2 REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH 



with a view of devising a cheap indigenous pattern which, 

 if successful, will not only enable the better class of culti- 

 vator to adopt siloing, but will be of use perhaps to Gov- 

 ernment Departments in the preservation of fodder against 

 famine years. As regards future work, that coming under 

 the head of " Extension of Botanical Work " will doubtless 

 prove the most important. The growth of selected varieties 

 of wheats in extension of the work now being done by the 

 Imperial Economic Botanist will be carried out on a 

 practical scale with a view to still further extension in the 

 future. 



Botany. — No part of a scheme for the improvement of 

 agriculture gives greater promise of success than that 

 which deals with improvements emanating from the treat- 

 ment of the plant. This is especially the case in India 

 where not only are the plants of most crops degenerated 

 specimens, but where the poverty of the cultivator makes 

 improvement entailing the use of capital well-nigh impossi- 

 ble. By the introduction of a better plant, it is easily 

 possible to increase yield and improve quality without 

 adding to the cost of cultivation. The work which Mr. 

 A. Howard, the Imperial Economic Botanist, is carrying 

 out on wheat requires special recognition. The wheats which 

 were sent home last year for testing have been found to 

 rank in the same class as American and Canadian Spring 

 wheats which command the highest price in the English 

 market. It is almost needless to point out that these facts 

 should have a most profound effect upon the export wheat 

 trade of India. I desire here to record the appreciation 

 felt for the invaluable assistance given by Mrs. Howard, 

 who equally with her husband has accounted for the work 

 of this Section. 



Chemistry. — The principal work undertaken by this 

 department during the past year has been the study of 

 Soil Gases in relation to other constituents in the soil, the 

 examination into the nature of JJsar land and the investi- 

 gations into the Water Requirements of Crofs. The work 

 of the first two is not in a sufficiently advanced stage to 



