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 



