little in length of staple. Can spin up to 32's. Value Rs. 210 (Karkeli of the day Rs. 215)." An analysis of the outturn and value gives the crop a value of Rs. 16-5-0 per acre. Cottons at the Agricultural College Farm, Poona. Three cotton varieties, Cambodia, Bhuri and Broach are being tested on this farm. The valuations of all are iden- tical and Broach, although it yields the heaviest crop, is falling off in percentage. Messrs. Tata report as follows on samples : — 1. Cambodia . . . This cotton has somewhat deteriorated in length of staple. It is rather coarse in feel. In other respects it has retained its characteristics. Value Rs. 230 (Cambodia of the day at Rs. 240). 2. Bhuri , . . Same as above but a little better in feel. Value Rs. 230. 3. Broach . .A little better than Fine Broach. Compared with Navasari grown in the District has deteriorated Value Rs. 230 (Fine Broach of the day Rs. 220;. The value of the crops stands as follows : — Per acre Rs. A. (1) Broach 60 6 (2) Bhuri 50 9 (3) Cambodia . . . . . 46 15 G-ujerat. The selected cottons are being grown by villagers round Surat on about 400 acres. There appears to be a consensus of opinion that the selected cottons are really superior to the prevailing article. AND COLLEGE, PUSA, FOR 1914-15. ]13 The Superintendent of the Surat Farm says that prices fluctuate in different centres of the District and cotton grown in the north invariably fetches a lower price than that in the south. Cultivators gain by taking the trouble to cart their cotton to the centre offering the highest price. Ghogari exists as an appreciable mixture in Broach but not in Surat cotton. The Superintendent also emphasized the fact which is true, viz., that the Surat District is peculiar in that its conditions do not suit any outside variety of cotton so that cultivators would lose if adulteration of seed occurred. So far as we see then, Surat and Navasari cotton will always be grown pure and if contamination appears in the market- ed product, it must take place after it leaves the cultivator's hands. The Superintendent also assures me that the bulk of the Surat and Navasari cottons is bought forward by agents from the Ahmedabad Mills before the Bombay traders appear on the scene and that all the Broach cotton of the Bombay market is really grown in the Broach District. The prices offered by the Ahmedabad merchants are in advance of those offered from Bombay. It might be as well for the Department to bring its improved cottons to the direct notice of the Ahmedabad mill owners. In ghogari the seed is larger than that of deshi and the cotton is more adherent so that it is more difficult to gin. The fuzz is white, while that of deshi is brown. As a result of an inspection of many fields of cotton in the Jambusar Taluka of Broach we found that ghogari was grown in a very pure state. The prevailing form is round boiled and only a few plants with pointed bolls were found. In the event of a seed farm being established here to improve ghogari cotton, distribution could be easily arranged, as the villagers would naturally accept seed which is even only a little better than their own. There is sufficient land in the close vicinity of Jambusar town alone to provide area for seed farm purposes. i 114 REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE In Vavli village the cultivators co-operate in having their cotton ginned under their own supervision so that they are certain of getting back their seed pure. The difference in yield of clean cotton in ghogari as against Broach Deshi is 14 per cent. The point to be decided was whether the farm at Broach is suitable for the improvement work in ghogari or whether it could be done more efficiently at Jambusar. It is known that ghogari bolls open badly in the real black soil but on the Broach Farm, where the soil is intermediate in character, this drawback is not encountered. It is therefore quite practicable to effect the selection at Broach for the whole of the ghogari tract and villagers round Jambusar would, no doubt, willingly agree to grow pure ghogari for seed distribution. There are four types of ghogari cotton to be tested :-- (1) The first and typical has a large, round boll, with a high percentage of lint, which clings tightly to the seed which has a white fuzz. This will probably be the form ultimately selected. (2) The second is a large, pointed boll, and the lint does not cling so closely to the seed. The fibre is finer and the fuzz is brown. (3) and (4) are small boiled equivalents of (1) and (2). On account of its high ginning percentage, its propor- tion in Broach Deshi mixture is steadily increasing and it would be safe policy to see that the cultivators get a hold of the best ghogari that can be developed. Surat. Of the four cottons sent for valuation from this centre, taking into consideration their outturns and ginning percentages, they stand in the following order : — Per acre R.S. A. (1) Selection II— General . . . 58 12 (2) Selection I- A 53 4 (3) 1027 A L F 50 6 (4) Surti Broach Local . . . 46 U AND COLLEGE, PUSA, FOR 1914-15. 115 These figures prove that any one of the three selections is considerably in advance of the ordinary local cotton (the last) and it would pay the cultivator to take them up. Sisodra Plot. In the Sisodra plot two of the above named varieties again come in and the three stand in the following order : — Per acre Us. A. (1) 1027 A L F 36 11 (2) Selection I 30 5 (3) Local Sisodra . . . . 29 12 There must be some good reason for the discrepancy in the value of the cottons from this plot as compared with those from Surat. It is probable that the cotton from Billimora and Chikhli furnishes the best so called Navasari cotton and that the product from Navasari itself is not quite so good as this. Broach Plot. We have already noticed that the pre- vailing form ghogari is round-boiled and that only a few plants have pointed bolls. It is interesting to find from the market valuations that the commoner form yields the better cotton. Next season when we will have outturn results from the two types of ghogari we may be able to say definitely which is the more profitable to grow. Nadiad Farm. The acreage value of the indigenous lalio is Rs. 85-9 against Rs. 77-12 in Cambodia. This goes to prove that in the long run the local cotton will pay the cultivator best. Madras. Although not requested to do so, I have taken the liberty of obtaining the expert opinion of Messrs. Tata, of Bombay on the cottons grown in the Presidency, samples of which were supplied for museum purposes. Four samples of karanganni were received from Koil- patti Agricultural Station, of which three were special strains. The price of Tinnevelly for the day being Rs. 235, the ordinary karanganni sample with the percentage of 116 REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE cotton to seed of 24, was valued at Rs. 220 ; Company No. 1 with percentage 27, valued at Rs. 245 ; Company No. 2 with the percentage of 31, valued at Rs. 240; Company No. 3 with the percentage of 33, valued at Rs. 235 per candy of 784 lb. There has been an increase of 9 per cent, in the percentage and an increase of Rs. 25 in the price. If the acreage results had been supplied, we should have been in a position to give the actual value of the cotton produced per acre. Pulichai cotton is so largely contaminated with Berar seed that it is valued at the same figure. Company No. 2 (Karanganni, special selection by Mr. Sampson from last year's crop) is valued at Rs. 248, Tinnevelly of the day standing at Rs. 235. The Cambodia samples from Koilpatti and Coimbatore were valued a little below the price of good Cambodia in Bombay. Samples of wppam from Koilpatti and Coimbatore are valued at Rs. 205, the ordinary market rate. Bourbon from Coimbatore is valued equal to Navasari cotton at Rs. 270 and nadam from Coimbatore stands equal to Westerns at Rs. 200. With Westerns selling at Rs. 200 in Bombay, the sample from Hagari was valued at Rs. 215. With Northerns standing at Rs. 210, white-seeded Northerns from Nandyal was valued at Rs. 230 ; black-seed- ed Northerns from the same place at Rs. 225. Coconada standing at Rs. 210, Yerrapatti red was valued at Rs. 215 and Coconada red, Rs. 205 and white Coconada from Samalkota, at Rs. 215. Messrs. Tata make the following valuations and remarks on these samples : — Basis of prices per candy of 784 lb. on 11th August 1915 :— Tinnevelly, Rs. 235 : Uppam, Rs. 205 : Westerns, Rs. 200 : Cambodia, Rs. 240 : Northerns, Rs. 210 : Navasari, Rs. 270 : Berar Jari (Akola), Rs. 200 : Coconada, Rs. 210. AND COLLEGE, PUSA, FOR 1914-15. 117 Serial No. 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 Name of Variety Ordinary Karanganni . Karanganni Special type Company No. I. Do. Company No. II. Do. Company No. Ill Pulichai cotton Tinnevelly cotton Company No. 2 — Special Selection. Cambodia from Koil- patti. Cambodia from Coim- batore. Uppam from Koilpatti Uppam from Coim- batore. Remarks Of these four samples, No. 2 is best, Nos. 3 and 4 are alike, but a little bit inferior to No. 2 in length of staple. No. 1 comes last, being short in staple. Nos. 2, 3, 4 can spin from 30's to 32's. No. 1 can spin up to 24's. Value No. 1, Rs. 220 ; No. 2, Rs. 245 ; No. 3, Rs. 240 ; No. 4, Rs. 235. Bourbon batore. from Coim- Nadam from batore. Cofm- White-seeded North- erns from Nandyal. Black do. do. Ycrrapatti Red . Coconada Red Coconada white from Samalkota. Westerns from Hagari . This resembles Akola cotton. It is a short staple cotton. Can spin up to 16's. Value Rs. 200. It is a strong, silky, good staple cotton more or less equal to Nos. 3 and 4. Can spin up to 30's. It is not Uppam as it is supposed to be. Value Rs. 235. This is more like No. 2 but more silky. Can spin up to 32's. Value Rs. 248. ! No. 9 is a bit longer in staple than No. 8. Both are silky, long stapled cotton. The fibre is weak and therefore cannot spin more than 32's. Value Rs. 235 for each. Both are alike coarse, short stapled, No. 11 being a bit whiter in colour than No. 10. Value Rs. 205 for each. Can spin 12's to 14's. It is a long stapled, silky cotton. 40's. Value Rs. 270. Can spin up to It is very variable in length of staple and may be valued at Rs. 200. Can spin up to 16's. ^ Both are silky long stapled cotton and strong / fibred. No. 14 being whiter than No. 15, which is I Red, No. 14 may be valued at Rs. 230 and No. 15, ) Rs. 225. Can spin up to 32's. This is softer in feel and a bit longer in staple than Red Coconada. More suitable for dyeing. Value Rs. 215. Can spin up to 20 's. Both are red and white ordinary types of Coconada. The fibre is coarse and staple shorter than No. 16. Can spin up to 16's. Value No. 17 (Red), Rs. 205. Value No. 18, for its colour Rs. 215. For Westerns, the staple is very good, being very long. Can spin 24's. Value Rs. 215. N.B. — All the counts given here apply to warp and not weft. It will be seen that in the majority of instances, a distinct advance in the value of cotton has been gained by 118 REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE selection and if only ginning percentages and acreage outturns had been available, a rigid estimate could have been framed of the actual value of all the cottons which have been examined. Burma. Mr. McKerral reports as follows : — ' The cottons received from you were grown at the Agricultural Station at Tatkon, Yamethin District, Burma. The year was rather wet and the cotton crop in general on this farm was not very successful. None of the Indian short-lived cottons were a success and they did not appear to do as well as the Burmese ' Wa-gale ' (G. neglectum), which was grown alongside of them. The same was true of the long-lived types and Broach cotton proved a complete failure, while Burmese ' Wa-gyi ' (G. obtusi- folium) gave a fairly good crop although it flowered late. I conclude that our best chances of improving cotton in Burma will be to under- take selection for yield and ginning percentage with the indigenous varieties. I have, however, retained small cultures of all the cottons sent by you. ' With regard to the Burmese cottons, it was found that ' Wa-gale ' (G. neglectum) which is our short-lived kind, consists of three well-marked botanical types (1) a yellow-flowered type, (2) a white-flowered. This occurs in small propor- tion in the ordinary crop and appears to be the type called by you ' Avena,' (3) a type showing reddish coloration of the petioles, leaves, bract- eoles, etc., and possessing a longer and finer staple than the other types. This was found in samples received from the Shan States and looked a promising type. Unfortunately, how- ever, its ginning percentage has been found to be very small. The white-flowered type appears to have the highest ginning percentage and in AND COLLEGE, PUSA, FOR 1914-15. 119 the case of one single plant this appeared to reach 40 per cent. The white-flowered variety is being separated from the yellow and a large number of single plant selections of all three kinds have been made. No markedly different types have been observed so far in Wa-gyi ' (the long-lived Burma cotton) and the crop appears to be fairly uniform. Further ob- servations, however, are being made this year." As in former years, I have to thank Messrs. Tata, Sons & Co., for the trouble they have taken in furnishing valua- tions of the numerous samples of cotton submitted to them. III. Programme of work for the year 1915-16. (1) To visit and advise on points regarding cotton and its cultivation whenever requested to do so by the Provincial Departments of Agriculture. (2) The study of the behaviour of Bourbon, Bhuri, Cambodia and other such cottons in non-cotton-producing tracts, as detailed in the last year's programme, will be continued. (3) An enquiry on the manurial requirements of cotton will be continued. (4) Researches on the botany of cotton will be continued. CALCUTTA SUPERINTENDENT GOVERNMENT PRINTING, INDIA 8, HASTINGS STREET J REPORT OF THE Agricultural Research Institute and College, Pusa (Including the Report of the Imperial Cotton Specialist) 1915-16 CALCUTTA SUPERINTENDENT GOVERNMENT PRINTING, INDIA 1916 Price 6 annas or 7d* REPORT OF THE Agricultural Research Institute and College, Pusa (Including the Report of the Imperial Cotton Specialist) 1915-16 CALCUTTA SUPEEINTENDENT GOVERNMENT PRINTING, INDIA 1916 TABLE OF CONTENTS I. Eeport of the Director, Agricultural Besearch Institute and College, Pusa — I. Charge and staff II. Work of the Institute Scientific work Training III. Publications IV. General administration V. Accounts VI. Conferences VII. Visitors . Page 1 ib. ib. 3 4 5 6 7 II. Eeport of the Imperial Agriculturist- I. Administration and tours II. Training .... III. Farin cultivation IV. Live-stock V. General .... VI. Programme of work for 1916-17 8 ib. ib. 10 11 11 III. Eeport of the Imperial Agricultural Chemist- I. Administration and tours II. Education ..... III. Meteorology and draingauges . IV. Infertility under trees V. Eice ...... The rices of Bihar and Orissa . Composition of the rices The effect of polishing . Eice as an article of diet Assimilation of nutrients by the plant Feeding value of the different parts VI. Feeding stuffs (General) . VII. Starch ...... VIII. Lathy r us sativus .... 12 12 12 13 13 ib: ib. 14 15 16 18 19 19 19 11 IX. llelation of transpiration ratio and absorption of food materials ...... X. Programme of work for 1916-17 XI. Publications ....... IV. Report of the Imperial Economic Botanists — I. Introduction ...... II. Investigations at Pusa .... (1) Wheat Pusa 12 ..... Pusa 4 ..... Shipments of Pusa 12 and Pusa to England . . . Other wheat investigations (2) Tobacco (3) Indigo ...... (4) Gram ...... (5) Oilseeds ..... (6) Soil-aeration ..... (7) Surface drainage .... III. The development of the agriculture of Balu chistan ...... (1) Water-saving .... (2) The improvement of fodder production (3) Fruit investigations IV. Programme and publications (1) Programme of work for 1916-17 (2) Publications ..... V. Report of the Imperial Mycologist — I. Charge and establishment II. Training and visitors III. Diseases of plants .... (1) Paddy diseases (2) " Tokra " of tobacco and mustard (3) Black thread of rubber . (4) Opium poppy blight (5) Rliizoctonia on jute and sugarcane (6) Anthracnose of peppers . (7) Plantain diseases Tage 20 20 21 22 0 0 22 00 25 26 27 28 30 31 32 33 33 31 34 37 iO 42 42 41 44 45 45 48 49 50 51 52 52 Ill (8) Sal tree disease (9) Other diseases of interest IV. Miscellaneous V. Systematic work VI. Programme of work for 1916-17 VII. Publications .... VI. Report of the Imperial Entomologist — I. Charge and establishment II. Tours III. Training . IV. Insect Pests (1) Cotton . (2) Rice (3) Sugarcane (4) Indigo (5) Coffee (6) Orchard and garden pests (7) Life-histories of insects . (8) Insecticides (9) Protection of timber against termites (10) Grain storage experiments V. Bees, Lac and Silk (1) Bees (2) Lac (3) Silk VI. Illustrations VII. Miscellaneous VIII. Insect survey IX. Programme of work for 1916-17 X. Publications .... VII. Report of the Imperial Pathological Entomologist- I. Charge and establishment II. Work done. Disease-carrying insects Cattle flies ...... Surra investigation .... Mosquitos Flesh-flies ...... Ticks ....... Page 54 54 54 55 56 56 58 53 59 59 60 60 62 63 63 64 64 68 68 68 69 69 70 70 72 72 73 76 76 78 79 79 82 83 84 IV III. Progi amine of work for 1916-17 VIII. Report of the Imperial Agricultural Bacteriologist I. Administration and tours II. Training .... III. Soil Bacteriology Toxins .... Green-manuring Saltpetre IV. Special enquiries Fermentation organisms Pebrine Indigo Biological analysis of soils V. Programme of work for 1916-17 VI. Publications .... IX. Report of the Imperial Cotton Specialist- I. Charge and tours II. Cottons in the Provinces Central India United Provinces . Central Provinces . Bombay Bengal and Assam III. Programme of work for 1916-17 Page 84 S5 SG 86 86 89 89 91 91 9% 94 96 97 98 99 99 99 101 101 105- 115 115 Report of the Agricultural Research Institute and College, Pusa (Including the Report of the Imperial Cotton Specialist) 1915-16. REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR. (J. Mackenna, M.A., I.C.S.) I. Charge and Staff. Charge. I succeeded Mr. B. Coventry, CLE., as Agricultural Adviser to the Government of India and Director, Agricultural Research Institute, Pusa, on the 1st April 1916, when he retired from the service of Govern- ment. Mr. Coventry has been identified with the Institute since its foundation and has been responsible for its development and growth. It is now one of the best equipped establishments of the kind in the East. Mr. Wynne Sayer was Assistant to the Agricultural Adviser throughout the year. Staff. The following changes in staff took place during the year. Mr. J. W. Leather, V.D., F.I.C., Imperial Agricultural Chemist, proceeded on combined leave from 16th September 1915, preparatory to retirement. He has since joined a Garrison Battalion of the Cheshire Regiment as a Major. Mr. Jatindra Nath Sen, M.A., F.C.S., Supernumerary Agricultural Chemist, was appointed to act as Imperial Agricultural Chemist. 2 REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE Mr. A. Howard, CLE., M.A., and Mrs. Gabrielle L. C. rloward, M.A., the Imperial Economic Botanists, took one month's privilege leave from 10th November 1915. Mr. E. J. Butler, MB., Imperial Mycologist, returned from leave on the 16th November 1915, and resumed charge of the section from Mr. F. J. E. Shaw, B.Sc, A.R.C.S., who had been officiating. Mr. T. Bainbrigge Fletcher, F.L.S., F.E.S., F.Z.S., Imperial Entomologist, held charge also of the duties of the Imperial Pathological Entomologist from the 9th August 1915, in place of Mr. F. M. Howlett, B.A, F.E.S., Imperial Pathological Entomologist, on leave. Mr. C. M. Hutchinson, B.A., Imperial Agricultural Bacteriologist, was on privilege leave for one month from 7th September 1915. The Agricultural Section was in charge of Mr. S. Milligan, M.A., B.Sc, up to 2nd June 1916, when he was transferred to Bengal as Officiating Director of Agricul- ture and Mr. G. S. Henderson, N.D.A., N.D.D., was appointed to officiate as Imperial Agriculturist. Mr. W. A. Davis, B.Sc, A.C.G.I., F.C.S., was appointed to the special post of Indigo Research Chemist, and posted to Pusa. He joined his appointment on the 20th May 1916. II. Work of the Institute. Scientific work. The scientific work of the Institute during the year is indicated in the reports of the various sections. Training. The training of students in post-graduate courses was continued and short courses were also given in cattle management and sericulture. In the section of Agricultural Bacteriology two students completed their course during the year under report and returned to their respective Provinces. An Assistant deputed by the Assam Department of Agriculture is now under training. AND COLLEGE, PTJSA, FOR 1915-16 3 In the Botanical Section an Assistant deputed by the Burma Department of Agriculture was trained during the year in work connected with wheat-growing. In General Entomology two students completed their training and at the end of the year under report one agricultural graduate is taking this course. In the Mycological Section, two students completed their course during the year. An Assistant deputed by the United Provinces Depart- ment of Agriculture is undergoing training in general agriculture in the Agricultural Section. Besides the regular students referred to above the following visitors also worked in the laboratories : — Mr. Karm Chand Mehta, M.Sc, Professor of Botany, Agra College, and Mr. Bamanji Nowroji Vakil, B.Sc, of Bombay, worked in the Mycological Laboratory from 3rd March to 27th March 1916, and 15th March to 25th April 1916, respectively. Mr. Mahdi Hasan, a private student from Hyderabad, Deccan, worked in the Entomological Laboratory for about four months. Mr. Deoki Nandan, M.R.A.C., took a course in general agriculture, mycology and entomology. Three students took the short course in sericulture and a graduate of the Lyallpur Agricultural College took the special course in cattle breeding and dairjdng. III. Publications. The Agricultural Journal of India, Scientific Memoirs and Bulletins continued to be issued during the year. The Department published during the year 13 Memoirs and 6 Bulletins; 6 Memoirs and 4 Bulletins are in the press. The Proceedings of the Inter-Provincial Jute Conference (1915) and of the 9th Meeting of the Board of Agriculture in India (1916), were also issued during the year. A Bengali version of Bulletin No. 48, has been published and copies 4 REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE distributed free in the important silk centres of Bengal. A revised edition of the Manual of More Deadly Forms of Cattle Disease in India was also published during the year. A special number of the Agricultural Journal of India was issued including all papers of agricultural interest read at the Third Indian Science Congress held at Lucknow in January 1916. A revised edition of Bulletin No. 39 and the second edition of Bulletins Nos. 52 and 53, are in the press. The grant of Rs. 29,000 permanently sanctioned for publications was continued during the year under report. Owing to the continued rise in the prices of paper and other materials, strictest economy had to be exercised to keep down the expenditure within the sanctioned limits. IV. General Administration. Buildings and Works. During the year under report four additional quarters for the subordinate staff were completed and four more quarters are under construction. The female ward for the Pusa Hospital was also completed during the year. Necessary funds have been allotted for the installation of electric lights and fans in the European bungalows and the work is in the hands of the Public Works Department. The new ice machine referred to in last year's report has been installed. Several minor works were also done during the year out of the grant of Rs. 5,000 placed at my disposal in the civil works budget of the Public Works Department. Library. The third edition of the catalogue of the Pusa Library, was issued during the year. In addition to the foreign bulletins, memoirs, reports, etc., which are received in exchange from different parts of the world, over 300 volumes were purchased for the library during the year. Pusa Schools. The number of pupils attending the Pusa High School at the close of the year was 185. In March 1916, the school sent up seven boys for the Matri- culation Examination of the Calcutta University and of AND COLLEGE, PUSA, FOR 1915-1G 5 these five passed in the first division and one in the second division. The Lower Primary Girls' School remained closed during the greater part of the year on account of the death of the mistress of the school. It is hoped that the vacancy will soon be filled as there is a demand for female education General Health of the Station. The general health of the station during the year under report was satisfactory. Relief was afforded to 10,458 persons at the Pusa Hospital, of which 10,223 were treated in the out-patients depart- ment and 235 in the indoor department. The average daily attendance was 68-07 in the out-door and 12-01 in the indoor departments. The total number of deaths in the hospital were 11. Most of these cases were brought to the hospital in rather advanced stages of illness. Occasional outbreaks of cholera in the villages lying in the immediate vicinity of Pusa during the months of Sep- tember, November and December 1915, became a source of great danger to the Estate. Preventive measures were promptly taken, and the wells were thoroughly disinfected with the result that the disease did not enter the Estate. Thirty-two primary and eight re-vaccinations were done during the year. V. Accounts. The total expenditure during the financial year 1915-16 was Rs. 4,63,817, as under : — Office of the Agricultural Adviser to the Bs. Government of India and Director of the Institute 2,00,852 Chemical Section Mycological Section Entomological Section Pathological Entomological Section Botanical Section Bacteriological Section Agricultural Section . Total 31,699 32,231 41,297 16,728 43,803 28,436 68,771 4,63,817 6 REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE In addition to the above a sum of Rs. 23,502 was spent out of the provision of Rs. 23,560 made under " Sugar Experiments " in the budget of this Department for 1915-16, in connection with the engagement of Mr. W. Hulme as Sugar Engineer in the United Provinces. A sum of Rs. 15,000 was paid as a grant-in-aid to the Indian Tea Association. The principal items of expenditure under the annual grant of Rs. 10,000 placed at the disposal of the Agricul- tural Adviser to the Government of India for special Agricultural Experiments were as follows : — Es. Purchase of a small sugarcane crushing plant required for experiment by the Agricul- tural Chemist, United Provinces . . 500 Cost of additional machinery for sugar plant required by Mr. Hulme .... 6,000 Purchase of silk yarn for sericulture experi- ments at Pusa ...... 194 Experimental cotton cultivation conducted by the Imperial Cotton Specialist . . 1,500 Pay of a Veterinary Assistant in connection with cattle breeding and of a Fieldman for mosquito experiments .... 863 The gross receipts during the year from the sale of farm produce, milk, publications of this Department and other articles amounted to Rs. 15,340 as against Rs. 16,843, in the previous year. VI. Conferences. An informal conference on the subject of Agricultural Education was held at Pusa on the 4th and 5th February, 1916, under the presidency of the Hon'ble Mr. C. H. A. Hill, C.S.I., CLE., I.C.S. It was composed of officials of the Agricultural and Education Departments, Mr. Fre- mantle, Collector of Allahabad, one non-official member and myself. The ninth meeting of the Board of Agricul- ture in India was also held at Pusa in the same month. It was attended by 47 members and 24 visitors and was pre- AND COLLEGE, PUSA, FOR 1915-16 7 sided over by Mr. Coventry. The arrangements were made by Mr. Wynne Sayer, Assistant to the Agricultural Adviser to the Government of India, who also acted as Secretary to the Board. VII. Visitors. His Honour the Lieutenant-Governor of Bihar and Orissa, visited the Institute on 6th August 1915. During the year under report the Hon'ble Mr. C. H. A. Hill, C.S.I., C.I.E., I.C.S., Member-in-Charge of the Department of Revenue and Agriculture, the Hon'ble Mr. R. A. Mant, I.C.S., Secretary to the Government of India, Department of Revenue and Agriculture, Mr. Van Geuns, Editor of the Soerabajasch Handelsblad, Java, and others visited the Institute. 8 REPOKT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE REPORT OF THE IMPERIAL AGRICULTURIST. (G. S. Henderson, N.D.A., N.D.D.) I. Administration and Tours. Mr. Milligan held charge of the post till the 2nd June 1916, and then handed over charge to me on his being appointed to the post of Director of Agriculture, Bengal. The senior members of the staff remained practically unchanged. An appreciative note was left by Mr. Mil- ligan of their services. Mr. L. S. Joseph acted for Mr. Judah Hyam, Veterinary Overseer, for a month and then volunteered for military duty, on the transport of horses to Egypt, for two months. He again volunteered for military duty and went to Mesopotamia on the 6th July 1916. Tours. Mr. Milligan examined students at the Cawn- pore Agricultural College in September 1915, also visited Hoshangabad and Panna State in Central Provinces and the Kamrup sugarcane estate in Assam in January. II. Training. There were during the year under report three students, post-graduates, who got a practical insight into the work- ing of the farm and the details of steam cultivation. III. Farm Cultivation. The rainfall was 51-37 inches as compared with 54-88" last season. Heavy rains fell in August and the new 18" drainage pump was working during most of the month. It cleared the stagnant water in a satisfactory fashion. The October rains were poor. Cropping. The major portion of the farm is cropped for the purpose of feeding the breeding herd, work cattle, etc. The stock at Pusa averages about 430 head, this requires an enormous amount of stuff. In one day 100 maunds of green fodder, 25 maunds of oat straw and 17 AND COLLEGE, PUSA, FOR 1915-16 9 maunds of grain are supplied. When the seasons for green fodder and silage are finished, over two tons per day of oat straw are needed. Fifteen thousand maunds of silage were used during the year. In the past season there were 280 acres of land double cropped, mostly maize in kharif, sown with arhar (Cajanus indicus) reaped in rabi, or maize followed by cats in rabi. 147 acres were single cropped. The area of crops was over 700 acres. Fallows were 120 acres. In addition to the oats, maize and arhar supplied as con- centrated food, seed has to be kept for the next season. The budget, buildings and equipment are all insufficient for the area cultivated. Bamboo kutcha sheds have to take the place of more permanent structures. The roofs of the breeding herd buildings, a part of the old horse breeding establishment, are in a precarious condition. A mile or twTo of light tramway would facilitate the working of the estate. The set of steam tackle (Fowler's double engine, K. class, single cylinder) worked 254 days and the following work was done : — Ploughing with disc plough Disc harrow ..... Grubber ..... Roller .... Zig-zag harrow ..... The best work in one day for each operation was 7 acres ploughed, 22 acres harrowed, 18 acres grubbed, and 27 acres rolled. All crops were drilled and then from time to time inter- cultured with Wallace's horse hoe and hand weeding was reduced to a minimum. Crop Experiments. About 20 acres of sugarcane were grown without any irrigation; 6,639 maunds of cane were sold to a factory. The series of permanent rotational and cropping experi- ments were continued. 260 acres ,549 >) 735 a 529 )! 195 )} 10 REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE A series of green manurial experiments in conjunction with the Imperial Agricultural Bacteriologist was con- tinued. The new experiment field is being tested uniformly with oats in order to select plots of similar output. . The rabi crop of oats all over the farm was exception- ally good. In the weighed plots the best yields were, wheat 30 maunds per acre, oats 39 maunds per acre and barley 24 maunds; the total yields of grain exceeded the last year's yield by over 1,600 maunds. IV. Live-Stock. Cattle Breeding. Two herds are being kept at Pusa, one of selected Sanhiwal (Montgomery) cows and their descendants and the other of cross-bred Avrshire -Sanhiwal cattle. From want of ground and buildings, however, both herds are kept together. There are 7 bulls, 2 Ayrshire lulls (Carston Royal Scotch and Lessnessock Wildfire), 107 cows, 59 bull calves, 103 cow calves and 25 young cross-bred stock. In the pure bred herd 4,000 lb. of milk in a lactation period has been accepted as the standard, anything less will fail to qualify for admission. The herd is kept in 5 groups with a separate bull for each group, this will enable the herd to be carried on for a considerable time without out- side blood. Among the cross-breds the heifers produced by the first Ayrshire bull " Mossgeil Titanic " (now dead) will be crossed by the1 produce of " Lessnessock Wildfire." During the year there were on a daily average 119 cus- tomers for milk, the average number of cows in milk was 55, and the average daily yield of milk was 35 gallons including the milk taken by the calves. Two cows, Mookhia and Roopiria, each produced over 490 gallons. Nine animals were sold from the herd for breeding pur- poses at nominal rates to approved breeders. AND COLLEGE, PUSA, FOR 1915-16 II Sheep Breeding. Operations have been continued as described in last year's report. The sheep now number 211 head. V. General. Drainage. The new bund round the south of the estate was completed and a number of drains in the Brick- field and other low places were dug. The drainage system is very complete now and with the exception of two fields which are outside the scheme any ordinary flooding can be dealt with expeditiously. Levelling. Some levelling was done with bullock scrapers but nearly all fields still require some low places filled up. A new 4 feet 6 inches threshing machine was used for threshing the oats, etc. The best day's work was just under 400 maunds of cleaned- oats. VI. Programme of work for 1916-17. The following are the lines of work in progress : — Major investigations. 1. Economics of cultivation of steam engines. 2. Investigation of most suitable rotation and manur- ing for land devoted to cattle feeding. 3. Trials of various leguminous fodder crops. 4. Study of inheritance of characters of dairy cattle by crossing. 5. Building up of milk pedigree in cattle by selection. 6. Manurial experiments with fermented green manures in collaboration with the Imperial Agricultural Bacterio- logist. Minor investigations. 7. Inheritance of wool characters in sheep. 8. Experimental tillage in growing of maize and sugar- cane. 9. Improvement of pastures. 12 REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE REPORT OF THE IMPERIAL AGRICULTURAL CHEMIST. (J. Sen, M.A., F.C.S.) I. Administration and Tours. Charge. The section was in charge of Mr. (now Major) J. W. Leather, V.D., F.I.C., up to the 15th September 1915 when he proceeded on long leave preparatory to retirement. He has since joined the 3rd Battalion, Cheshire Regiment. The First Assistant was in charge of the current duties from 16th September to 6th November 1915 when I took over charge of the section as Ofhciating Imperial Agricul tural Chemist. Establishment. Mr. P. N. Mehta, B.A., was appointed an assistant on 10th July 1915. Mr. B. M. Amin, the Third Assistant, has been deputed to work under the Indigo Research Chemist with effect from the 15th June 1916. Babu Upendra Nath Sen Gupta, B.A., was appointed a probationary assistant from the 15th June 1916. Tours. Major Leather visited Simla in July to confer with the Commissioner of Northern India Salt Revenue about the experiments on refining saltpetre and also went to Cawnpore in September to arrange about draingauge work. I went to Sabour in December to see to the harvesting of my experimental plot of paddy there. II. Education. Babu Upendra Nath Sen Gupta joined this section as a private student but has afterwards taken up appointment as an assistant. III. Meteorology and Draingauges. In addition to the usual records for the Meteorological Department, records of atmospheric pressure by means of a AND COLLEGE, PUSA, FOR 1915-16 13 barograph have been maintained. Work in connection with draingauges here is being kept up. The waters and crops from the Cawnpore draingauges are also being analysed as usual. IV. Infertility under trees. The problem of the occurrence of infertile patches in the soils under trees is being studied. It has been found that in many cases, though not in all, this is associated with a decreased permeability of the soils and the presence of soluble salts. V. Rice. The Rices of Bihar and Orissa. In view of the importance of a chemical study of this valuable food crop the examination of the composition of the rices grown in Bihar and Orissa was undertaken, along with other related questions of interest. It was thought desirable to confine the work to samples of rice in the Government farms, where they are grown under definite cultural conditions. The rices were, however, not pure line cultures. Of the samples received, three came from Bankipore, one from Bettiah, three from Cuttack, thirteen from Dumraon and five from Sabour. The samples studied did not include any boro rice. Composition of the Rices. The composition of the rices did not vary much. The analytical figures allow an interesting deduction. The amounts of oil, fibre and ash vary between very narrow limits and the sum of these constituents will be more or less constant. The sum total1 of the remaining constituents of albuminoids and soluble carbohydrates is thus also constant. It was found that the sum of the percentage figures for albuminoids and soluble carbohvdrates, in all instances except three, fell between 94 and 95. In these three latter cases the figures were 93-9 and 95-3. But the deviation is so small that the general observation may be said to hold good in these instances also. It was thus noted that when b 2 14 REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE the amount of albuminoids was high the carbohydrate con- tent was low and vice versa. The amount of phosphoric acid is always very slightly less than half of the total mineral matter present. Potash is, again, very nearly half of the amount of phosphoric acid present. The effect of polishing. The composition of polished rice is dependent somewhat on that of the original unhusked rice. But although the amount of substance removed as bran is not very much, the grain suffers a material alteration in composition. The polished rice becomes poorer in all constituents except soluble carbohydrates which increase a little. The amount of oil decreases to less than half; the- albuminoids suffer only a slight diminution, the fibre is reduced to about one- fourth of the original quantity and the amount of mineral constituents falls to a half. The outer layer and the embryo which are removed during the polish- ing operation are thus seen to be richer than the inner material in all these constituents. But the concentrations of fibre and oil in the bran are relatively higher than that of the mineral constituents. The distribution of the albumi- noids is more uniform than that of any of the above. It has been noted already that in the unpolished grain the quantity of phosphoric acid is just less than half of the ash. In the polished rice also, the phosphoric acid is slightly less than half of the amount of ash. The potash content, however, which in the unpolished rice is about half of that of the phosphoric acid now rises to about three- fourth of the amount of phosphoric acid. It thus amounts to this that, although both phosphoric acid and potash are more concentrated in the " bran " than in the rest of the seed, the distribution of the potash is more uniform than that of the phosphoric acid. As regards the material lost during the operation of polishing, this consists of the plant embryo and some of the outer layers of the grain. The germ being freely exposed and not embedded in the grain is easily rubbed off, the little AND COLLEGE, PUSA, FOR 1915-16 15 nick at one end of the polished grain marking the place where it was located. Rice as an article of diet. It might be supposed that the estimation in which any variety of rice is held among the consumers, as evidenced by its market price, would be mainly determined by its nutritive value and its palatibility. The latter term includes culinary properties, such as flavour, consistence, appearance, taste, etc., which cannot be definitely described and are rather difficult to observe accurately. As regards the nutritive value of rice, as revealed by analysis, there is no doubt that, other things being equal, the variety of rice which contains larger amounts of albumi- noids is more valuable, inasmuch as albuminoids, which are the flesh formers, are a more expensive form of food than starch. The relative nutritive value of a sample of rice can thus be assumed to depend on its albuminoid content. It was noticed, however, that no accurate relation can be found between the chemical composition and the value of a rice from the consumer's point of view. In a well-balanced ration, the relations between the albuminoids, the oil and the soluble carbohydrates should vary within certain definite limits. Rice, however, in com- mon with other cereals, contains an excessive proportion of starch and is thus not suitable for use as the sole article of diet by any one. This holds not only from the point of view of the organic constituents but also of the mineral ones, which are the bone- formers. Rice is quite poor in this respect also. The importance of giving due consideration to the amount and composition of the ash of foods is very great in order to ensure the supply of material for the proper development of bone, and of the mineral constituents necessary for vital processes — factors which have as much influence on the well-being of animals as proteids, carbohydrates and fats in appropriate quantities. Where a variety of food stuff is used, the probability of much injury being done by ignoring these aspects of the 16 REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE question is not very great. Happily the use of rice is nearly always supplemented by the addition of other substances of vegetable and animal origin which often supply the deficient elements. An interesting characteristic of rice protein may be men- tioned here. It has recently been shown that in its general aminoacid make-up the protein of rice more nearly re- sembles the majority of the proteins of animal tissues than do the proteins of maize and wheat. This may explain the fact that rice, in spite of its low protein content, furnishes food for more human beings than any other cereal. The alteration in composition which rice undergoes during the process of polishing is of great significance from the medical point of view. Some authorities believe that beri-beri is due to specific germs. Others think that it is caused by the bacterial fermentation of the large amounts of carbohydrates eaten in unbalanced diet. But the con- sensus of opinion is that beri-beri is one of the " deficiency diseases " like, e.g., scurvy or rickets. Most of the food articles in their raw state contain the curative substances. These are, however, at times lost, or considerably reduced, during the process of " finishing " and preparation which, the fastidious taste of the modern consumer prescribes. Reduction in the content of phosphoric acid is now gene- rally accepted as an index of the beri-beri-producing power of a sample of rice. Judged by this standard, although all samples of unhusked rice used during this investigation were good, many samples of the " polished " rice were unfit for consumption as a sole article of diet. It must be remem- bered, however, that rice is almost universally supplemented by some other foodstuffs, the mixed diet often to a great extent nullifying much of the apprehended injurious effects. Assimilation of nutrients by the plant. The proper supply of nutritive elements is an important factor in the growth of a plant and, in view of the economic importance of the rice crop, a study was made of the assimilation of the nutrient materials by this plant at various stages of its, growth. AND COLLEGE, PUSA, FOR 1915-16 17 For conducting these' experiments a uniform plot of rice land was chosen at the Sabour Farm. The seed employed was " kalamdan ' which is at present the standard medium aman paddy of the Sabour Farm. It was originally derived from pure culture and its purity was maintained, as far as is possible under field conditions, by rogueing every year. In order to do away with the disturbing factors conse- quent on transplanting, it was decided to allow the rice to grow to maturity in the same field where it was sown. After the usual cultivations, the seeds were sown in the third week of May, by dibbling in plough furrows and after- wards covering them up by beaming. Weeding was done when required. The plot had to be irrigated once in August. Samples of plants (the exact number of plants varying according to the size) were selected in such a way as to fairly represent the whole crop. It was not possible to take cut the whole root system but care was taken not to lose much of the roots. After the soil adhering to the roots had been washed out the plants were divided into their botanical parts and analysed. The following samples were taken : — - (1) very young seedlings, (2) at the transplantation stage, (3) at preflowering stage, (4) at the flowering stage (two samples, one in which the grain was in the " water " stage, and another in which it was beginning to form " milk "), (5) at the ripe or ordinary harvest stage and (6) when the crop was dead ripe. The results obtained need not be entered here in detail but some of the points observed may be mentioned. 1. The total dry matter in a rice plant increases up to the time of maturity, the largest increase in the weight of the crop occurring before the formation of the flowers. ' 2. The percentage of nitrogen generally exhibits a steady and continuous decrease from the first to the last period of growth, the most rapid decline being noted in the second period. The above-ground parts are always richer than the roots in their nitrogen content. At the ear- 18 REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE lier stages the leaves are practically twice as rich in this element as the stems. As the ears form, both the stems and the leaves lose nitrogen. By the time that the grains " fill up " the nitrogen accumulates most in the grain while in the other parts of the plant it falls to the uniform level of about a third of what is present in the grains. It seems therefore that there is a tendency for the nitrogenous matter to press forward towards the top of the plant. 3. The configuration of the curve of the content of phos- phoric acid at the different stages indicates that the amount of this plant food available for the rice plant at Sabour was low throughout. 4. The percentage of potash in the above-ground parts increases from the first stage to the preflowering stage from whenceforward there is a decline. In the roots also there is a continued fall after the second stage. 5. As the ears form and mature there occurs a concen- tration of nitrogen, phosphoric acid and potash in the grains at the expense of the other parts of the plant. 6. The assimilation of nitrogen, phosphoric acid and potash by the plant is fairly complete by the time flowers appear. Hence enough plant foods must be available for the plant during the early stages. 7. There does not seem to be any migration of the absorbed nitrogen and potash back into the soil. 8. Taking the yield of a crop of rice as 900 lb. of dry grain, the soil suffers a depletion of 29-33 lb. nitrogen, 9-64 lb. phosphoric acid and 49-69 lb. potash per acre by the removal of the grains and straw. Feeding value of the different parts. As to the feed- ing values of the different parts of the rice plant, as cal- culated from the chemical analysis at the various stages, it was found that the straw declines in value with the age of the plant but there is no difference in nutritive value between ripe and dead ripe plants. The leaves are more nutritious than the stems of the same period. The leaves in the preflowering and the flowering stages are about AND COLLEGE, PUSA, FOR 1915-16 19 equally nutritious but decline considerably in value as the plant matures. VI. Feeding Stuffs (General). A considerable number of samples of feeding stuffs have been analysed, the greatest number being, as in last year, from the Military Department. It is intended to issue a bulletin incorporating the results of these and other analyses. VII. Starch. The experiments begun last year in connection with sweet potato as a possible source for the commercial produc- tion of starch, have been continued. In order to find out the yield and quality of starch at different periods of growth, fortnightly harvests were made from a field of sweet potatoes, from the latter half of Janu- ary to the end of March. The analysis showed that the best time for harvesting the crop was the middle of February. Through the kindness of the Imperial Agriculturist arrangements are being made to grow different varieties of sweet potato in a plot of land better suited to this crop. Another crop tested was the kidney-shaped yam, Dios- corea fasciculata (vern. suthni) which also is largely grown here. One sample was found to contain 19 per cent, of starch, and to yield a very good quality of starch. VIII. Lathyrus sativus. An attempt was made to find out the poisonous consti- tuent of Lathyrus sativus (vern. khesari) which has a bad reputation for causing paralysis. Samples of this pulse grown at Pusa and at Barail (a village 8 miles from Pusa which is notorious for cases of lathyrism) as well as some samples from the Central Provinces (where also bad cases of the disease occur) were examined. No alkaloids were detected although some of the previous workers had found what seemed to be a volatile alkaloid. 20 REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE During the course of this work it was found that khesari samples are very often contaminated with foreign seeds from which a cyanogenetic glucoside was isolated and some feeding experiments were conducted with guinea pigs. These seeds were identified as Vicia sativa (vern. akta) and Vicia hirsuta (vern. misia). As the chemistry of these grains had been worked out by Ritthausen, further investi- gation was abandoned. IX. Relation of Transpiration Ratio and absorption of FOOD MATERIALS. Pot culture experiments were started during the year to ascertain the relation between the transpiration of water and the assimilation of plant food at different stages of the- plant's growth. The following crops were sown : — Maize, velvet bean, rahar and marua in the kharif and sarsonT wheat and gram in the rabi. The soil employed was Pusa soil and received an appli- cation of superphosphate and potassium nitrate. The moisture content of the soil was maintained at 20 per cent, and the transpiration was daily measured. At regular intervals the plants from the jars were harvested and analysed for nitrogen, phosphoric acid and potash. Some interesting results have been obtained but results- of further experiments are awaited before definite conclu- sions could be justified. X. Programme of work for 1916-17. Major subjects : — 1. Records of the amount and nature of drainage water from fallow land, and land bearing crops, will be main- tained. 2. The relation between the transpiration of water by plant and the assimilation of plant material during the- period of growth will be further studied. 3. An examination of the proportion of starch in some of the Indian starch-producing crops will be made with a AND COLLEGE, PUSA, FOR 1915-10 21 view to their possible utility as commercial sources for the manufacture of starch. Minor subjects : — 1. The assimilation of plant material by the rice plant will be further studied. 2. The problem of the occurrence of infertility under trees will be examined. XI. Publications. The following papers were published during the year : — (1) Leather, J. W. . Soil Temperatures. Mem. Dcpt. of Agri.,. India [Chemical Series), Vol. IV, No. 2. Soil Gases. Mem. Deft, of Agri., India [Chemical Series), Vol. IV, No. 3. The Detection of Added Water in Milk in India. Bulletin 57, Agricultural Re- search Institute, Pusa. A Preliminary Chemical Study of the Rices of Bihar and Orissa. Bulletin 62, Agri- cultural Research Institute, Pusa. A study in the assimilation of nutrients by the rice plant. Bulletin 65 of the Agricultural Research Institute, Pusa. (2) Leather, J. W. (3) Leather, J. W. (4) Sen, J. (5) Sen, J. .22 REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE REPORT OF THE IMPERIAL ECONOMIC BOTANISTS. (A. Howard, CLE., M.A., and Gabrielle L. C. Howard, M.A.) I. Introduction. The Imperial Economic Botanist held charge of the section during the year with the exception of one month (November 10th — December 9th, 1915), when privilege leave was taken in India. The Second Assistant was in charge of current duties at Pusa during this period and the Third Assistant was placed in similar charge at Quetta. Both of these assistants acted up to the level of their responsi- bilities. The work of the staff during the year was quite satis- factory. Babu Kashi Ram was appointed to the post of Fourth Assistant on transfer from the Saharanpur Botan- ical Gardens and has made a good beginning in his work. This opportunity is taken of acknowledging the valuable assistance given by Mr. Hartless, the Superintendent of the Saharanpur Gardens, in training men for work in the Botanical Section at Pusa and also at the Fruit Experiment Station at Quetta. Babu Chandu Lall has improved in his work at Quetta and has been confirmed and promoted by the Baluchistan Administration. One student from Burma, worked in the section during the cold weather. Mr. Jatindra Nath Sen, officiating Imperial Agricul- tural Chemist, has carried out a good many analyses for the section which have proved of considerable use in our investigations. II. Investigations at Pusa. Wheat. Pusa 12. While a beginning has been made in several Provinces in distributing this wheat to cultivators, these -efforts are of minor importance compared with the schemes AND COLLEGE, PUSA, FOR 1915-1G 23 in progress in the United Provinces where the Agricultural Department, during the past year, has made considerable progress in the systematic replacement of the country wheats by this improved type. The trial of Pusa 12 in these Provinces has passed the experimental stage and the time is rapidly approaching when it will be possible to see large continuous blocks of this variety true to type. At first, progress was greatly hampered by a shortage of seed but with an increasing supply and with larger funds for financing the operations, these preliminary difficulties are being overcome. A feature of the work of seed distribu- tion in the United Provinces is the manner in which all the existing agencies have been utilized. In the Central Circle, the Co-operative movement has largely been employ- ed in addition to Court of Wards' estates and large zamin- dars. In Oudh, an entirely new agency has been brought into use by Mr. Sharma, namely, the local notables, who, in a sense, are large and wealthy Co-operative Societies ready- made commanding great influence with the cultivators. Anyone who has seen the work in progress with Pusa 12 on some of the large private estates in Oudh cannot fail to be impressed by the immense possibilities of this new depar- ture. Improved agriculture on these estates has been found to be very profitable and the new private seed farms, such as those personally conducted by the Raja of Amethi and the Kunwar Sahib, are proving of great value to the Agri- cultural Department in the replacement of the local wheats by Pusa 12. Like the season of 1913-14, the year in the United Pro- vinces was characterized by a shortage of moisture, parti- cularly in the Western Districts. Pusa 12 again withstood satisfactorily these adverse conditions and its behaviour, as compared with the country wheats, was summed up as follows by the Director of Agriculture in " United Pro- vinces Agricultural Notes " for March and April 1916 :— " Pusa 12 wheat has again proved markedly superior to the Provincial wheats, and is likely to go ahead rapidly over the western and central portions of the provinces. 24 REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE Apart from its qualities of yield, it requires less water than the best local varieties, such as Muzaffarnagar, and is likely to take the place of the latter in the canal tracts owing to recurrent shortages of the water. In one of the private estates in Oudh in which there are 75 acres under this wheat, the crop, which is being threshed out by the Depart- ment, has given an average of 25 maunds of grain and 45 of hhusa per acre." {Pioneer, April 9th, 1916.) " Figures have been received from Co-operative Societies as to the relative yield of Pusa 12 and deshi wheat. In two neighbouring societies, in the Central Circle, the average yield of Pusa 12 was 19 maunds per acre and of deshi 16J maunds. The former wheat stood the test of a dry season satisfactorily. Crop cutting experiments were carried out in fields where only one irrigation was possible; and the yield of Pusa wheat was 17 maunds as compared to 14J from deshi. On an average, the former wheat yielded sub- stantially more bhusa." {Pioneer, April 8th, 1916.) These results enable a rough estimate to be formed of the annual increase in value of the crop which will be obtained when the whole of the wheat-growing area of the United Provinces is replaced by Pusa 12 or some similar improved type. As far as yield of grain and hhusa are concerned, the increased j3roduction due to Pusa 12 comes to over twelve rupees an acre. If the improved grain quality is estimated at three annas a maund and if the average production is put at sixteen maunds to the acre, the increase in the value of the crop from this cause would be three rupees an acre. Considering that Pusa 12 already commands a premium of more than four annas a maund in the local bazaar, the above estimate is well within the truth. If, therefore, we take into consideration both yield and quality, the substitution of the country wheats by Pusa 12 means an immediate average increase of fifteen rupees an acre or £7,000,000 per annum for the whole of the United Provinces. While the local transactions in Indian wheat are con- siderably more important than the export trade, neverthe- AND COLLEGE, PUSA, FOR 1915-16 25 less the latter is well worthy of consideration even under the present conditions of production. If, however, an increase in yield is brought about by changing the variety or by better methods of cultivation, the surplus left over for export will increase and India will then take a larger share in the wheat production of the Empire. There can be little doubt that such a result is easily possible. At pre- sent, the great plains of India do not produce half of what is possible. With a few simple improvements, the alluvial soils of India could be made to grow twice their present crops and the Punjab and the United Provinces would then become the most important bread-basket of the Empire. Wheat-growing is at present one of the great neglected and undeveloped natural industries of India. The capital for -expansion is lying ready to hand in the shape of a marvel- lously fertile soil when properly managed, while in the cultivator and in his oxen is the foundation of the labour force necessary for development. In consequence of the extension of indigo cultivation in Bihar, the area of Pusa 12 put down for seed on the estates was considerably restricted. In spite of the high prices of indigo, over 3,000 maunds of seed of this type were supplied to Mr. Burt for distribution in the United Provinces. Pusa 4- The circumstances of soil and climate in some of the wheat-growing tracts of India are such that a rapidly maturing variety is one of the conditions of progress. In tracts like Bundelkhand, some of the Central India States, the southern portions of the Bombay Presidency and parts -of Bihar, a wheat is required which can ripen quickly with a short supply of moisture and which can also resist the -early rusts. In such tracts, deep-rooting, high-yielding kinds are useless and producing power has to give place to the insurance of the yield in years of average soil moisture. In such areas, Pusa 4 is giving good results and is being taken up by the cultivators. The demand for seed is increasing and for several years to come the surplus pro-, duce from the indigo estates in Bihar is likely to continue to find a ready market. Pusa 4 is a large-grained, attractive- looking wheat which at once finds favour with the cultiva- 26 REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE tors and in the bazaar on account of its grain quality and the high percentage of flour it yields. During the year, a complete milling and baking test of this variety was carried out at the Hooghly Flour Mills, Calcutta, managed by Messrs. Shaw, Wallace & Co. The sample milled was 350 maunds in weight and was grown as a cover crop for Java indigo on the Dholi and Benipore estates in Bihar. The report, which will be published in due course, is an exceedingly favourable one. The wheat behaved in the mill exactly as would be expected from Mr. Humphries' reports on maund samples in England while the loaves were much superior to those produced from the best Calcutta flour. Pusa 4 is doing very well in New South Wales. A large sample, grown at Gilgandra from seed supplied from Pusa, took the first prize at the recent Royal Agricultural Show at Sydney. This prize has formerly been obtained by one or other of the wheats produced by the late Mr. William Farrer. Both in appearance, bushel weight and in the milling tests, Pusa 4 proved superior to any of the new varieties produced in New South Wales. The demand for seed of Pusa 4 increased considerablv during the past year. In addition to numerous small con- signments, about 1,500 maunds were supplied from Bihar estates to Mr. Burt, in connection with his seed distribu- tion scheme in Bundelkhand. As usual, a large number of indents were received after the available supply had been disposed of. There seems to be an exaggerated idea in India as to the resources of the Botanical Section at Pusa both as regards storehouse accommodation and as regards funds. Neither Pusa nor the Bihar indigo estates, which grow wheat for seed, are in a position financially to ware- house large quantities of seed wheat during the monsoon. All wheat, except for seed, has to be distributed at harvest time, a fact which correspondents should carefully bear in mind. Shipments of Pusa 12 and Pusa 4 to England. In the last annual report, mention was made of a small prelimi- AND COLLEGE, PUSA, FOR 1915-16 27 nary shipment of Pusa 12 to England. This side of the wheat investigations, which is being conducted in co-opera- tion with Mr. B. C. Burt, Deputy Director of Agriculture, Central Circle, United Provinces, has developed rapidly during the past wheat-growing season. The parcel sent to England in 1915 was only 810 maunds, which after several delays, due to congestion at the port of London after the outbreak of the war, eventually reached the mill. It was made into flour by Mr.. A. E. Humphries and distributed to the leading millers in England. The reports received were very favourable and larger samples were asked for. This year, over 5,000 maunds of Pusa 12 were collected by Mr. Burt for export which have been shipped to England by Messrs. Ralli Brothers who, as in previous years, are doing everything possible in bringing the new variety to the notice of the trade in Great Britain. As soon as the milling reports are received, a full account of this part of the work will be published. In addition to Pusa 12, requests were received from the English millers for samples of Pusa 4 large enough for a full milling test. This request was complied with and about 4,000 maunds of this variety have been shipped by Messrs. Ralli Brothers to London, Liverpool and Hull. Three quarters of this parcel was grown in Bihar on the Dholi, Belsund and Hathowrie estates while the remaining 1,000 maunds came from some of Mr. Burt's wheat centres in Bundelkhand. Other wheat investigations. In addition to the work relating to seed-distribution and to the establishment of new grades of wheat in India, a large amount of time con- tinues to be devoted to the various wheat investigations in progress at Pusa. Four series of exceedingly promising new crosses are being worked out in detail. In all these an effort is being made to combine rust-resistance, standing-power, grain quality and yield in the same type. It is expected to evolve from these new forms a set of wheats which will replace all those now under cultivation and also make the most of 28 REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE India's possibilities as a future producer of wheat. Before they can be distributed to advantage, however, much remains to be done in improving wheat-growing including the control of irrigation water and the proper management of alluvial soils. At present, only a few inches of the sur- face soil of the great plains are being utilized by the wheat crop and the cultivation of deep-rooting, high-yielding kinds is out of the question. When the need for surface drainage is understood and when the importance of soil- aeration is realized, the wheat crop will be able to make use of a much thicker layer of the alluvium than is now possible. The proper use of green-manure will also increase the rapidity of growth. When these improvements have been adopted, the way will be open for the successful intro- duction of the new wheats now being made at Pusa. Tobacco. Evidence of the popularity of Type 28 for cigarettes and its suitability for widely different soils and climates con- tinue to increase. The Bihar ryots who are growing leaf for the various branches of the Indian Leaf Tobacco Deve- lopment Company, are demanding the seed of this type in larger and larger quantities, the distribution being carried out by the Dalsing Serai Branch. In Burma, Mr. McKerral reports that Type 28 is doing well for cigarette purposes and that a scheme of seed-distribution is under consideration. In the United Provinces, Mr. Burt has obtained good results with this variety and seed distri- bution in two Districts is contemplated. Some time ago, very good crops were obtained in the Central Provinces by Mr. Clouston. To meet the increasing demand for seed, nearly half an acre was allowed to flower last season and measures were taken to prevent cross- fertilization. If still larger quantities of protected seed are asked for, the ex- pense involved will be considerable and it may be necessary to ask Government to increase the annual grant for this section. AND COLLEGE, PUSA, FOR 1915-16 29 At the present time in Bihar, the chief direction of pro- gress in tobacco growing is the discovery of some means of lowering the cost of production of this crop. The two chief items in this expenditure are, firstly, the labour involved in the management of the monsoon fallow which precedes tobacco and, secondly, the cost of the manure required. Both these matters have received attention in the Botanical Section. The cost of the monsoon fallow has been reduced by the introduction of the five-tine spring-tooth cultivator Jby which the efficiency of the plough cattle has been increased threefold and by which it has been possible to keep these fallows clean even in wet years. With regard to the cost of manuring, a method has now been discovered by which heavy, well-ripened crops of leaf can be obtained with green-manure alone. The successful use of sanai (C 'ro- tatoria juncea) as a green-manure for tobacco in Bihar has been found to be a matter of soil-aeration. In the decay of the green crop, a vast amount of oxygen is required and a corresponding volume of carbon dioxide is produced in the soil. For this decay to take place with the necessary rapi- dity under monsoon conditions, it has been found necessary to promote aeration by suitable surface drainage and by the provision of a certain amount of broken tile (thikra) in the surface soil. Under such conditions, the tobacco crop does not suffer from want of air during growth and the ripening processes are not delayed as is the case in green- manuring in the ordinary way. Proceeding in this manner, namely, by green-manuring on drained land containing thikra, a crop of cured cigarette tobacco weighing 24 maunds to the acre was produced, which was sold to the Indian Leaf Tobacco Development Company at Dalsing Serai for fifteen rupees a maund. The product was cured on the ground in the country fashion, care being taken to use the minimum amount of moisture in the process. The application of this method under estate conditions is naturally a question of the capital involved in the addition of the necessary amount of thikra to the soil. An area of land is now under treatment on the Dholi estate and it is c2 30 REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE proposed to publish from time to time the value of the- annual produce so that this can be compared with the capital involved in the improvement. There is no doubt of the effect of thikra in increasing the value of green-manure. The question that remains for decision is whether the? improvement will pay under present conditions. It is expected that the Dholi results will answer this question. Indigo. In the last annual report, a detailed account was given of the results of our study of the wilt disease of Java indigo and of the importance of soil-aeration in the development of the roots and root-nodules of this crop. The question of the production, on the Bihar estates, of the seed of Java indigo was also dealt with and the conditions necessary for success were outlined. The general experience of the past indigo season supplied an interesting confirmation of the views put forward in the first and second reports on the- improvement of indigo. The monsoon of 1915 in North Bihar was heavy and well-distributed and, in addition to the rainfall, there occurred a series of floods which on most estates cut short indigo manufacture and killed out large areas of the crop. The weather during the first half of August — the period when Java indigo has to be sown for seed — was very wet and few breaks occurred. The almost continuous rainfall after the seed crop was sown, coming as a re-inforcement to the heavy falls in July and the floods,, so consolidated the soil and interfered with its aeration that on a comparatively few estates only did the seed crop do well. It was only in cases where the surface drainage was good and the natural aeration of the soil was above the- average that Java indigo sown for seed was able to grow normally and produce an average outturn. On the heavier soils in the submontane tract and on the lighter lands which had been flooded previous to sowing, the soil- aeration was so interfered with that the seed crop was attacked by Psylla and proved a complete failure. On some of the drained plots at Pusa, the seed crop was distinctly AND COLLEGE, PUSA, FOR 1915-16 31 yellow after the late October flood and a good deal of leaf was lost while the sub-soil was drying during November and December. During the cold weather, the aeration improved and the foliage then became normal both as regards colour and extent. In the case of Java indigo sown for leaf in early October on the higher lands, quite different results were obtained. After sowing time, little*or no rain fell till March and so there was nothing to interfere with the natural aeration of the soil. In many cases, this leaf crop gave small crops of excellent seed, a phenomenon which does not often occur in years when the normal amount of cold weather rainfall is received. This experience agrees in all respects with the results •of the various experiments in growing Java indigo for seed at Pusa. Seed formation, other things being equal, is a matter of soil-aeration. If ample air for the roots of Java indigo is provided, a full crop of seed is obtained. Just as surely heavy and long-continued rain after sowing destroys all hope of a normal yield of seed even when the crop recovers slowly during November and December. In all such cases, the season is missed and flowering begins too late after the cold season has set in and the bees have finished their labours. As seasons like that of 1915 are to be expected every now and then in Bihar, experiments have been started to deter- mine whether it will pay to treat some of the higher lands on the indigo estates with thikra so as to increase the aera- tion in wet years. These are in progress both at Pusa and -at Dholi and the results will be published in due course. At the same time, experiments are in progress to see how far suitable methods of cultivation of the young seed crop will remedy the effects of heavy rain after sowing. Gram. An account of the preliminary work on gram was pub- lished during the year in the Memoirs of the Department 32 REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE of Agriculture in India. A number of types have been isolated which are being tested for yield under various conditions. A few of these have been distributed for pre- liminary trials outside Pusa. As pointed out in the last annual report, the yield of gram like that of indigo depends on the aeration of the roots and nodules. If, however, this crop is grown on well ventilated soils which are also rich in combined nitrogen, the yield of seed always falls off although the amount of growth is enormous. When the crop obtains a large amount of nitrate in solution from the soil and also forms nodules, it is overstimulated and readily becomes too rank. The heaviest and best-ripened gram is always grown at Pusa on well-aerated plots which are distinctly poor in available nitrogen. In the. past season, the best crop of gram was obtained by late sowing on a thikra plot immediately after the removal of a heavy crop of patwa (Hibiscus cannabi- nus). Java indigo grown for seed sometimes behaves in a very similar manner and experiments on this point are now in progress. Oil-seeds. The work so far done on safflower (Carthamus tinc- torius, L.) and rai (Brassica juncea, H. F. and T.) has just been published in the Botanical Memoirs. The study of Indian linseed has been begun and an attempt is being made to produce a large seeded linseed for the plains. At present, the types grown on the alluvium have very small seed, the large seeded forms being produced on the soils of Central India. These two classes of varie- ties are otherwise quite different — those from Central India with large seeds having a deep root system to suit the black soils while those of the plains are surface rooted. Crosses are being made between these types with the object of pro- ducing for the alluvium new surface-rooted kinds with large bold seeds. In addition to the inheritance of size of seeds, this study ought to provide interesting results on the genetics of root- development. AND COLLEGE, PUSA, FOR 1915-16 3;* Soil-aeration. The preliminary results obtained on the aeration of soils in India were published during 1915 as Bulletin 52 of the Pusa Institute. A considerable amount of interest has been aroused by this publication of which a second edition was called for during the year. This paper was reviewed very favourably in Nature of February 24th, 1916, and has been well received in Europe. A paper on soil-aeration was read at the Indian Science Congress at Lucknow in January last when Mr. Hole, the Imperial Forest Botanist, also gave an account of his work on aeration from the point of view of Indian Forestry. Both these papers attracted a good deal of attention and were keenly discussed. The views put forward on this subject in Bulletin 52 were amplified and developed in a lecture given to the Board of Agriculture at Pusa last February. This lecture has been passed for printing and will shortly appear as Bulletin 61 of the Pusa Institute. In this paper, the connection between soil-aeration and the development of quality has been outlined and considerable space has been devoted to the practical applications of soil-ventilation including the saving of irrigation water and the increase in crop-produc- tion in the plains of India. Surface drainage. As in the case of soil-aeration, the publication of Pusa Bulletin 53 on soil-erosion and surface drainage has led to such a large demand for copies that a second edition of this paper had to be arranged within a year of the appearance of the first. This bulletin was written largely as an intro- duction to the discussion on these subjects which took place at the last meeting of the Board of Agriculture. The views put forward in this paper were accepted by the Board and three resolutions, largely based thereon, were recommended to the consideration of the Government of India. Interest continues to be taken in the Pusa system of surface drainage which is to be seen at Dholi on an estate 34 REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE scale. A large number of visitors saw this estate during the year and this method of drainage is now being taken up in Bihar. His Highness the Maharajah of Darbhanga is showing a personal interest in this matter and a beginning has been made on several of his estates. In this work Mr. R. S. King, Sub-Manager of the Jhanjharpur Circle of the Raj, is taking the keenest interest both in local drainage schemes on the Darbhanga properties and also in the scheme for the preparation of a contour survey of North Bihar. In the United Provinces, the Pusa method of drainage has been adopted at two centres and results similar to those in Bihar have been obtained. Perhaps the most notable advance in drainage in Bihar during the year is the fact that the Commissioner and the District Embankment Committees of the Tirhoot Division are taking up the question of the general drainage of Bihar on the basis of a drainage map, constructed on the lines of the system introduced by the late Sir Edward Buck. A joint meeting of the District Embankment Committees of the Division was held at Muzaffarpur in December 1915 when the general lines of future work on this subject were discussed. III. The Development of the Agriculture of Baluchistan. Although started for local objects, the foundation of the Fruit Experiment Station at Quetta has led to the dis- covery of results of considerable importance to Indian Agriculture. These apply particularly to the irrigated tracts of India and are concerned with the saving of water in wheat-growing and with improved methods of growing fodder crops. Water-saving. The earlier results on water-saving in wheat-growing were published during the year in Bulletin No. 4 of the Quetta series. In this paper, the opportunity was taken of stating very briefly the main principles on which the right use of irrigation water depends. A careful com- AND COLLEGE, PUSA, FOR 1915-16 85 parison of these principles with the practices in vogue in the irrigated areas of Baluchistan cannot fail to show that an enormous quantity of valuable water is now being wasted. As the principles underlying water-saving are not understood and little has been done in utilizing the present supplies to the best advantage, it will not be out of place briefly to refer to them here. Both experience and experiment prove that if the maximum duty of irrigation water in wheat-growing is to be obtained, special attention must be paid to the following five principles : — 1. The irrigation water available must be spread over the largest possible area. 2. Heavy waterings reduce the proportion of grain to total crop. 3. The growth period of wheat is increased by heavy waterings. 4. When the water supply is limited, the root develop- ment of the wheat crop must be deep. 5. The soil moisture must be preserved, as far as possible, by a surface mulch of dry soil. Applying these principles to the conditions of the Quetta valley, it was found that the highest duty of water could be obtained by irrigating the land once a few days before sowing and by breaking up, by means of the lever harrow, the rain crusts formed during winter and spring. The average yield on large scale trials on unmanured land at the Experiment Station worked out at 17} maunds of grain per acre. The zamindars, on the other hand, often water their wheat six times after sowing and obtain an average of 13^ maunds of grain. The same amount of water spread over seven acres, if used according to the method employed at the Experiment Station, would give 7 times 17} or 124J maunds of wheat. The difference in favour of the experiments is therefore 110} maunds of wheat. If the average irrigated acreage of wheat in the Quetta valley is multiplied by 100, the result would indi- cate, in maunds of wheat per annum, the present annual waste of water on this crop alone. On every 200 acres of 36 REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE irrigated wheat, the water now lost would produce 20,000 maunds of grain and a large amount of straw of a total value not far short of a lakh of rupees. During the past wheat season, the new methods have been tried on zamindars' land near Quetta. One watering was given at the end of September before sowing and in spite of the fact that the winter rains did not set in till late in January, two months later than usual, a very good crop resulted, the grain of which was well above the average in quality. The yield of grain was 22 maunds 32 seers per acre, while the bhusa amounted to 43 maunds 20 seers. This result, in spite of the lateness of the winter rains, is five maunds higher than the average obtained at the Ex- periment Station. This is due to the fact that the wheat land at the Experiment Station is high-lying, exposed to- the sun and wind and its water-holding capacity is less than that of the typical wheat lands of the valley. The Experiment Station yields have therefore been exceeded by the zamindars in a season of badly distributed rainfall when the local dry-crop wheat was a failure. These results have naturally attracted a considerable amount of attention. On May 29th, a meeting of the maliks of the valley was arranged at the demonstration area when the Agent to the Governor-General and the chief officials of the Baluchistan Administration were present. On June 5th, the Political Agent brought the maliks of the Pishin valley to see the results. These visits were entirely successful, a keen interest was shown by those present and large areas of land were at once offered for demonstration work for the next season's wheat crop. Sir John Ramsay has ordered 25 pairs of lever harrows, some of which will be given as khillats at the September Darbar. The irrigation policy of the Administration has recently been revised, partly as a result of these experiments and particular attention will, in future, be paid to water-saving and to the increase in the duty of the present supplies. The investigations on water-saving are being continued and during the year further results were obtained, an AND COLLEGE, PUSA, FOR 1915-16 37 account of which is now being prepared for publication. These refer to the improvement of water channels, to the most suitable form of kiari, to the proper slope for flood irrigation and to the control of the water while being applied to the land. The improvement of fodder production. In addition to the saving of irrigation water, there is another direction in which the productive power of the land in Baluchistan can be increased. This is in the provi- sion of a fresh source of organic matter for supplementing the present supplies of farm-yard manure. The addition of organic matter to the soil's of the Quetta valley does much to increase their porosity and water-holding capacity and also to mitigate the evil effects of surface-flooding. The- growth of Persian clover (Tri folium reswpinatum), locally known as shaftal, has been found to improve the cropping, power of the land very considerably and to be a valuable source of organic matter, particularly if the last crop is ploughed in as a green-manure. It also supplies a large quantity of valuable fodder and is a simple means of utiliz- ing the winter rains. Some attention has been paid to increasing the yield of shaftal and other crops at Quetta, and to the best means of improving the duty of water in fodder growing. Such crops grow faster and need less water, if the land is manured in the first instance with farm-yard manure at the rate of 15 to 20 tons per acre. The proper grading of the surface and the use of long Maris (about 300' x 25') watered from one end of the field leads to an even flow of the irrigation- water over the land and to uniform percolation. In this way, a great saving of water takes place. The expense and trouble of the preliminary grading and levelling and of the adoption of the most suitable form of kiari are well repaid by the amount of water saved, by the ease with which irri- gation can be carried out and by the evenness of the result- ing crop. During the past season, one of the plots at Quettar which was not in very good condition, was put down in 38 REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE shaftal in August 1915. The land was manured with farm-yard manure at the rate of about 20 tons per acre and sown with shaftal under a thin cover-crop of maize. Six cuts of clover were obtained by the middle of June 1916, the total weight of which was over 33 tons per acre. At eight annas per 100 lb., the year's produce is worth Rs. 371 per acre — an income obtained with the minimum expenditure of water and resulting in an increased fertility of the land. This result, which has been confirmed many times at Quetta, indicates the methods which should be adopted in fodder growing in India— intensive cultivation with the minimum expenditure of irrigation water. While shaftal has proved a useful green fodder, parti- cularly for dairy cows and buffaloes, its best use to Baluchistan is in the form of clover hay, put up in bales suitable for storage and for easy transport on mules or camels. Real hay is unknown in India, its place being taken by in-nutritious substances like dried grass and bhusa. A considerable amount of attention has therefore been paid to the drying and baling of shaftal and to the preparation of real hay. In European countries, the diffi- culties in hay-making are concerned largely with the slow rate of drying and with the interference caused by frequent showers. At Quetta, the problem is reversed. The air is so dry and the sun is so strong that the hay easily becomes overdried and so brittle that it is broken to powder when handled. Baling such a product is out of the question and even if it could be stacked, no mild after-fermentation could take place. These difficulties are overcome by drying in stages in heaps on the field and by preserving sufficient natural moisture for a slight fermentation to take place in the stack before baling. Early last year, trials of the new baled fodder were carried out with the horses of the 72nd Heavy Battery at Quetta under the Commandant, Colonel H. M. Courtenay, R.A., who reported very favourably on the results. The transfer of this unit and the death of the Commandant on active service put an end to the trials. They have, however, been continued by Brigadier- General AND COLLEGE, PUSA, FOR 1915-16 30 Cook, R.G.A., with one of the mule teams of the 4th Mountain Battery. The trial has been a great success and the mules did better on shaftal hay than on their ordinary ration of bhusa and grain. The saving in weight was about 30 per cent, and the cost was also substantially reduced. There is now little doubt that the use of baled shaftal as fodder for Army purposes would mean a reduc- tion in the weight of forage of some 30 per cent., a point of considerable importance on the Frontier where the diffi- culties of transport are so great. Shaftal and lucerne are b^no means the only legumin- ous plants in North-West India, that could be made into hay and pressed into bales. There should be no difficulty in drying and pressing crops like berseem and senji which are already cultivated in Sind and the Punjab respectively. The albuminoid ratio of such fodders is much above that of bhusa and there is a great opening for such produce both in the Army and also in the cities and on the main roads of North-Western India. Later it might spread to the cultivators and for the building up of fodder reserves for use in time of famine. Once such fodders as shaftql hay find their way into Indian agriculture, the efficiency of the ox, on which the system rests, will increase and at the same time the producing power of the land will improve. Besides their local significance, these results on water- saving and fodder-growing have a distinct bearing on the development of Indian Agriculture. To anyone who can read his practice in the plant, there can be no doubt that in the irrigated tracts of the country, a great waste of valuable- irrigation water is going on which is not only lost but also damages the standing crops and tends to lower the general fertility of the country. There are many tracts in India where a perennial system of irrigation is scarcely suitable and where the duty of water might be increased by working on older lines and by substituting in its place a modified form of inundation. The problem of using the present supplies of water in India in wheat-growing is largely phvsiological and depends for its solution on a knowledge* 40 REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE of the functions of the plant. Crops like wheat require a well aerated soil as well as a sufficient supply of moisture. The continual surface flooding which takes place in a perennial system of irrigation destroys the natural texture of the soil and interferes with its aeration. The addition of more water to a crop in which the yield is already limited by want of air cannot possibly produce any useful result. Particularly is this the case on the fine alluvial soils of the plains and on the black soils of the Peninsula. The problem of obtaining the maximum duty of water is to supply moisture without depriving the soil of air. In many cases, this can be accomplished by a single irrigation before sowing followed by moisture conservation methods like those adopted at Quetta. In other cases, the amount of water can be reduced by increasing the water-holding capacity of the soil by green-manure and by other methods now being worked out. Any saving of irrigation water in India is an advantage both to the people and to Govern- ment. The less water used the less is the damage done to the country and the larger is the area irrigated. Govern- ment benefits by a growing revenue and by increased oppor- tunities for the settlement of discharged sepoys and of the surplus population of congested districts. Under the present system of perennial irrigation, India is rapidly reaching the limit of profitable expansion with the water now available. Any great extension must be achieved by increasing the duty of water, a problem full of possibilities for the country but one on which hardly any attention has yet been bestowed. Fruit investigations. It is proposed to defer till the next annual report any detailed account of the results which are now rapidly accumulating with regard to the cultivation and propaga- tion of fruit trees and to the transport of the fruit itself. Many of the problems relating to these matters are on the point of solution and in another year the subject can, in all probability, be dealt with much more definitely and satisfactorily than at this moment. AND COLLEGE, PUSA, FOR 1915-16 41 Improved fruit boxes. As far as the design of suitable fruit boxes for the Quetta trade is concerned, this portion of the work may be said to be completed. The only thing that remains is the discovery of the cheapest and most satis- factory source of the box boards and cardboard. A large amount of time has been spent in trying to discover whether the box boards could not be obtained in India itself. After numerous enquiries, an Indian firm was discovered whose tenders were satisfactory. The execution of the orders, however, left much to be desired and when enquiries were made as to future supplies of a more satisfactory character an attempt was made to increase the price far beyond the value of the material. For the present, it has been found more satisfactory to import the boards from Great Britain in spite of the increase in cost due to the war and to the rise in freights. The demand for the improved boxes showed a most satisfactory increase during the summer of 1915, and about 3,176 boxes and 2,200 two pound punnets were sold. For many of these packages the demand was greater than the supply and the entire stock was sold long before the end of the season. For 1916, a much larger supply has been pro- cured, more than sufficient for any possible demand that is likely to arise. The new cardboard boxes have proved a great success and are in active demand. These can be used as return- ables and last for three or four journeys to and from Quetta. In this way, the expense is reduced and the cost of the package each journey for five seers of choice peaches comes to less than four annas. Another advantage of these card- board boxes is that they are thief-proof and cannot be tampered with in transit without immediate detection. One indirect result of the new boxes should be men- tioned, namely, the stimulus they have given to new plant- ing. A great demand for nursery stock has arisen and many large fruit gardens are being put down. To meet this, the number of trees issued by the Fruit Experiment 42 REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE Station is being rapidly increased and by the end of 191T„ it is expected that all possible requirements can be met. IV. Programme and publications. Programme of work for 1916-17, Work will be continued on the following crops on the- lines indicated in the annual reports and in the publications of the section — wheat, tobacco, gram, fibre plants, indigo,, oil-seeds, fodder crops and fruit. Publications. The following papers were published during the year. In order to bring the list up to date and to make it corre- spond with this report, all papers in the press which are due to appear before the end of July 1916, have been included. The Urdu editions of three of the Quetta Bulletins were prepared by members of the staff of this section : — 1. Soil aeration in Agriculture. Bulletin 61, Agricultural Research Institute, Pusa, 1916. 2. Soil ventilation. Bulletin 52, Agricultural Research Insti- tute, Pusa, Second Edition, 1916. 3. Soil Erosion and Surface drainage. Bulletin 53, Agricul- tural Research Institute, Pusa, Second Edition, 1916. 4. Report on Agricultural Botany for 1914-15, for the Board of Scientific Advice. 5. The importance of soil ventilation on the alluvium. A paper read at the Indian Science Congress, Lucknow, 1916, and published in the special Congress number of the Agricul- tural Journal of India, 1916. 6. The Application of Botanical Science to Agriculture. A paper read at the Indian Science Congress, Lucknow, 1916, and published in the special Congress number of the Agri- cultural Journal of India, 1916. T. The manurial value of potsherds. Agricultural Journal of India, Vol. XI, Part 3, 1916. 8. Some improvements in the packing and transport of fruit in India. Bulletin 2, Fruit Experiment Station, Quetta,. Second Edition, revised, 1915. AND COLLEGE, PUSA, FOR 1915-16 43 9. Soil ventilation. Bulletin 3, Fruit Experiment Station, Quetta, 1915. 10. The saving- of irrigation water in wheat-growing. Bulle- tin 4, Fruit Experiment Station, Quetta, 1915. Reprinted in the Agricultural Journal of India, Vol. XI, Part 1, 1916. 11. Clover and Clover Hay. Bulletin 5, Fruit Experiment Station, Quetta, 1915. Eeprinted in the Agricultural Jour- nal of India, Vol. XI, Part 1, 191G. 12. An improved fibre plant. Agricultural Journal of India, Vol. X, Part 3, 1915. 13. Some varieties of Indian gram, Cicer arietinum, L. (with Abdur Rahman Khan). Memoirs of the Department of Agriculture in India {Botanical Series), Vol. VII, Xo. 6, 1915. 14. Studies in Indian oil seeds. Xo. 1. Samower and Mustard (with Abdur Rahman Khan). Memoirs of the Department of Agriculture in India (Botanical Series), Vol. VII, Xo. 7, 1915. 15. On the inheritance of some characters in wheat — II. Memoirs of the Department of Agriculture in India (Botan- ical Series), Vol. VII, Xo. 8, 1915. 16. The wheats of Baluchistan, Khorasan and the Kurrurn Valley. Memoirs of the Department of Agriculture in India (Botanical Series), Vol. VIII, Xo. 1, 1916. 17. The storage of seed. Agricultural Journal of India, Vol. X, Part 3, 1915. 18. A new seed-drill. Agricultural Journal of India, Vol. X, Part 3, 1915. 19. Mixed crops. Agricultural Journal of India, Vol. XI, Part 3, 1916. 20. Zamin men hawa ki amad va raft. Risdla 3, Quetta, 1916. 21. Gehun ki abpashi men kifait shuari. Risdla 4, Quetta, 1916. 22. Shaftal aur uska khamir shuda khushk chara. Risdla 5, Quetta, 1916. 44 REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE REPORT OF THE IMPERIAL MYCOLOGIST. (E. J. Butler, M.B., F.L.S.) I. Charge and Establishment. Mr. F. J. F. Shaw, B.Sc, A.R.C.S., officiated as Imperial Mycologist until November 16th, 1915, when I resumed charge of the section on return from combined leave. The post of Second Imperial Mycologist was created during the year and filled by Mr. Shaw, Super- numerary Mycologist, on October 19th, 1915. Muham- mad A. Hafiz Khan, 3rd Assistant, was transferred on deputation to the Forest Research Institute, Dehra Dun, with effect from September 22nd, 1915. The vacancy thus created was filled by promotion from the staff, Babu N. C. Sen coming in as second clerk. Five of the staff volun- teered for service in Mesopotamia in connection with the campaign against flies, just before the close of the year, and two of these have since been accepted. All have worked well. II. Training and Visitors. Babu J. B. Sinha, Fieldman in Mycology, Sabour, completed his course of training at Pusa on September 29th, 1915. Babu K. P. Roy, a scholar from the Bengal Department of Agriculture, joined on August 10th, 1915, and finished his course on May 31st, 1916. Mr. Deoki Nandan, B.A., M.R.A.C. and Mr. B. N. Vakil took special courses as private students from May 23rd and between March 15th and April 25th, respectively. Prof. K. C. Mehta, M.Sc, Professor of Botany, Agra College, worked in the section from March 3rd to 26th and Mr. G. S. Kul- karni, Mycological Assistant, Bombay, Department of Agri- culture, from March 23rd to May 24th. Mr. A. C. Tun- stall, Mycologist to the Indian Tea Association, visited the. section from January 15th to 25th, 1916. AND COLLEGE, PUSA, FOR 1915-16 45 III. Diseases of Plants. The investigation of the diseases of plants, the collection and identification of Indian parasitic fungi, and advice and assistance to officers of the Department and the general public, formed as usual the chief work of the section. (1) Paddy diseases. The most important disease at present under investigation in the section is that known as " ufra ' of rice, which continues to extend and attract increasing notice in Eastern Bengal. It is now throughout most of the districts of Noakhali, Tippera and Dacca and is extending into Mymensingh and probably Sylhet. With a view to testing measures for checking its ravages by experiments within the affected area, I selected a site near Comilla in 1912, and arranged for its acquisition as a tem- porary measure and also for complete control of its water supply by bunding, to prevent risk of infection from neigh- bouring fields. Subsequently it was decided by the local Department not to acquire the land, arrangements being made with the cultivators in the selected area to carry out our instructions. This did not prove satisfactory; the instructions were not followed, the bunds were defective and were cut through when water became scanty and the crop was harvested before it could be inspected. Owing to the evident difficulty of securing effective control of the selected site, it was abandoned last year and arrangements have been made to carry on the work in the neighbourhood ol Dacca. Meanwhile small plots were instituted at Pusa in 1912, in order to duplicate the work under more rigorous control. It has been necessary to confine the Pusa work within narrow limits to avoid risk of the disease escaping from the plots to the surrounding cultivation ; and only one or two experiments have been possible each season, outside those which could be carried on in the laboratory. The information obtained has, however, been considerable. It has been proved that a diseased plot will inevitably give a diseased crop the following year, if the stubble is allowed to rot on the ground as is the usual practice in the infected d2 46 REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE area, but that if all the stubble is removed, a healthy crop can be grown. Furthermore it has been shown that the parasite can extend along the water courses, both with and against the stream, and infect neighbouring plots, but the distance travelled has hitherto been small. When atmos- pheric humidity within the crop is low, extension is hin- dered, but provided the humidity conditions are right, new case's of disease may become evident even on large plants within a month and many plants may be destroyed within two months of liberating the parasite in the water supply. Though under normal conditions the parasite passes into a dormant condition in the rotting stubble in the interval between successive crops (say from December to April), it can be kept in an actively parasitic state through this period by supplying it with constantly renewed young growing paddy for food, and this fact may increase our difficulties in dealing with it where the crop known as boro paddy is grown, fortunately a relatively small area. On present information it seems probable that the boro crop harbours the parasite, but that the low atmospheric humidity during the winter and spring months, when this crop is growing, checks extension and perhaps also interferes with the multi- plication of the parasite. It is this same factor that doubt- less explains the relatively little damage caused to the early (aus) crop and to the main crop in its early stages; experi- ments at Pusa have shown that so long as the above-ground parts of the plant are maintained dry, it is difficult to get successful infections, even though the roots and base of the plant are in mud and water, whereas during the monsoon or when inoculated plants are covered by'bell jars, infection readily occurs. When insufficiently provided with mois- ture the parasite tends to pass into a dormant condition and ceases feeding. Laboratory work was directed to attempts to establish conclusively that the cause of the disease is Tylenchus angustus, the eelworm described in Bulletin No. 34 of 1913. Attempts to obtain it in pure culture failed but conclusive proof was ultimately got by a series of experiments which AND COLLEGE, PUSA, FOR 1915-16 47 established that minute portions of infected plants were only infectious when they contained On them individuals of this species. During these experiments it was found that definite symptoms may be induced in healthy seedlings writhin a week when a moderate number of worms is used for inoculation. A minute strip of plant carrying, say, 20 worms can be relied on to produce the disease in covered seedlings, while a similar strip from the same plant and part but without worms, is harmless. About a hundred successful inoculations have now been carried out under conditions which leave no room for doubt that the actual parasite is this worm — perhaps the first case in which an ectoparasitic eelworm has been found causing serious injury to plants. Other points determined are that the worm is not strictly aquatic, as it perishes in some weeks if wholly immersed in water. Kept dry it lives longer, as it has the faculty of coiling itself up into a twisted mass, which resists moderate desiccation for at least some months. It appears to be unable to grow much or moult unless sup- plied with its usual living food and hitherto has not been found to grow or feed on anything else than living paddy plants. On paddy it is limited to parts where the outer walls of the epidermal cells are unthickened, and in young plants penetrates the bud to reach the young leaves near the growing point as soon as possible. This position is reached not by burrowing through the tissues but entirely by passing between the folds of the bud. Several experi- ments were carried out to test the ability of the worm to remain alive in soil, and the results indicate that it cannot survive during the interval between successive crops in this manner. All the work hitherto carried out confirms the conclu- sion previously arrived at that the parasite is normally perpetuated by means of the stubble, which it is the prac- tice m the infected area to leave on the fields after harvest. The problem of dealing with the disease therefore resolves itself into ascertaining the best way of removing or des- troying this stubble. This can be done thoroughly by 48 REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE raking it into heaps and burning it. It can perhaps be equally effectively carried out by early ploughing so as to bury the debris of the previous crop. Both these methods, however, are likely to interfere, if carried out on a large scale, with the local fodder supply and it seems necessary to ascertain whether diseased straw can safely be fed to cattle. There will be no need to defer active operations while such relatively minor points are being investigated, and it is horded that the destruction of the stubble will be attempted on a large scale in the near future. (2) " Tokra " of tobacco and mustard. The work of past two seasons has established that the parasitic species of Orobanche in Bihar are 0. indica Ham. and 0. cernua Loeffl. The species 0. cernua is the common parasite of solanaceous crops in Bihar but does not appear to attack Cruciferoe save in very exceptional circumstances. In a crop of mustard, grown in a field known to be badly infected with both species of Orobanche, only four cases of 0. cernua were found among many thousands of 0. indica. The parasitism of 0. cernua therefore is more restricted than is that of 0. indica which, while being a serious parasite of Cruciferce, does occur to a not inconsiderable extent on SclanacecB. The life histories of the two species seem to be identical, the " tokras " appearing a few weeks after the host crop is well established and rising to flower and fruit along with it. Both species rely on the production of countless millions of minute seeds for their dissemina- tion and perennation. These seeds are present all over the cultivated lands of Bihar, their number and minute size being- extremely favourable to their dispersal in the strong- winds of February and March when the fruits of Orobanche are ripe. Experiments were carried out during the year with a view to discovering whether the addition of quantities of sodium nitrate to crops of mustard and tobacco had any influence on the number of " tokras " which occurred in the crops. Plots of equal size were selected in land which was known to be infected with both species of Orobanche and AND COLLEGE, PUSA, FOR 1915-16 49 the numbers of " tokras " occurring in plots to which sodium nitrate had been added were compared with the numbers of " tokras " in plots which had not received any nitrate. A difficulty which renders the results of the first season's work on these lines somewhat inconclusive is that the number of " tokras " appearing in a plot will depend, apart from any influence of artificial manures, on the amount of " tokra ': seed which the plot contained. This factor appeared in many cases to mask any effect which might have been due to the addition of sodium nitrate. The work will be con- tinued for another year in order to eliminate this source of error but the results obtained to date do not lend any sup- port to the view that sodium nitrate will be found a specific remedy for " tokras." (3) Black thread of rubber. Work on the " black thread ; disease of Hevea in Burma was continued. A popular account was published as a bulletin of the Burma Department of Agriculture and a more technical memoir is in the press. The disease first breaks out soon after the rains begin and completely disappears after the close of the monsoon. It is not fatal to the tree but does much damage by attacking the tapped area of the bark. Infected areas do not yield latex and severely diseased trees have to be excluded from the tapping round. In 1914 the loss of rubber on one estate was 2 — 3,000 lb. and in 1915, 8 — 9,000 lb., there being 12,000 trees affected in 1914 and 42,000 in 1915, out of 77,000 in tapping. The cut surface of the tapped bark becomes marked by vertical cracks, from which latex occasionally exudes; sometimes a thick cushion of coagulated latex forms below the renewing bark, causing the latter to bulge out and ultimately fall off so as to leave an open wound. The renewal of the bark is irregular, masses of callus appear on the cut surface and further tap- ping is hindered. The cause of this damage is a species of Phytophthora, differing from the well-known canker fungus, Phytoph- Ihora Faberi, to which it had been attributed in the Dutch Indies. It seems to occur in Ceylon also but has been there 50 REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE supposed to result from climatic conditions. In South India the same fungus is believed to be responsible for considerable damage and it is at present under study by the Madras Department. The fungus is found both in the diseased bark and also on the fruits. It has been grown in pure culture and an extensive series of inoculations carried out both on rubber and on numerous other plants known to be attacked by species of Phytophthora. On rubber it is a wound para- site, being unable to infect the undamaged bark; through wounds it infects readily and produces the characteristic symptoms of the disease. Of the other plants tried, the ordinary hosts of Phytophthora infestans, Ph. parasitica and Ph. Colocasiw, the three species most commonly found iv. Northern India, are immune, as also is cacao, one of the chief hosts of Ph. Faberi, and many other plants known to be liable to Phytophthora attack. Only on seedlings of the garden plants, Gilia -and Salpiglossus, were successful infections secured. The disease is favoured by excessive humidity and shade and is, therefore, worst in thickly planted rubber estates. The free admission of sunlight and air checks its progress, and good results may be obtained from judicious pruning and thinning. The chief source of infection seems to be the fruits, and as these have practically no value, and develop in the rains a copious growth of the parasite, from which spores are shed on the bark, it is recommended that all fruits be carefully picked and destroyed before the monsoon breaks, in infected plantations. In continuation of the studies on allied species of this genus which have been carried on at Pusa in recent years, an account of a form of Phytophthora parasitica found on Vinca rosea has been recently submitted for publication. Germination of the durable type of spore (the oospore) has been obtained and was found to correspond in essentials with that described for Ph. erythroseptica in Ireland. (4) Opium poppy blight. The investigation of this disease has led to the conclusion that while Peronospora AND COLLEGE, PUSA, FOR 1915-16 51 arborescens is a normal parasite present in almost every poppy field and probably, like most of its tribe, only epide- mic under favourable climatic conditions for its spread, Rhizoctonia develops chiefly in fields in which the drain- age is defective. The Economic Botanist, United Pro- vinces, has discovered certain varieties which appear to be almost immune to Peronospora and in the growth of these and improved cultivation and drainage lies the best hope of preventing loss of the crop. (5) Rhizoctonia on jute and sugarcane. Samples of jute seed from Dacca were found to contain the sclerotia of Rhizoctonia Solani Kiihn adhering to the seed. The parasitism of this fungus upon jute has been the subject of a previous publication but up to the present R. Solani has been a source of damage in the region of the " collar " and has not been known to infect seed. It is not clear how this comes about and the matter will receive further investiga- tion. Specimens of sugarcane received from the Central Pro- vinces were found to be infected with a sclerotial fungus. The fungus was obtained in pure culture and strongly resembled Rhizoctonia destruens Tass. ; moreover inocu- lations upon Delphinium (the original host of R. destruens) and upon betle vine were successful. Further infections upon sugarcane resulted in the death of the outer leaves and of the young shoots at the base of the plant; the infec- tions are still progressing at the moment of writing. In the field the fungus causes a bright red spot on the leaf sheath and this is the first noticeable result in artificial infections. In badly diseased specimens the leaf bases are dark red and have a fibrous appearance as if the paren- chyma had been rotted away leaving the vascular bundles. On stripping the leaf bases the stem has a pale pink colour under the epidermis and in section the interior shows a generally diffused salmon pink colour partly obscured by a thick white felt of hyphse. The mycelium shows a ten- dency to form strands of hyphae in a manner suggestive of R. destruens. "Further research is in progress. 52 REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE (6) Anthracnose of peppers. The disease of betle pepper referred to in previous reports as being probably- due to an anthracnose fungus, has proved more difficult to elucidate than was anticipated. All attempts to produce it artificially by inoculating with cultures of the suspected fungi have failed. In the absence of definite knowledge of the cause no useful recommendations for treatment can be offered. The chilli anthracnose (due to Colletotrichum nigrum) is a serious disease of this crop in several parts of India. It was prevalent in Bihar last year and some spraying experiments were tried. Later on it appeared that a more hopeful line of treatment lay in the use of disease-free seed and investigations are in progress to test this method. It has been found that, as in the allied bean anthracnose, the parasite penetrates the pod and reaches the seed. If such seed be sown the following season a certain number ger- minate and give seedlings on which the fungus may be found. Such seedlings must serve as a source of infection to their neighbours and it seems probable that this is one of the main ways by which the disease is perpetuated. If seed only from healthy pods be used this source of infection can be eliminated, and further experiments are in progress to test the effect of this on the subsequent crop. (7) Plantain diseases. An account of a plantain dis- ease prevalent at Pusa was published early in the year. It is a wilt, caused by a species of Fusarium allied to, but dis- tinct from, that which causes the dreaded Panama disease of the New World. The parasite was grown in pure cul- ture and successful inoculations with it secured. In mild attacks the growth of the plant is not checked but in more severe cases the rot reaches the stem and may kill the whole crown. Much loss is also caused when the stalk of the fruit bunch becomes attacked as this may lead to total des- truction of the bunch. No method of treatment has been found. A second plantain disease, familiar in India, is the fruit rot caused by Gloeosporium musarum. Attempts to AND COLLEGE, PUSA, FOR 1915-16 5* check this by spraying have been in progress for a consider- able time. It has been found that early spraying with Burgundy mixture, beginning in June and repeated every fortnight until the fruit is nearly ripe, when ammoniacal copper carbonate should be used, is successful in preserving the fruit from the disease. An account of the method has been published. (8) Sal tree disease. The disease of sal trees, men- tioned for the first time in the last annual report of the sec- tion, has appeared again this year in the forest of Buxa Duars and is also reported in the Gorakhpur division. The symptoms of the disease and the fungus which occurs on diseased trees are exactly the same as in the previous des- cription. Specimens of the fungus sent to Kew have been identified as Polyporus Shorece Wakefield — a species new to science — and the description published in the Kew Bulletin. The fungus is said to be readily distinguished from other species by the hard but brittle texture of the pileus, espe- cially of the pores, when dry and the wrinkled deeply cracked dark crust. In living specimens the soft swollen whitish margin of the pileus is a distinctive feature. The basidia are normal and each bears fine hyaline spores from 2-5 — 3-5/x in diameter. In culture the fungus grows well on a variety of media. On glucose agar the mycelium is largely submerged and produces a dense brown pigment; the hyphse very often segment into spores. On sterile corn meal the fungus nearly always produces structures which suggest fructifica- tions ; so far however they have not produced any basidia or spores. The excretion of a yellowish liquid is a feature common to these structures in culture and to the pileus in the field. Inoculations were carried out in the jungle at Rajah- bhatkhawa in September of last year but defects in the method of this preliminary experiment, combined with the lateness of the season at the time of making the infection, ' proved unfavourable, and no conclusive results have so far been obtained. The inoculations were repeated this June, -54 REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE with modifications suggested by the previous experiment, and a further series of infections is about to be carried out at Dehra Dun in co-operation with the Forest Botanist; it is hoped that these will yield decisive results. (9) Other diseases of interest. The " black-dot " dis- ease of potatoes caused by Vermicularia varians, was reported from Eanchi during the year. It was previously known only in France, Australia and South Africa. The extent of the injury it can cause is not yet determined. Peach leaf curl was found in the same locality and is reported to be very prevalent around PeshawTar. It is hoped to arrange for trials in its treatment during the coming year. A disease of shaftal (Trifolium repe?is), caused by Polythrincium Trifolii (new to India) was found near Peshawar. Diseases of barley were much in evidence in the Pusa crop last season, the chief parasites recorded being Puccinia simplex and Ustilago nuda (not previously seen in India), Puccinia glumarum, Ustilago Hordei and Helminthosporium gramineum. A case of serious injury to a mango orchard at Malcla from the fumes of a brick-kiln was examined. It differed from previous cases of the kind in the injury being chiefly to the fruit, not the branches. It is evident that the mango is peculiarly susceptible to such fumes. The study of the smuts of jowar, which are amongst the most destructive diseases in India, has been taken up by Mr. Kulkarni, Mycological Assistant to the Bombay Department of Agriculture, who completed his investigation at Pusa. No less than four distinct species attack this crop but the two more usual forms can readily be prevented by seed treatment. It is hoped to secure the universal adoption of this treatment ultimately, with a saving to the cultivators of several crores of rupees annually. IV. Miscellaneous. During my absence on leave the manuscript of a book on fungi as a cause of plant disease in India was almost completed. It has since been finished and revised anol the AND COLLEGE, PUSA, FOR 1915-16 preparation of illustrations is now in hand. While engaged at Kew on this work an opportunity was taken of checking the nomenclature and determining the identity of many of the fuugi that are responsible for crop diseases in India, by comparison with type material from the Her- barium of the Royal Botanic Gardens. I have to acknow- ledge the generous facilities given me by the Authorities at Kew and invaluable assistance from the Herbarium staff, especially Miss Wakefield and Messrs. Massee and Cotton. As a result of the International Phytopathological Con- ference held at Rome early in 1914, the possibilities of legis- lation for the control of the spread of plant diseases have been recently much discussed. With the permission of the Secretary of State, I prepared a note for the Royal Horti- cultural Society on the dissemination of parasitic fungi as a basis for international legislation. This has since been written up with special reference to Indian problems and submitted for publication as a memoir of the Agricultural Department. At the Rome Conference a draft Inter- national Convention was signed by the delegates of some 30 States, and India wTill probably have to decide whether to adhere to this Convention or not, in the near future. Much consideration has been given to this question during the past year so that we may be in a position to advise when called on to do so. V. Systematic Work. The fifth part of " Fungi Indiae Orientalis," based on material sent to Germany before the war, was published during the year. It includes a first instalment of deter- minations of the Pusa Herbarium collections of D enter omy- cetes, comprising the Sphaerioidece (173 species), Nectrioi- dece (7 species), Excipulacece (4 species), Leptostromatacea (3 species) and Melanconiacece (8 species). Seven new genera and 97 new species are described, the large propor- tion (nearly 50 per cent.) of new forms being due, no doubt, to the relatively little attention previously devoted to this group in the East. Many of them are crop parasites but 56 REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE they are not, on the whole, responsible for as much damage as the mildews, rusts and smuts. The number of mounted sheets added to the herbarium during the year was 258. VI. Programme of work for 1916-17. (1) Research work. New fungus diseases of crops will be investigated as occasion arises but the following diseases will receive special attention and will constitute main lines of investigation. (1) Ufra of paddy (2) " Tokra " of tobacco and mustard (3) Sclerotial disease and smut of sugarcane (4) Wilt diseases of cotton, sesamum, gram and chilli (5) Root rot of sal tree. As minor investigations it is hoped to continue work on the anthracnoses of some field crops (especially chilli) and fruits. (2) Systematic work. This will probably be in abey- ance for the present, owing to difficulties in obtaining assist- ance from abroad on account of the war. (3) Training. This will be continued on the same lines as in previous years. (4) Routine work. Advice and assistance will be given as usual to Provincial Departments of Agriculture, the Forest Department, Planters' Associations and the general public. VII. Publications. (1) Shaw, F. J. F. & The genus Rhizoctonia in India. Mem. S. L. Ajrekar. Deft, of Agri., India, Bot. Ser. VII, No. 4, August, 1915. (2) Shaw, F. J. F. . Report on Mycology, 1914-15, for the Board of Scientific Advice. (3) Dastur, J. F. .A Eot of Bananas. Agr. Jour, of India, Vol. X, Part 3, July, 1915. (4) Dastur, J. F. . Spraying for Ripe-rot of the Plantain Fruit. Agr. Jour, of India, Vol. XI, Part 2, April, 1916. AND COLLEGE, PUSA, FOR 1915-16 6? (5) Dastur, J. F. . Black Thread disease of Hevea in Burma. Bull. 14, Department of Agriculture, Burma, 1916. (6) Sydow, H. & P. & Fungi India? Orientalis. Annates Mycolo- E. J. Butler. gici, XIV, Nos. 3 and 4, 1916. 53 REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE REPORT OF THE IMPERIAL ENTOMOLOGIST. (T. JJainbrigge Fletcher, F.L.S., F.E.S., F.Z.S) I. Charge and Establishment. The Imperial Entomologist held charge of the Section throughout the year ended 30th June 1916. The post of Supernumerary Entomologist remained vacant throughout the year owing to the impossibility of obtaining any suit- able candidate during the war. Mr. Misra, First Assist- ant, was on privilege leave from 24th May until the close of the year under review. Mr. C. C. Ghosh was granted a personal scale of pay of Rs. 200 — 5 — 250. Mr. D. Nowroji was on privilege leave from 25th October to 20th November 1915. G. D. Ojha and D. P. Singh, Fieldmen, were employed in the Central Provinces, from the commencement of the year to 9th October and from August to November respectively, in connection with the outbreak of " Maho " (N ephotettioc bipunctatus). At the close of the year, volunteers were called for for Fly Control work with the Expeditionary Forces in Meso- potamia. T. V. Subramania, Typist, and P. Narayanan, Artist, of this Section, together with D. P. Singh, Fieldman, on the staff of the Imperial Pathological Entomologist but actually employed in Entomological Section, volunteered and were selected and sent. A quantity of apparatus and four sprayers were also sent to Mesopotamia in compliance with indents received from the Army Department. II. Tours. The Imperial Entomologist was on tour in Madras from 18th August to 4th September 1915, in Coorg from 10th October to 23rd November, in the Central Provinces from 14th to 22nd March 1916, and in the North- West Frontier Province from 16th April to 20th June, a total absence from headquarters of 139 days. AND COLLEGE, PUSA, FOR 1915-16 59 Mr. C. S. Misra, First Assistant, visited the Central Provinces and Berar from 3rd to 26th October 1915 in con- nection with the outbreak of " Maho " (Nejrfiotettix bipunc- tatus) and to study sugarcane pests. Mr. C. C. Ghosh visited Ranchi from 9th to 15th Sep- tember 1915 to investigate a stem-gall disease of rice plants caused by P achy diplo sis oryzoe, Wood-Mason. Mr. M. N. De, Sericultural Assistant, toured in Bengal, to see the Silk Centres, from 11th to 21st July 1915. The Fieldmen were sent on tour as occasion required throughout the year, chiefly in connection with outbreaks of pests. H. H. Prasad, Sericultural Fieldman, with two spinners and three rearers, was sent to the Madras Peoples Park Fair in December 1915, to show a complete working exhibit of Sericulture from egg to cloth. III. Training. Two students from the Punjab were under training in Entomology from the commencement of the year under review to 31st March 1916. Two students were also receiv- ed for the course commencing on 1st June 1916 and remain under training ; of these one was sent by Patiala State, the other is a private student. Mr. Mehdi Hasan, of Hydera- bad (Deccan), worked in the Laboratory, from 23rd August 1915 to 27th January 1916, mostly on ants. The short courses in Lac-culture attracted no students during the year; this is probably due, as noted in last year's report, to the publication of a popular Bulletin on Lac-work. In Sericulture three students completed short courses in Eri and Mulberry Silk and three remained under training at the close of the year. IV. Insect Pests. The following list shows, under the heading of a few main crops, the more important investigations carried out during the year on various insect pests of crops. Other work is shown under other headings (Life-histories, etc.), E 00 REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE but it is not possible, in a brief report of this nature, to mention, even by name, all the insects dealt with during the year : — 1. Cotton. Experiments, commenced last year, were continued to test the relative immunity to bollworm attack of different varieties of cotton from the United Provinces, the Punjab, Bombay, the Central Provinces, and Madras. With this object in view, two sowings of each variety were made, one planted thickly and the other thinly, and weekly counts of affected bolls have been made separately for each series. The parasites that emerged were counted, recorded, and liberated; their hibernation and alternative hosts "were also studied. One unexpected discovery was that there are apparently at least five different species of RJwgas which attack cotton bollworms (Earias fabia and E. insulana); their discrimination may prove to be of practical import- ance in control of bollworm by means of its parasites. The life-history of Earias fabia was worked out and repeated; it will be repeated again for the different seasons of the year. The seasonal colour variation of bollworm moths was also studied and a long series of specimens retained showing range of variation. Studies were also made of the utility of trap crops in connection with control of bollworm. The advantage of sowing cotton as a mixed crop was also studied and these experiments will be continued and the results written up as requisite. At the end of May 1915, the Director of Agriculture, Punjab, requested the despatch to Hansi of bollworm parasites in order to establish a breeding plot and so faci- litate their distribution in the Punjab. Between 7th June and 22nd July 1915, 158 grubs and pupae of RJwgas spp. were despatched from Pusa to Hansi, and after the latter date sendings were discontinued as the parasites were fully established in the experimental plots at Hansi. 2. Rice. A diseased condition of growing rice plants, by which the whole growing stem is converted into a long, white, hollow gall, has long been supposed to be due to AND COLLEGE, PUSA, FOR 1915-16 61 •attack by a Cecidomyiad fly, but little was really known about it, although a loss of thirty per cent, or more of the crop sometimes occurs. An outbreak of this disease being reported from Ranchi in September 1915, opportunity was taken to study it and it was found that the gall- formation is caused by a small fly (P achy diplo sis oryzoe, Wood-Mason) whose life-history was worked out in some detail, but fur- ther observations and experiments are required before the recommendation of control measures on a field scale. Jassid bugs, locally known as ' Maho," under which name are included N ephotettix bipunctatus, N. apicalis and (in less numbers) other similar species, have become a serious pest of paddy in the Central Provinces during the past two years. To help in investigation and control of this out- break one Fieldman was lent from Pusa for the period April-October 1915 and a second Fieldman in August- November. Mr. Misra, First Assistant, also visited the affected areas in October to investigate the pest, note the damage done, and assist in control work. Considerable attention has also been paid to these species of Nephotettix at Pusa, as regards their exact life- history, hibernation and alternative food-plants, but so far very little light has been thrown on these points. Numer- ous attempts to breed Nephotettix bipunctatus from the egg in captivity have been uniformly unsuccessful. Grass lands and areas which were under rice last season were fre- quently bagged and a powerful light-trap was also placed in these areas but, from the beginning of December 1915 up to 26th June 1916, not a single specimen of Nephotettiv could be found, the first example being found amongst grass on 27th June 1916. There is therefore at present an interval of some seven months in the year, during which we know nothing of the life-history of this insect. Work is being continued. Specimens of Fulgorid bugs, also found on rice in the Central Provinces, have been identified by Mr. W. L. Distant as Sogata pusana, S. pallescens and S. distincia. E 2 62 REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE Mealy-bugs on rice at Balasore have been identified by Mr. E. Ernest Green as Ripersia sacchari niger. 3. Sugarcane. The work of rearing cane-borers was continued, fresh affected cane, maize, juar, millets, wild grasses, etc., being collected and the borers and their para- sites reared out. Several broods of moths, bred from known parents themselves reared in both cane and juar, were also reared to ascertain the variability of certain characters. As material accumulates it seems to become increasingly evident that the cane-borers are two or more species of Diatrcea, which may occasionally attack juar, maize, etc., and that the normal borer in these cereal crops is Chilo simplex which is rarely found in cane. Further collection and study are required of material from all parts of India as the question of identity is of importance as regards con- trol. From observations made at Tharsa Farm, in the Central Provinces, it seems that there is some possibility of reduc- ing the incidence of borers (in this case principally SchamoVius) by varying the time of planting the cane. With this view a small experimental plot of half an acre under both thick and thin varieties of cane was planted by the end of October 1915. Two Fieldmen were detailed to assist the farm in selec- tion of cane setts for planting in February and March. Observations on Pyrilla aberrans were written up and- submitted for publication as a Memoir (now in the press). The sugarcane Aleyrodid (Aleurolobus barodensis) was reported from Tharsa as doing considerable damage to* canes in the experimental plots. Measures for control were- suggested and a large amount of material was also collected and reared to find out whether any effective parasite was present; but no parasite of any importance was obtained. Papua depressella has hitherto been noted as boring principally in the roots of cane, being mostly in evidence in the ratoon crop. This year it exhibited a new habit by attacking new shoots of newly-planted cane in the early" AND COLLEGE, PUSA, FOR 1915-16 63 part of the hot weather (April-May), causing greater damage than either Diatrcea or Scirpophaga. The external symptom of attack is " dead-heart " as is the case of boring by Diatrcea, Scirpophaga and Sesamia. A series of experiments was carried out on the protec- tion of cane setts from attack of termites, the following substances being tried, viz. — Lead Arsenate, Resin Conv pound, Fish-oil Soap with Resin, Crude Oil Emulsion, and Naphthaline Emulsion. Of these Lead Arsenate proved to be the best. In this connection it may be observed that it is not only the setts themselves which require protection but also the new shoots — in fact, in most cases the shoots are most attacked, being eaten into at the point of exit from the sett. It is of course much more difficult to protect these shoots than the setts and, to achieve this, additional treat- ment is usually necessary. Further experiments will be Tinder taken on this line next season. 4. Indigo. During the year two Indigo Pests (Indigo Aphid and Dichomeris ianthes) were reported from two factories, Barh Chakia and Tateriah, both in North Bihar. A Fieldman was sent to spray the infested fields with Soap Solution. Two sprayings were given and the effect was reported to be good by the Managers of the factories con- cerned. 5. Coffee. The year 1915 was marked by a very bad outbreak of Coffee Borer {Xylotrechus quadripes) in Coorg. One group of estates in S. Coorg, of about 500 acres, removed approximately 100,000 bored bushes between 1st June and 31st October 1915. The Imperial Entomologist toured in Coorg in October and November to investigate this insect. The beetles began to emerge in the last week of October and were common by the first week of November. Eggs were obtained and hatched out and it was proved that .sunshine is not essential to the hatching of the eggs, as stated by former observers. The eggs, which are white, soft, of rather indeterminate shape rather like minute rice- grains, are thrust singly or in little groups (of about 6-8) 64 REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE inside cracks and under scales of bark of coffee bushes; they are rarely visible, and very rarely laid externally. Experi- ments were started to ascertain the length of life-cycle, as it has been uncertain whether there are one or two broods in the year. Results will be written up when further inform- ation on these experiments comes to hand. Information was also collected on pests of Erythrina lithosperma, which is extensively grown for shade and green-manure on Coffee Estates. 6. Orchard and Garden Pests. A special study has been made during the last three years of Insect Pests of cultivated Fruits, Vegetables and Flowers, and a consider- able amount of information has been collected on the insects concerned, their identity, life-history, foodplants, occurrence and control. This information will, it is hoped, be issued shortly as a Bulletin. Special attention has also been paid to the collection of Fruitflies. A large collection of these was sent to Pro- fessor Mario Bezzi, of Turin, last year but was apparently lost in the S.S. "Persia" on return after identification-, fortunately, the types of eight new species had been sent direct to the British Museum by Prof. Bezzi. Myioparda- lis pardalina, the " Baluchistan Melon Fly," was reared at Pusa from fruits of Cucumis trigonus; it was not hitherto known to occur except in North- Western India. An important find during the year was the European Olive Fly (Dacus oleae) in wild olives in the North-West Frontier Province. Its occurrence in India was hitherto unknown and it is likely to be of importance in view of the attempts now being made to introduce the cultivation of the European olive in North- West India and Kashmir. 7. Life-histories of Insects. In the Insectary were reared about 200 species of insects which had not been reared before. These included about fifty Coleoptera, of various families, of which there was no previous informa- tion regarding their breeding-places and habits. Many interesting facts have been noted in this connection; for example, one Elaterid beetle grub (Agrypnus sp.) has now AND COLLEGE, PUSA3 FOR 1915-16 0* been living in the Insectary for twenty-one months, its food consisting of Searabasid and other beetle grubs with similar habits of working under the surface of the soil, most of them damaging roots of plants. As mentioned in last year's report, Bruchus affinis was observed to lay eggs extensively on pea-pods at Pusa in January and February, so that the peas may be infected in the field before being stored. The habits of this beetle have since been investigated more thoroughly. The grubs are brought into the store inside the seeds which are exter- nally quite sound at harvest -time, about the end of January. The beetles begin to emerge from the seeds in August, but they do not become active until about Decem- ber or January, the majority of the beetles remaining inside the seeds and thus having a chance of being taken back to the field at sowing-time. Seeds from pods on which eggs- were laid suffered to the extent of about 50 per cent, of the crop, whilst the remainder of this same crop (after separa- tion of those pods with visible eggs) suffered a damage of oniy 3-5 per cent., and this was probably due to a small per- centage of eggs being passed over. Treatment with Carbon Bisulphide or Naphthaline successfully prevented damage to the peas in store. A simple treatment (immersion of the seeds in water, when those attacked float and the unattacked seeds sink) has been found efficient for separation of the affected from the unaffected seeds and therefore it is pos- sible to avoid liberation of the beetles in the field at the sowing time. Bruchus chinensis breeds throughout the year in Pulse seeds in store. This insect has been observed to breed in Gram, Mung (Phaseolus mungo), Urid (P. radiatus), Bakla (P. aconitifolius), Kulthi (Dolichos biflorus), Lentil, Khesari (Lathy rus sativus), Arhar (Cajanus indicus), Bora (Vigna catjang), and large and medium peas. A small variety of local indigenous pea has been found to be immune from its attack. Eggs are laid on this variety as on others, but the grubs cannot bore or feed in this pea, which is, how- ever, more liable to attack by Bruchus affinis in the field. 66 REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE The work of breeding Agrotis ypsilon, referred to in last year's report, was continued in order to find out how it passes through the Hot Weather and Rains (April -Sep- tember). In the Insectary it continued to breed through- out this period. The moths, however, which emerged in July-August did not lay fertile eggs although they had full chances of mating; possibly this was due to inbreeding under unfavourable conditions; at any rate, fertile eggs were not obtained. But, as it was, the insect bred in capti- vity until about the time (August) when the moths normally appear in the tal lands which are subject to attack at Mokameh. During 1916 an Andres-Maire trap was worked in the Insectary compound at Pusa throughout the hot weather (April-June) to see whether any moths of Agrotis ypsilon could be attracted but not a single example was captured. What actually happens under normal con- ditions remains, therefore, still a mystery. The insect can continue to breed under favourable conditions but we have no evidence that it actually does so : our Insectary experi- ence has yielded no indication of any inclination to pass through the hot weather in any resting stage; on the con- trary, breeding was continuous until August. On the other hand no trace of the insect has been found under natural conditions between April and August. The migration theory fits the known facts but as yet remains an unproved hypothesis. Colonies of Odontotermes assmuthi, established m arti- ficial breeding cages (tiles) in the Insectary, died out after about four months, by which time adult workers and soldiers had been obtained. One colony, however, which had been planted out in a cage in the ground in the Insec- tary compound, could be traced for a whole year, after which it dwindled away; even after this period, however, the queen showed no particular sign of a dilated abdomen. The habits of Metriona circumdata, Aspidomorpha indica and Philemostoma trilineata were observed through- out the year. The beetles hibernate and live for about six months. AND COLLEGE, PUSA, FOR 1915-16 67 The life-history of Ancylolomia chrysographella was -also traced throughout the cold weather (November- February). This moth hibernates in the larval stage and breeds continuously in the hot weather. Two tube-forming Tineid larvae, Melasma sp. and Myrmecozela leontina, both with only one brood in the year, were also under observation. The life-history of Leucophlebia lineata (Sphingidae) was traced throughout the year. The larvae were noted to hibernate as well as aestivate. Oides bipunctata (Chrysomelidae) has been observed to .hibernate and aestivate in the egg stage. 'Poly tela gloriosce (Noctuidae) has been observed to .hibernate and aestivate in the pupal stage. The already known habit of larval aestivation in Muda- ria cornifrons (Noctuidce) was confirmed by further observ- ations. In connection with other experiments on Bactrocera -cucurbitce (Trypaneidae) it was noted that this Fruit-fly is capable of living in confinement in the adult state for a period of over three months. Under natural conditions it seems probable that many Fruit-flies live over from season to season in the adult state. It was also noted that stems of Cucurbitaceous plants and galls thereon, caused by Cecidomyiadae or otherwise, were as favourable breeding- places for these flies as the fruits themselves. In addition to the foregoing, complete cycles were -observed of Danais plexippus (on Oxystelona esculentum, .a new food-plant), Kolla mimica on paddy, a Jassid bug on sugarcane leaves, another Jassid on leaves of Cyperus rotunda (Mutha), Polia consanguis, a Halticid beetle on A nisomeles ovata, and Cyrtacanthacris ranacea. A few broods from known parents were reared of Terms hecabe and Papilio polytes to ascertain proportional variation. Further observations were made on the habits of Tene- Jbroides mauritanicus, Odoiporus longicollis, Attagenus 68 REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE piceus, Lepisma sp., Chilo simplex, Laspeyresia pseudoncc- tis and many other insects. Special attention was paid to leaf-mining Lepidoptera and numerous species, including many hitherto undescribed novelties, were bred out from crops and other plants. Unsuccessful attempts were made to breed N ephotettix bipunctatus, Zonabris pustulata, Lytta actceon, and Helio- copris bucephalus. Large numbers of Fruit-flies were reared out to dis- cover to what extent they are checked by parasites but it was found that the proportion of parasites is extremely low. The only Fruit-fly which is parasitized to any appre- ciable extent is Carpomyia vesuviana, whose larvae feed in fruits of Zizyphus jujuba. About 800 pupae of this fly were sent to Italy, to endeavour to introduce the parasite there, but owing to postal delays they failed to reach their destination alive. 8. Insecticides. A series of experiments was carried out to test the effect of poisoned sprays on Fruit-flies, the species used being Bactrocera cucurbitce. It was found- that a spray of guv (sugar) and Lead Arsenate killed the flies in the course of about 36 hours. A similar mixture, of gur and Lead Chromate, had practically no effect and. proved quite useless as a poison. 9. Protection of Timber against Termites. The trials under this heading were continued. Further tests of Powellized wood and of Microlineum were made. Pre- liminary tests of Sideroleum were made, further tests being held in abeyance pending receipt of more material promised by the Agents of this preparation. Tests of Timborite were put in hand. 10. Grain storage experiments. The storage of wheat, rice and pulses, commenced last year, has been' undertaken this year on a larger scale based on the first year's results. In addition, in order to determine the pests of stored products more exactly, over sixty different sub- stances have been placed under ordinary storage conditions- for observation of their insect pests. AND COLLEGE, PUSA, FOR 1915-16 69 As a result of the first year's experiments, the lime treatment of rice has been found most satisfactory, th-3 stored rice being rendered practically immune from all pests without impairing the edible qualities. It must, however, be noted that the preliminary experiment was done on a very small scale and further tests on a larger scale are now in hand to check this result. The same remark applies to several other samples of wheat and pulses treated in differ- ent ways, and all are being retested on a larger scale. One 'curious case may, however, be mentioned here as at present it seems rather inexplicable; a jar of wheat grains infested with Calandra oryzce had about half an inch in depth of dry sand spread evenly in a layer over the top of the wheat; in due course the weevils emerged and made their way up through the sand which, however, they seemed unable to penetrate again, and all the adult weevils died and formed a layer on top of the sand, leaving the underlying wheat grains unaffected by any further weevils. At first sight it seemed that the experiment had been successful and that a simple layer of dry sand would form an efficient protection for wheat stored either for sowing or for food ; but, on test- ing, this wheat failed to germinate. It was closed up in a glass jar : but so were other samples, equally, more, and less affected by weevils, and kept in exactly similar jars; yet these other samples germinated successfully. V. Bees, Lac and Silk. 1. Bees. Experiments, with Apis indica were conti- nued. The Wax Moth (Galleria meUonella) gained entrance to the hives at an unexpected period (December) and destroyed five out of seven colonies; other colonies were procured but these were a little too late for the honey flow. One colony of Apis indica was specially worked (1) to- check swarming and (2) to attain the maximum yield of honey. Swarming was checked successfully and the yield of surplus honey was 15J lb. i.e., about double the ordinary quantity. The result was attained by improved methods 70 REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE •and an adequate supply of ready-made combs at the proper time. Work on these lines will be continued. Several requests for Frame hives, Comb Foundation aud •other Bee-keeping requisites, from various inquirers, have been met as far as possible. No further experiments have been made with European Bees owing to the great danger of introduction of Isle-of- Wight Disease into India. In this connection a word of warning may well be issued to any would-be importers of European bees. A Bengali Bulletin on Bee-keeping has been written up and will be sent in for publication at an early date. 2. Lac. The emergence of Lac larvae took place at Pusa on 30th September 1915 and 12th June 1916, and sixty large Ber trees were inoculated. Three Lac Show-cases were sent to the Chandernagore Exhibition, in December 1915, together with copies of the Lac Bulletin (in English and Hindi) for distribution to interested inquirers. A demonstration in Lac-culture was given to the students from the Sabour Agricultural College whc visited the Institute. No students attended the short courses in Lac-culture. Numerous inquiries for Brood-lac, etc., were dealt with during the year. 3. Silk. Three students completed short courses in Eri and Mulberry Silk-work and three remained under training at the close of the year. Eri silkworm eggs were distri- buted to 89 applicants and Mulberry silkworm eggs to 70 applicants. Eri eggs and castor seed were sent to the Agri- Cultural Department in Mauritius, where they arrived safely and have done well. Mulberry and Castor seeds, Mulberry cuttings and samples of different kinds of silk were distributed to numerous inquirers. Instructions for Tearing, reeling, dyeing, bleaching, and spinning were given by correspondence. The Univoltine Mulberry silkworm eggs which were sent to Shillong and Muktesar for cold AND COLLEGE, PUSA, FOR 1915-16 71 storage gave satisfactory results on rearing in March, but those sent to Guindy for rearing in October were not suc- cessful. Some of the hybrid multivoltine races, which have been under selective rearing during the last four years, were reared on a large scale and gave satisfactory results, the outturn of reeled silk in all cases being superior to pure multivoltine races but inferior to univoltines. Silk Exhibits were sent to the Agricultural Show at MuzafTarpur and to the Exhibitions held at Chandernagore and Madras; a com- plete working exhibit, showing the whole process of seri- culture from the egg to the finished cloth, was sent to the Madras Exhibition and proved a considerable attraction. A rearer was lent to Rewah State to demonstrate Mulberry silkworm rearing and reeling. The services of Harihar Prasad, Silk Fieldman, were placed at the disposal of the Imperial Agricultural Bacteriologist in connection with his work on investigation of Pebrine in Mulberry Silkworms. A Bengali translation of Bulletin No. 48 (First Report on Mulberry Silk Experiments) was printed during the year, and a second edition of Bulletin No. 39 (Instructions for rearing Mulberry Silkworms) is now in the press. A Second Report on the Mulberry Silk Experiments has been written up. Articles on Mulberry Silk were also contri- buted to the Bengal Journal " Grihastha." Visitors to the Silk House included Miss M. L. Cleghorn (on special silk duty under the Government of Bengal), Mr. De Minville, and Mr. H. Maxwell-Lefroy, Imperial Silk Specialist. Silk pieces, to the value of Rs. 504-13-0, were sold during the year and the proceeds credited to Government. Some experiments were carried out with Tricolyga sorbillans, Wied. (bombycis), the Tachinid parasite of silkworms, in connection with its method of oviposition and breeding-habits. The following caterpillars were exposed to attacks of the flies, viz. : — Mulberry silkworms {Bombyx mori), Eri silkworms (Attacus ricini), Achcea Janata, Spodoptera mauritia, Polytela gloriosce, Cosmophila sahulifera, Papilio demoleus, Utetheisa pulchella, and '72 REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE Diacrisia obliqua, of which the last two are hairy and the others smooth-skinned. The flies were found to oviposit on all the varieties of caterpillars, whether hairy or smooth, but could not breed in other caterpillars so successfully as they could in the silkworms. Flies were actually bred out only from the parasitized larvse of Cosmophila sabulifera but from the experiments it appeared that the flies could, if necessary, breed in the other caterpillars. VI. Illustrations. Coloured plates illustrating the life-histories of the following insects were prepared during the year, viz. : — Pachydiplosis oryzce,* Papua depressella, Phyllocnistis citrella, Chloridea assulta* Kolla mimica, Oedematopoda clerodendronella, Epicephala chalybacma, Terias hecabe* of which those marked * are now in press and will be available shortly. A coloured plate of orange fruits was also prepared for the Agricultural Officer, North- West Frontier Province. Besides the completed coloured plates, a large number of figures, in colour and line, was drawn of various insects and these will be utilized for publications in due course. There is always a heavy pressure of work to be done by the Artist Staff and our life-history work is constantly handicapped by insufficient artistic assistance. A list of all the coloured plates of Indian insects, pre- pared to date, was issued during the year, mainly for the information of Provincial Entomological Staffs. This list shows for each insect whether the coloured plate has been printed and, if published, in what publications it has ap- peared. The issue of coloured plates and lantern slides has been continued. VII. Miscellaneous. Correspondence. A total of 95 parcels of specimens, mostly of crop-pests, was received during the year for identification and advice, whilst 1,090 letters were received AND COLLEGE, PUSA, FOR 1915-16 73 and 1,422 issued, but all these numbers are exclusive of a large amount of routine correspondence. As the activities of the Section become better known, the correspondence becomes more and more onerous and takes up more time which should be devoted to more productive work. VIII. Insect Survey. Steady progress has been made in additions to, and arrangement of, the collection. The whole of the collection of Lepidoptera has been overhauled, rearranged and placed in one series, so that all the information on any species or group is now available in one place. The same is being done with the Coleoptera, which are nearly finished, and other groups will be taken up as time and staff permit. Work of this sort takes time and care, but is necessary as, in the not infrequent case of non-identification or misidenti- fication of an insect at the time of its collection or occur- rence as a pest, the specimen itself forms the only evidence of its identity and if it is hidden away, out of the series, as a " duplicate " or " non-identifiable," valuable information may easily be overlooked. The collections continue in good order but the difficulty of maintaining them, in boxes in open racks in a climate such as that of Pusa, is very great. The following collections were sent out to Specialists in the groups named and our thanks are due to them for the help afforded : — (i) Micro-Lepidoptera to Mr. E. Meyrick, F.R.S., to whom special thanks are due for his examina- tion of the whole of our unnamed material, of which about forty per cent, proved to be new to Science. The novelties are under description in " Exotic Microlepidoptera." A Memoir on life-histories of Indian Microlepidoptera, com- prising all the information published hitherto together with a mass of new material now rendered available by the identifications receiv- ed, is now in preparation. 74 REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE (it) Rhynchota to Mr. W. L. Distant. Much of the- new material has been utilized in Volume VI of Rhynchota, lately published in the " Fauna of British India " series. Some of our material has been received back. (Hi) Rutelidee to Mr. G. J. Arrow, who will use this material for his " Fauna " volume on this group. Specimens returned, named. (iv) Carabidse to Mr. H. E. Andrewes, who is work- ing on the Indian species of this group. Partly returned, named. (v) Trypaneidas to Professor Mario Bezzi of Turin. The specimens were named and we were advis- ed of their return, but they have not been received and were presumably lost in the S.S.. " Persia." Types of eight new species had fortunately been sent direct to the British Museum by Professor Bezzi. (vi) Parasites of Trypaneidse to Professor Silvestri, Portici, Italy. Not yet returned. (vii) A Dryinid parasite on nymphs of Pyrilla spp. to Mr. J. C. Crawford. Named as Chloro- dryinus fallidus, Crawf. (viii) Cecidomyiadse to Professor E. P. Felt. They have been named and the collection retained for the present. (iw) Sphegidae to Mr. Rowland Turner. Not yet- received back. (pc) Apidse to Mr. G. Meade-Waldo, whose recent untimely death has deprived us of a most valu- ed correspondent who was always willing to give us every help in identification of our specimens. This collection remains at the British Museum, and will probably be transferred to Professor Cockerell for examination. (xi) Curculionidae to Mr. G. A. K. Marshall. Partly/ named and returned. AND COLLEGE, PUSA, FOR 1915-16 75 (alii) Cerambycidse to Mr. C. J. Gahan. Not yet returned. (xiii) Histeridse to Mr. Lewis. Not yet returned. (xiv) Coccidse to Mr. E. Ernest Green. Partly named and returned. (cov) Diptera (various groups) to Mr. E. Brunetti, who has taken much time and trouble in afford- ing us help. (avi) Towards the close of the year the manuscript of a paper descriptive of a collection of Indian Termites, sent in 1912-13, was received from Professor Nils Holmgren, of Stockholm. This paper is written in German and will require translation before publication. It contains descriptions of numerous new species and the issue of these will enable a mass of notes on these species to be written up for publication. (avii) Examples of Stibaropus minor, Wlk., found in an Ant's nest were sent to Mr. Donisthorpe, who, however, considered that they were not myrmecophilous insects. (aviii) A collection of RJwgas spp. was sent to Mr. C. T. Brues, United States of America, for identi- fication and description of the new species. (aia) A mite found attacking the cocoons of a Burmese Ant, Ectatomma coaale, was sent for examina- tion by Mr. S. Hirst, who writes that it is a new species of the genus Urodinychus, Berlese. Some species of this genus are known from Europe, a few from Africa and one from Java, and of these some have been found in ants' nests but very little is known about their habits. Various collections of Indian insects have been received and named and returned as far as possible; these included (i) a collection of Rhynchota from Mrs. Kilby, (ii) Micro- lepidoptera from Coimbatore Agricultural College, (ii?) 76 REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE insects from birds' stomachs sent by the Nagpur Museum, (iv) various insects from Nagpur Agricultural College, (v)- various insects from Entomological Assistant, Burma, (vi) collections of Hymenoptera, Lepidoptera, and Rhynchota from Mr. C. Inglis, besides numerous other small sendings. IX. Programme of work for 1916-17. Major. This will follow generally on the lines of work of the current year and will include general investigations of crop pests and especially of the pests of rice, sugarcane and cotton, of fruit-trees and of stored grain. Minor. A commencement has been made of collection of inform- ation for a general book on the crop pests of India and progress in this will be continued, as also in the publication of information regarding life-histories of pests and colour- ed plates, of which a large number are now ready for print- ing. Work and experiments in silk, lac and bee-keeping will be continued, and new insecticides and insecticidal methods tested as occasion arises. Advice and assistance will be given as far as possible to Provincial Departments- and to all inquirers on entomological subjects. X. Publications. The following publications have been actually issued during the year : — De, M. N. . . . Instructions for rearing Mulberry Silkworms. [Bulletin 39 (Revised Edition), Agri- cultural Research Institute, Pusa.~\ Fletcher, T. Bain- Bees and the Fertilization of Coffee, brigge. (Bulletin 69, Madras Department of Agri- culture.) Fletcher, T. Bain- One Hundred Notes on Indian Insects, brigge. (Bulletin 59, Agricultural Research Insti- tute, Fusa.) AND COLLEGE, PUSA, FOR 1915-16 77 Fletcher, T. Bain- Report on Agricultural Entomology, 1914- brigge. 15. [Board of Scientific Advice Annual Report.) Misra, C. S. . . Report on Investigations regarding the Maho (N ephotettix bipunctatus and N. apicalis) in the Central Provinces, October 1915. (Central Provinces Department of Agricul- ture.) f2 8 REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE REPORT OF THE IMPERIAL PATHOLOGICAL ENTOMOLOGIST. (T. Bainbrigge Fletcher, F.L.S., F.E.S., F.Z.S.) I. Charge and establishment. Mr. F. M. Howlett, B.A., F.E.S., Imperial Pathological Entomologist, was. in charge of the section from 1st July to 28th July 1915, after which he proceeded on six months combined leave, afterwards commuted into leave on medical certificate and extended by a further period of six months. Mr. B. Coventry, CLE., Agricultural Adviser and Director, was in charge from 29th July to 8th August, and the Imperial Entomologist was in charge of the work, in addition to his own duties, from 9th August to the close of the year (30th June 1916). Mr. P. G. Patel was absent on privilege leave from 3rd to 22nd January 1916, Mr. H. N. Sharma from 8th to 20th December 1915, and Mr. S. K. Sen, from 25th October to 4th December 1915. In response to a call for volunteers for Fly Control work with the Expeditionary Forces in Mesopotamia, Messrs. Patel and Sharma volunteered their services at the close of the year and have since proceeded. Tours. Mr. P. G. Patel visited Kathgodam and Bareilly from 12th September to 23rd December to collect and study biting flies in connection with the Imperial Bacteriologist's experiments on Surra transmission. Mr. S. K. Sen toured in Madras and Bengal from 21st July to 12th September 1915. Correspondence. The number of letters received and issued during the year amounted to 211 and 228 respect- ively, whilst 151 parcels of specimens were also received and dealt with. Most of these parcels were of maggots causing myiasis in domestic animals, but several lots of mosquitos, ticks, etc., received for identification, were dealt with. AND COLLEGE, PUSA, FOR 191.5-16 7< II. Work done. Disease-carrying insects. Cattle Flies. Observations were continued on the life-histories of various Tabanidae occurring at Pusa. As regards the feeding-habits of Tabanid larvae it was noted that canni- balism is not universal; at least, so far as observed, larvse of Tabanus nemocallosus do not attack and destroy one another. Forty nearly full-grown larvae of this species were collected and confined in a very small glass vessel, with some moist earth, but actual counts made twice weekly discovered no larvae missing or damaged. Of these larvae, collected on 27th January, only a very few emerged as flies in March, the majority in April and May, and a few in June. The pupal period is eight or nine days. One larva kept under submerged conditions lived for over three months in water without any food ; these larvae must there- fore have a respiratory system fitted for both aquatic and terrestrial life and can exist over a considerable period it conditions are unfavourable. Egg-masses of T. nemo- callosus were found fairly commonly from the third week in April ; this species appears to be rather gregarious in its egg-laying habits, depositing its egg-masses by preference on Phragmites. The newly hatched larvae are also gregari- ous in habit, often noted to be crowded up in a mass in one place in the breeding vessel. Grown larvae are also more or less gregarious, as on one occasion 63 grown larvae were col- lected in one small area of about two square yards, such den- sity of population being only possible if a non-cannibalistic habit is usual. As regards the feeding habits of the adult flies of Tabanus nemocallosus it was found that when bred females, starved under humid conditions for twenty-four hours after emergence from pupa, were allowed to bite, under cover of a test-tube, a goat whose skin had been shaven and moistened a little before they were placed to feed, all of them were observed to suck blood within five minutes; in the case of other Tabanids, various observers 80 REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE have commented on the difficulty in inducing bred females to suck blood (see Patton & Cragg, Text-book of Medical Entomology, page 295). Tabanus albimedius. Flies emerge about the end of February. Egg-masses of this species were observed along the river bank by the middle of March. Egg-laying is at its height thence onwards until the middle of April, whilst very few egg-masses could be found after the beginning of May. A second brood of this fly emerges about the end of June and a third brood in October, the descendants of these again appearing in February-March. These eggs are parasitized by a small chalcidid, of which 166, 78; 105 and 138 indivi- duals emerged from four egg-masses; these parasites were bred and the life-cycle from egg to adult noted to be eight days in the case of males and nine days for females, the males, which are yellowish and smaller than the black females, thus emerge one day earlier and move about on the parasitized egg-mass in eager expectation of the emergence of the females; on this happening, coupling commences immediately and oviposition follows a few hours later. Sixty parasites were bred from one fresh egg-mass of '/'. albimedius after this had been subjected to the oviposition of one fertilized female parasite; the total number of eggs, which may be laid, may, however, be larger, as indicated by the number of parasites reared from individual egg-masses. Egg-masses of T. nemocallosus were also noted to be subject to attack by a parasite of a different species, but no parasites were found in egg-masses of T. bicallosus. Tabanus striatus seems to have three broods annually as in the case of T. albimedius, the flies emerging about the end of February, June and October. Tabanus sanguineus, on the other hand, was not observ- ed on the wing until the end of May, and T. hilaris. which is common during the Rains, also did not appear until the end of May. Chrysops stimulans oviposits on grass growing in shallow water by a river bank during the last week in AND COLLEGE, PUSA, FOR 1915-16 81 March and during April; oviposition seems to take place only between about the hours of noon and 2 p.m. The eggs of this Chrysops are smaller and thinner than those of Tdbanus; they are arranged in a single layer, forming a compact mass ; the process of oviposition is almost the same as in Tdbanus. The new-laid eggs are creamy-white, later changing to pale-brown and ultimately to fuscous; they hatch after 7 days (1-30 p.m. on 22nd March to 8 a.m. on 28th March). The larvae, like those of Tdbanus, wriggle out from the eggs and very soon drop into the water. The larva appears sluggish but readily shams death, by bring- ing together both ends of its body, even at the slightest contact of the vessel in which they were kept; this habit seems characteristic of larvae of this genus but not of other Tabanid larvae. The newly hatched larva is about 1 mm. long and has a white syphon-tube which as well as the last segment, is clothed with very minute hairs; all body segments, except first and last (syphon), with a pair of very small delicate bristles on lateral margin; the first body- segment has two pairs, whilst the syphon carries about three pairs apically; Graber's organ marked by two black dots. After a week, little change is visible except that Graber's organ is marked by two pairs of dots, posterior pair smaller. Larvae three weeks old measured 3 mm. long by 07 mm. broad, and Graber's organ had seven black dots, six paired and one single. Larvae one month old were 5 mm. long by 0-75 mm. broad, and the whole body had developed a pattern on its surface, so that the appearance of the larvae was quite altered; Graber's organ had now nine black dots. The larvae feed readily on dead earthworms and are pro- bably cannibalistic. Larvae of Gastroxides ater, kept under observation in a small glass vessel, were not found to be cannibalistic. This species breeds in hollows in tree-trunks. The flies some- times come into light at night (as do several species of Tdbanus) and are perhaps nocturnal in their habit of flight. 82 REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE Surra Investigation. Mr. Patel visited Kathgodam and Bareiliy in Septem- ber-December 1915, to ascertain what kinds of biting flies* were prevalent in the Surra Zone and to carry out trans- mission experiments. A full account of these has been sent to the Imperial Bacteriologist, who will (I understand) publish them with his own results; it is therefore only necessary to give here a short summary of the results attained, viz. : — (1) Tabanus albimedius and T. striatus were found capable of transmitting the Surra organism, not only by an interrupted feeding, but also by com- plete feeding. (2) Tabanus albimedius was proved to transmit Surra 24 hours after feeding on Surra-infected animal; it failed to transmit disease after a longer inter- val. T . striatus, however, was found capable of transmitting Surra (in one experiment with two flies) as long as 72 hours after feeding on an infected host. (3) Smaller species of Tabanus (T . sp. near virgo) were tried but not found to transmit disease. (4) Ctenocephalus felis, dog and cattle fleas, were found incapable of transmitting Surra. (5) Philcematomyia insignis is only capable of trans- mitting Surra in the case of an immediate interrupted feeding, the maximum interval {i.e., between leaving an infected host and commenc- ing to feed on a previously uninfected animal), for which positive results were obtained, being only seven minutes, although positive results were obtained by direct inoculation of abdo- minal contents of infected flies as long as 28 hours after feeding on a Surra-infested animal. (6) Surra is not transmitted hereditarily to the progeny of infected females of Tabanus stria- tus, T. albimedius, or Philoematomyia insignis AND COLLEGE, PUSA, FOR 1915-16 83- Mosquitos. The Mosquito Campaign was continued on the Pusa Estate with considerable success, the reduction in numbers of mosquitos prevalent during the year being in marked contrast to the experience of previous years. Breeding- places were sought out and dealt with, either by filling in (hollows in trees, small puddles, etc.), removal (tin cans, pots, etc., holding rain-water), oiling (large semi-permanent pools) or the introduction of larvivorous fish (more or less permanent pools, wells, etc.). Pieces of bamboo-stem, filled with water, were also placed out in trees and in other likely situations to serve as traps for oviposition of Stego- myia, and regularly emptied out and replaced. The follow- ing were the principal species found breeding on the Estate during the year, viz., Anopheles fuliginosus, A. culicifacies, A. rossi, Culex fatigans, C. gelidus, C. sitiens, Wied (microannulatus, Theo), T oeniorhynchus tenax, Stegomyia scutellaris, S. sugens and S. gubernatoris. Pseudograbha- mia maculata, not previously noted at Pusa, was also found and reared during the progress of this work. Eleven coloured plates, showing life-histories of mosqui- tos, were sent to press during the year and will be available shortly, and other plates were completed. Mr. S. K. Sen carried out a series of experiments on the role of blood in the development of eggs in mosquitos, the species dealt with being Stegomyia scutellaris for the most part. This inquiry was still in progress at the close of the year but a preliminary report on the results attained has been written up ; meanwhile, it may be noted here that, as regards S. scutellaris, it has been found that this species (l)*may oviposit without having fed on blood, (2) may deposit as many as three batches of eggs after only one meal of blood, (3) a single fertilization will suffice for several batches of eggs. The collection of mosquitos was rearranged and put m order during the year. 84 REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE A small collection of mosquitos from Pachmarhi was named up and returned and several other small lots of mosquitos were received and identified during the year. Flesh-Flies. In response to a circular to Veterinary officers, a large number of specimens of maggots, causing myiasis in domes- tic animals, etc., have been received and the flies bred out. A parallel series of observations has been kept up on the attractiveness for various flies, especially those species breeding in septic matter, of meat treated in various ways ; the substances tried included Peptone, Hydrochloric Acid, Formalin, Papain with Hydrochloric Acid, Borneol, Vanil- lin, Sugar, Salt, Mercurous Chloride, Benzine, Lactic Acid. Ticks. Specimens of Ornithodoros savignyi, received from Madras in 1914, and some more of the same species from Gujarat, were under observation throughout the year. A species, identical with or near 0. lahorensis, was received from Agra. Both were fed on goats. 111. Programme of work for 1916-17. The work which can be done will depend on the return ■of (1) Mr. Howlett, now on extended leave on Medical Certificate up to 28th January 1917, (2) the two Assistants sent to Mesopotamia for Fly Control work. Pending their return work must be largely of a routine character, viz., •care and upkeep of collections and records, breeding and observation of Tabanids, Mosquitos, Ticks, etc., continu- ance of Mosquito Campaign, and affording help to inquir- ers as far as possible. AND COLLEGE, PUSA, FOR 1915-16 85 REPORT OF THE IMPERIAL AGRICULTURAL BACTERIOLOGIST. (C. M. Hutchinson, B.A.) I. Administration and Tours. Charge. I held charge of the section throughout the year excepting one month's privilege leave in September and October 1915, when Mr. N. V. Joshi was in charge. Establishment. Mr. C. S. Ram Ayyer was on privi- lege leave for two months from 25th April 1916. Mr. A. N. Bose went on privilege leave for one month and four days from 20th November 1915. Mr. Hardayal Singh has left this section on deputation tc work in the Agricultural Department, United Pro- vinces, for two years, and Mr. Umrao Bahadur Mathur has been appointed in his place. Tours. The following tours were made by me during the year 1915-16: — 1. July 1915. To Calcutta to carry out experiments on the use of a new form of inoculation for rice beer in the laboratory of the Chemical Exami- ner, at the instance of the Assistant Commis- sioner of Excise for Bengal. 2. October 1915. To Shillong on hill recess. 3. November 1915. To Calcutta to consult Director General of Commercial Intelligence Depart- ment, on the subject of saltpetre industry, Messrs. Graham & Co., on the subject of manure supply and Messrs. D. Waldie & Co., Konnagar, on the subject of fermentation. 4. March 1916. To Muzafferpur to be present at a meeting of the Bihar Planters' Association. 5. April 1916. To Simla to consult the Imperial Silk Specialist, in connection with the pebrine dis- ease investigation; to Muzafferpur to address 86 REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE Bihar Planters' Association Meeting on the subject of the modified method of green- manuring. 6. May 1916. To Bakagaon, Dooriah, Motipur, Mehsi and Bara to inquire into the local methods of nuniahs in connection with the saltpetre industry. 7. June 1916. To Saraya, Bara and Peepra factories, in connection with work on Indigo manufacture. II. Training. Mr. I). V. Bal, Assistant to the Agricultural Chemist to the Government of Central Provinces, who was under train- ing in this laboratory from 20th August 1914, finished his course on the 17th April 1916 and was allowed to return to his Province. Mr. S. N. Bose, Bacteriological Assistant to the Agricul- tural Chemist to the Government of Bengal, is under train- ing in this laboratory from 3rd January 1916. III. Soil Bacteriology. Toxins. Work on the lines indicated in the report of this section for the previous year was continued, but was considerably interfered with by the claims of special enquiries on various technical subjects hereinafter dealt with. Considerable progress, however, was made in col- lecting evidence as to the occurrence in field soils of toxins resulting from bacterial action, and of their unfavour- able influence upon fertility as dependent upon nitrifica- tion and correlated bacterial processes in soil. A series of field experimental plots under wheat demonstrated the production of infertility in soil containing nitrogenous organic matter (oil-cake) as a consequence of semi-anaerobic conditions artificially induced by water-logging; this infer- tility did not occur to the same extent when ammonium sulphate was substituted for cake, nor did the effect of the water-logging become apparent until the roots of the plants bad gone down some inches, to that level in the soil which AND COLLEGE, PUSA3 FOR 1915-1C 87 •oxidation consequent on the cultivation, had failed to reach. Parallel plots with barley illustrated this effect more mark- edly than those with wheat, no doubt owing to the later formation of the secondary root system in the former crop and its consequent dependence for a longer period of its early growth upon the original deeper roots. Laboratory work on nitrification and on the growth of seedlings in water and soil cultures demonstrated the possibility of separating substances from certain bacterial cultures, from decomposing organic matter and from anaerobically incu- bated soil, whose toxicity to nitrifiers, and in greater con- centration to seedling plants was demonstrable under these •conditions. Interesting observations were made as to the interfer- ence with the growth of seedlings resulting from the bac- terial invasion of the unexhausted and still attached seed and the consequent absorption by the plant of toxic bacte- rial by-products. This invasion occurred most readily in water-logged soil and more especially in the presence of bacteria derived from anaerobically incubated soils of high organic matter content. Copper sulphate was found to neutralize most of the toxic bodies obtained in this way, and seeds treated with this salt were found to be immunized to some extent, although not entirely or invariably, against this action. It is suggested that some such treatment might be advantageous when sowing in wet soils, although the re- sults of field trials have so far not yielded conclusive results, owing to the difficulties associated with its use and the unfavourable effect upon germination which copper sulphate has been found to exert in many instances. Amongst soil toxins produced by bacterial action nitrites are well known to exert a prejudicial effect upon plant growth ; it has been found that their presence in soils is not alone due to the reduction of nitrates already formed, although this is of frequent occurrence, but that in many of the soils examined in this laboratory nitrites accumulate to some extent before nitrate formation becomes evident, even under conditions apparently favourable to nitrification. 88 REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE It is not clear at present whether this is due to the forma- tion and reduction of nitrates or to incomplete oxidation consequent on the lack of activity or insufficient number of nitrate formers in the soil. Evidence is not wanting that in many of the soils examined the very slow rate of nitrifi- cation observed under optimal conditions of aeration and water content, is due to the absence in sufficient numbers or lack of physiological activity of the necessary nitrifying organisms. It will be readily realized what an important field for enquiry is opened up by this observation, which,, however, in view of its wide divergence from received ideas on this subject, will require further substantiation by care- ful experiment and observation. The effect of nitrites on seedlings and the concentration required to produce the pre- judicial results observed, was ascertained for various field crops in water culture. At the same time observations were made as to the concentration of nitrites occurring in the soil water under various conditions, but in none of the soils examined was this found to rise to the degree found toxic in water culture. It does not necessarily follow that this stat- ical treatment of the question disposes of the possible in- toxication by nitrites of plants growing in such soils, owing to the necessity for taking into account the constant forma- tion of nitrites in the soil to replace those absorbed by the plant or oxidized in the soil, and the possibility of cumula- tive intoxication in the plant itself of which at present we know nothing. The presence of nitrites in soil was found to affect germination and early growth ; this explained the apparently anomalous result of an experiment in which ger- mination in a well-aerated soil compared unfavourably with that in the same soil badly supplied with air; on further examination it was found that in this soil when well aerated complete nitrification was preceded by the incomplete stage of nitrite formation and accumulation, and as this was coin- cident with the germination period of the seeds sown there- in the germination of the latter was interfered with to a greater extent than in the soil in which no nitrification was taking place. AND COLLEGE, PUSA, FOR 1915-16 89 Weekly borings and nitrate determinations throughout the year were made in three sets of duplicate plots under grass, cold weather and rains crops (wheat and maize), and fallow respectively. Only in the last of these was there any accumulation of nitrate in the first foot of soil, a much smaller amount occurring in the cropped soil and only very small quantities under grass. Experiments will be made to ascertain whether the grass effect is due to interference with the upward movement of water resulting from eva- poration from the surface, to lack of aeration, or possibly to the toxic action of the specific bacterial flora associated with the grass plants. The nitrate accumulation was high- est in February and reached a minimum in August; this was only in the first foot of soil and no doubt represented the vertical movement of nitrates parallel with that of the soil water. Green-manuring. Experiments with fermented green manure were carried out on tobacco to which fermented sann hemp (Crotalaria juncea) was applied. Very large increases in yield were obtained, and a Bulletin (No. 63) describing this modified method of manuring was publish- ed, inviting suggestions and criticisms from agricultural officers in the Provinces from whom many useful and ap- preciative communications have been received, pointing out the applicability of the method to various manurial prob- lems and special cases in their several districts. It is hoped that the experimental trials of this method which are now being made throughout India may lead to more satisfactory and certain results from the use of green manures than are generally obtained. A field trial of the method at Pusa carried out by the Imperial Agriculturist on the rabi oat crop gave very high returns : the Officiating Imperial Agriculturist is carrying out a further experiment this year. Saltpetre. The enquiry into the conditions favour- ing the occurrence of saltpetre in Indian soils and the methods adopted by the native for extracting it, was continued and the results published in a Bulletin. 90 REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE It was concluded that the output of saltpetre is limited at present not so much by the available supply of raw material, as by the number of workers (Nuniahs) actually engaged in extraction, this being largely determined by the price of crude saltpetre and the restrictions imposed by landholders, refiners, and the Salt Department. No special soil organisms appear to be associated with saltpetre de- posits which are the result of the nitrification of organic matter accumulated in the neighbourhood of human dwell- ings, the high concentrations of nitrate found in the soil in such sites being due to the upward movement of water carrying dissolved nitrates to the surface where they be- come concentrated by the intense evaporation going on during the dry months of the year. Experiments on a field scale showed the feasibility of adding to the store of nitrates in the country by the use of nitre beds made up by burying a green crop, in this case Crotalaria juncea, in ordi- nary field soil and compacting the heaps sufficiently to en- sure the capillary rise of water from the subsoil to the sur- face, where the nitrate formed accumulates and can be scraped off after the manner of the nuniah. It is suggest- ed that a very large output of saltpetre could be obtained in this way in those parts of India in which soils with suffi- cient lime content and suitable physical texture are found. At the same time the condition of the industry as a whole -could be greatly improved by the introduction of better re- lations between the nuniah and refiner and a revision of the rules of the Salt Department in regard to both of them. It seems clear that the profits of the trade are not equit- ably divided between the nuniah and the refiner, the former class, in consequence of its poverty and lack of business capacity, being entirely at the mercy of the middleman or refiner to the detriment of the industry as a whole. So far as the methods of extraction and refining are concerned the work of the Chemical Section of this Institute, as described in Bulletin No. 24 by Messrs. Leather and Mukerji, has demonstrated the possibility of great improvement in the refining part of the process, and further investigation in AND COLLEGE, PUSA, FOR 1915-16 91 the writer's laboratory has shown that the numatis method of extraction of the crude saltpetre is far from being econo- mically sound, and could be greatly improved upon by some simple variation of his present technique, which would, however, probably depend upon co-operation with the Salt Department in order to avoid infringement of the regula- tions at present in force. An advantage offered by the artificial method of producing saltpetre above referred to, lies in the comparative freedom from contamination by salt (sodium chloride) of the crude saltpetre resulting from this method, thus avoiding to a great extent in the process of extraction the restrictions necessarily imposed upon this process by excise requirements, with a consequently higher return of pure product to the advantage of the nuniah and the trade. IV. Special Enquiries. Fermentation Organisms. Further work on alcohol producing organisms, and upon various problems in con- nection with Indian distilleries was carried out at the request of the Departments of Excise in Bengal, Bihar and Orissa, Assam and Central India, and of private firms in various parts of India. Improved methods of obtaining and utilizing yeast cultures of indigenous origin were experimented with and gave promising results. Tne use of mixed cultures of good types of S. cerevisice of Indian origin was reported by the Commissioner of Excise for Central India to have given an increased yield of some 20 per cent, in the Nowgong Distillery, and the method of re- inoculation devised in this laboratory was found to give considerably higher yields of alcohol in the same period of time and should therefore be of value in avoiding the evil effects of the acetic fermentation which generally sets in towards the end of the process. Numerous other problems connected with fermentation were studied, but it is clear that a good case exists for the establishment of a special laboratory in India for the investigation of such questions, both for the isolation of 92 REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE good strains of yeast and for the training of distillers' assistants in their proper use. Pebrine. At the request of Mr. Lefroy, Imperial Silk Specialist, an investigation of the conditions of incidence of this disease of silkworms in India was undertaken. The primary object of the enquiry was to determine whether the failure to avoid disease in India by using the Pasteur method of selection of disease-free " seed " is due to any inherent inapplicability of the method to Indian condi- tions, or merely to its improper use in this country. So far as the enquiry has proceeded it appears that both these factors come into play in Bihar and Bengal. The Pasteur method depends upon the examination of the parent moth and the rejection of eggs from those found infected; the standard method of examination devised by Pasteur and used with success in Europe but with less certainty in India, allows of microscopic examination of a drop of the fluid obtained by crushing the whole moth without distinc- tion of parts, it being assumed that the disease producing pebrine bodies will exist in such numbers in the diseased insect at this stage of its growth as to make certain of their occurrence in any sample of the body fluids taken for examination. This, however, has not been found to be the case with the pebrine-infected moth of the multivoltine mulberry silkworm as used in this part of India. Examin- ation in the ordinary manner in many cases has failed to find the pebrine bodies, whereas examination of the lining tissues of the intestine of the same specimens has revealed their presence, the diseased condition being subsequently confirmed by the development of pebrine in a high percent- age of the larvae reared from the eggs of the moths so affected. It is clear therefore that in India, the standard method of examination fails to eliminate all diseased eggs, and in order to be at all certain of this being done it will be necessary to alter the method and unfortunately to make it more difficult and more laborious, although not at all outside the range of capability of the class of workers at present engaged in selection. In parts of Bengal, the con- AND COLLEGE, PUSA, FOR 1915-16 93 20's. Value No. 4 percentage 33-5 of 4th class ) Rs. 320. No. 5 percentage 32-5 of 5th class. Can spin up to 16's. Value Rs. 310." The programme of future work should include selection of Dharwar- American for quality and yield. There is a mixture of Dharwar- American and New Orleans throughout the tract. The latter is not so resistant to disease and climate as the former and the yield of the Dharwar-American is better. Dharwar-American gins 32 per cent, against about 29 in New Orleans. The substi- tution of a pure crop of Dharwar-American for the present mixture with New Orleans should be persevered with. In Ranibennur Taluka Dharwar-American is almost pure. It seems to be very difficult to cross artificially Dharwar-American and Cambodia and only a small per- centage of natural crossing occurred. In Cambodia, care should be taken not to carry too far selection for quantity as there is a suspicion that the quality ilO REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE is deteriorating. Amongst the introduced Americans Peerless with a percentage of 40 is promising, but Cook, Dickson, King's improved and Peterkin are too late for the tract. Auction sales of Broach and Cambodia cottons at Dharwar and Gadag. These were held on the 30th April and 14th May 191(5, respectively, under the control the of the Agricultural Department. 13,000 lb. of Broach seed including 3,000 lb. fresh seed directly imported from Navasari and about the same quantity of Cambodia was distributed at the beginning of the season. On account of war difficulties 20 per cent, of Broach seed was not utilized for sowing as the growers thought that the prices for cotton would rule low ; a shortage in the area also occurred on account of a prolonged break in the rains ; the standing crop in some places had therefore to be grubbed up for sowing wheat. The season proved to be very unfavourable to the cotton crop in general and the average outturn of both the cottons stood roughly at 150 to 200 lb. per acre, on a par with the local cottons, Kumpta and Dharwar- American, which is borne out by the fact that only 4,000 dhokadas were received in the Dharwar market against an average of 20,000 per annum. (Dhokada = \ Naga, 1 Naga= 1,344 lb.) 488 dhokadas of Broach cotton and 722 of Cambodia were received at the depots ; these were arranged in classes of five different grades according to the high or low ginning percentage of lint to seed cotton. The ginning percentage of Broach cotton ranged from 29-5 to 33-5 and that of Cambodia from 325 to 36-5. At the sales Broach fetched Rs. 165 to Rs. 190 and Cambodia Rs. 195 to Rs. 220 per naga of 1,344 lb., indeed very good prices; the prices were offered on the ginning percentage as well as for quality. The quotations for Kumpta and Dharwar-American on the same day were Rs. 148 and Rs. 150, respectively. AND COLLEGE, PUSA, FOR 1915-16 111 A large quantity of Broach and Cambodia was disposed of privately by the cultivators as they could not afford to wait till the sales took place. All the Broach cotton was purchased by Messrs. Tata & Sons and Cambodia by Messrs. Forbes, Forbes Campbell & Co. of Bombay. Both the Companies were thoroughly satisfied with the product and are anxious for the extension of these high grade cottons in this part of the Presidency and they are quite willing to purchase any quantity that is produced in the Division at rates 20 to 25 per cent, highei than those prevailing for Kumpta and Dharwar- American. I have already expressed my views with respect to the prospects of these cottons in the Southern Division which have been fully referred to in the Annual Report of this section for 1914-15 and would wish to add the following :- With regard to the quality of cotton, Broach and Cambodia in normal years almost equal Navasari cotton (the best cotton in India) and possess superiority in the ginning percentage over the local cottons — Kumpta and Dharwar- American. The staple of exotics is cut in sawgins which is not a desirable thing. Messrs. Forbes, Forbes Campbell & Co. got Cambodia seed separated out under roller gins whereby the staple was thoroughly preserved. India grows only a few varieties, which can be counted on the fingers, producing cotton capable of spinning higher counts. Bani in the Central Provinces and Karungani in the Madras Presidency are no doubt long stapled cottons but the per acre outturn and the percentage of cotton to seed are very low — factors not in their favour. Broach and Cambodia are long stapled cottons, the fibres are strong and uniform, colour creamy white and they can spin 40's. In some places Broach and Cambodia have established themselves. It is true that extension of these cottons can only be carried over to suitable places but so long as we can not put out on a field scale our selected Kumpta strain with 112 REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE a good ginning percentage, it is desirable that the intro- duced cottons which have passed the experimental stage should receive support at the hands of the Department both for extension and disposal. It does not seem to be an insurmountable difficulty to sow Broach cotton before jowari when the cultivators have appreciated the value of this cotton. They are shrewd people and know their interest better. Again the Department is now well strengthened by the location of Agricultural Overseers who can efficiently manage the cotton work which falls in the months of April and May when the work in the district is slack. Gujerat. Ahmedabad District. Messrs. Whittle & Co. complained that the cottons of this tract had deteri- orated by fraudulent mixing and enquiry shows that several varieties of cotton are grown normally in this tract and that very special care will have to be taken to prevent the mixture complained of. Surat Farm. The programme of work for next year on this farm will be as follows : 1. Unit selections of Selection 11, 1018-P.G. and 1027-A. L. F. developed after special selections will be tried on a field scale. 2. Analytical work of local cottons of Khandesh and North Gujerat. 3. Trial of typical varieties of the Presidency to test the ginning percentages. • 4. Special enquiry on the cottons of the Ahmedabad District based on the information supplied by this office. Distribution of seed of improved strains in the Surat District. Pure farm-grown seed of improved strains is distributed in a block of six villages round about Surat which is styled as group I. Mixture of seed of all the selected strains is distributed in four villages and is called group II. AND COLLEGE, PTTSA, FOR 1915-16 113 During the year under report 27,000 lb. seed was distri- buted in both the groups. Owing to a prolonged drought the crop had to be grubbed up in some cases and its place taken by other crops. The actual area under improved seeds was 1,500 acres. In spite of a bad season the culti- vators were satisfied with the outturn and the quality. The scheme formulated by Mr. Bhimbhai, as president of the committee for the disposal of kapas of the improved strains, has been found to work extremely well and the growers are thoroughly satisfied with this arrangement. Cotton was disposed of in 5 lots and the prices realized ranged between Rs. 138 to 140 per bhar (924 lb.) of kapas against Rs. 121 to 131 of the local cotton. This means that the growers earned on an average Rs. 8 to 9 per bhar of kapas over the local cotton by growing improved strains. It is interesting to note that a certain landlord has put out about 250 acres under improved seed (mixture of all the four strains) between Navapurpeth to Khundara on the Tapti Valley Railway where the Surat Deshi type is grown. The outturn and the quality of cotton satisfied the growers in spite of a bad season. During the ensuing year he proposes to extend the area and he is said to have already secured 30,000 lb. seed for the purpose. From this it may be inferred that in such tracts improved strains will find a ready market without the intervention of Government. It is possible that improved strains may find way in places like Billimora, Chikhli, etc., where there is no severe com- petition of markets and where new seed is hardly intro- duced. Broach. The percentage of the ghogari type has been found to increase rapidly as a mixture in the Broach type throughout the District. Towards Jambuser and from Chamargaon northwards it is impossible to find any field pure under the Broach type. This has resulted in the loss of the reputation of Broach cotton. On the Government Plot pure Broach and the three ghogari types are tested to compare the outturn and the 114 REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE ginning percentage with the prevailing mixture of Broach and Ghogari. This is the first year of the trials on a field scale with the ghogari types and as the character of the season was very unfavourable to the cotton crop it is pre- mature to say anything on the relative merits of these types. The outturn results and the ginning percentage of each of the three types are almost equal this year. Pure Broach compares favourably in outturn with the ghogari type but its ginning percentage is low, being 38 against 44 of ghogari. The ginning percentage of all the cotton seems to be very high this year at the expense of quality. No doubt the ghogari type is superior in ginning percentage but the quality of cotton is inferior; in fact, it is Bengal cotton and can never be compared with Broach. Dohad. This does not come within the actual zone of the cotton-growing tract. Trials were undertaken to test the behaviour of Bhuri, Cambodia, and N. R. one of the neglectum types, during the last five years with the result that the former two varieties were found quite unsuitable to this tract. They grew very vigorously during the early part of the season but later on they invariably suffered from attacks of pests and were destroyed by frost (the occurrence of which is common) as they occupied the ground for a longer period. It has, however, been found that N. R. cotton is the suitable variety for the black soil area though the period of maturity is rather prolonged on account of the retentive character of the soil. The percentage of cotton to seed is low, 36 against 38 on the Jalgaon Farm whence the seed is obtained. In N. R. cotton, some plants produce perfectly naked seed, the naked seed type has been found to possess a very low ginning percentage — 35 only though the fibre is good. The plants are dwarf in size and mature two weeks earlier than the ordinary N. R. It has been proposed to try this type on a fairly large scale during the ensuing year to test both outturn and ginning percentage results. The area under cotton in these parts will be restricted as the soils can be double cropped. There is a difficulty AND COLLEGE, PUSA, FOR 1915-1G 115 also in regard to the disposal of the produce at a reasonable price as there is no market for cotton. Now that the appointments of Agricultural Overseers have been made for this tract it is hoped that energetic measures will be taken to steadily extend the area under cotton in different parts and show to the Bhils the relative advantages of this industrial crop; at the same time they will induce the merchants of Godhra to encourage cotton cultivation by paying reasonable prices. Bengal and Assam. Mr. Mankad undertook a tour to study the conditions under which cotton is cultivated in the Garo and the Chittagong Hill Tracts and submitted a report which was communicated to the local officers concerned. Valuations. As usual all the samples received were submitted to Messrs. Tata Sons & Co., Bombay, to whom cordial acknowledgment is due for their kindness and promptitude in furnishing valuations and opinions of tlie numerous samples III. Programme of work for the year 1916-17. Major. (1) To visit and advise on points regarding cotton and its cultivation whenever requested to do so by the Provincial Departments of Agriculture. Minor. (2) The study of the behaviour of Bhuri, Cambodia and other such cottons in non-cotton-producing tracts as detailed in the last year's programme, will be continued. (3) An enquiry into the manurial requirements of cotton will be continued. (4) Researches on the botany of cotton will be con- tinued. CALCUTTA SUPERINTENDENT GOVERNMENT PRINTING, INDIA 8, HASTINGS STREET *f New York Botanical Garden Ubrac 3 5185 00258 4157