INSTITUTE AND COLLEGE, PUSA, EOR 1913-11. 35 



the work of improving any widely cultivated crop can only 

 be done locally and at a number of stations. In reality this 

 idea is not supported by the facts. It is true of course that 

 the conditions under which wheat is grown in India vary 

 widely, and that a knowledge of these conditions is essen- 

 tial in the work of improving the crop. It is also true that 

 a single area of fifty acres in the Gangetic alluvium, if 

 skilfully selected, exhibits an exceedingly wide range of 

 soil conditions, which, from the point of view of the require- 

 ments of the wheat crop, vary almost as much as any two 

 of the wheat-growing provinces of India. By taking 

 advantage of this circumstance, it is possible to make a 

 single wheat-breeding station serve for almost the whole of 

 India. 



Wheat Breeding. 



The fourth generation of the crosses between Indian and 

 English wheats, referred to in the previous report, have been 

 worked through during the year. A large rauge of indivi- 

 duals has been selected for further growth, all of which are 

 characterised by strong straw, rust resistance and attrac- 

 tive looking' grain. The range in time of ripening of these 

 plants is very great. Some are earlier than Pusa 4 while 

 among those with enormous tillering power are numerous 

 individuals which will probably ripen too late for any of 

 the wheat tracts of India except possibly the Quetta valley. 

 This group of wheats is by far the most promising material 

 obtained at Pusa. Some types will probably be fixed in 

 1915, after which they will be tried in the various wheat- 

 growing tracts. 



III. — Other Investigations. 



Tobacco. — Progress continues to be made in the tobacco 

 investigations at Pusa. 



Further results have been obtained with the cigarette 

 tobacco known as Type 28. A good many of the indigo 

 estates in Bihar are now growing this tobacco for the Indian 

 Leaf Tobacco Development Companv at Dalsing Serai and. 



d2 



