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 



