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. 



