6 REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH 



During his absence in England, Mr. Howard carried out 

 some experiments in the production of rust resistant wheats 

 suitable for India, and studied the trade requirements for 

 improved Indian wheat and tobacco. He also enquired into 

 modern methods of hop cultivation and drjdng and fruit 

 packing, with a view to utilising the information on his 

 return to India. 



The possibilities of hop growing in Kashmir are ap- 

 parent, when it is learnt that with a production per acre of 

 one-fifth of that of Kent, an annual average profit of over 

 £7 per acre has been realised on the Government hop 

 garden, for the last sixteen years. In Mr. Howard's report 

 to the Durbar, the directions are indicated in which im- 

 provements are possible, if it is decided to continue the 

 industry on the present lines, and also the steps which are 

 necessary if hop growing in Kashmir is to be placed on 

 modern lines and if Kashmir is to enter the markets of the 

 world as a competitor Avith California. 



Perhaps the most important work on which Pusa is 

 engaged at present is the improvement of Indian wheat. 

 The lines on which this is being carried out have been sufh- 

 ciently indicated in previous reports of the Botanical Sec- 

 tion. The best Pusa wheats produced in 1910 were shown 

 at Mark Lane, and on the Liverpool Corn Exchange, while 

 Mr. Howard was in England, and were acknowledged to be 

 without any superiors on the market at the time. During 

 the past year, the high grain-quality of some of the best of 

 these types has been combined with the high yield of low- 

 quality Indian wheats, as a result of hybridization. The 

 demand, both in India and abroad, for some of the improved 

 wheats produced at Pusa has been far in excess of tiie 

 supply. It is estimated that over 1,000 acres of the new 

 wheats will be sown in Behar this year. At Raipur and 

 Cawnpore, some of these wheats have proved equally suc- 

 cessful, and extended trials have been arranged for at a 

 number of other stations in the wheat-grOwing tracts of 

 India. Mr. Howard is careful to point out that the full 

 benefit of improved varieties can only be realised if cultiva- 



