36 EEPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH 



in April last, an increased quantity of self- fertilized seed 

 was distributed. The yield of this tobacco under estate 

 conditions is very satisfactory and it is also being taken up 

 by the cultivators for the local trade. On a few estates, 

 Type 28 is being cured on racks, the price obtained for the 

 first quality leaf being Rs. 25 per maund. Arrangements 

 have been made to grow at Pusa the seed of this tobacco 

 required by the planters and others so that this variety can 

 be maintained true to type and natural crossing prevented. 



The importance of improved methods of growing the 

 seedlings of this crop was referred to in the last report. By 

 partially sterilizing the seed beds, the seedlings grow faster 

 and stronger and are ready for transplanting about a week 

 or so earlier than when grown in the ordinary way. It is a 

 great advantage in Bihar to be able to rely on an abundant 

 supply of strong seedlings at the proper time so that even 

 fields can be established on the hathia rains. Work is in 

 progress at Pusa with the object of devising the most econo- 

 mic method of adapting the results obtained to estate 

 conditions. 



Interesting results were obtained during the year on 

 green manuring for tobacco with sanai (Crotalaria 

 juncea, L.). These results supplement those already pub- 

 lished in the Agricultural Journal of India (Vol. VII, 

 1912). It was found then that if the interval of time 

 between ploughing in the green crop and transplanting 

 the tobacco exceeded two months, the effect of the green crop 

 diminished and finally disappeared altogether. During 

 the past year, the effect of diminishing the time between 

 ploughing in the sanai and planting the tobacco was tried. 

 It was found that any period less than two months was too 

 short for the decay of the green manure and when the 

 period was less than one month the crop obtained was very 

 poor. Across the plots in which the sanai had less than two 

 months to decay, a broad strip was subsoiled some time after 

 the green crop was put under. The result was a great 

 improvement in the vigour of the tobacco crop and the sub- 

 soiled strip stood out markedly from the rest. It is prob- 



