;s8 J1EP0KT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH 



flower has been worked out and the functions of the long and 

 short stamens elucidated. Very little selfing under nets 

 takes place in this crop, the flowers only setting seed nor- 

 mally after being visited by bees. These facts render 

 variety trials in this crop exceedingly difficult. 



Methods of pollination. — It is hoped during the next 

 few months to bring out a second memoir dealing with 

 natural cross fertilization and to include in it the observa- 

 tions of this subject made at Pusa since the first memoir was 

 published in 1910. 



Drainage. — The great importance of a system of surface 

 drainage in Bihar, which allows each field to deal with its 

 own rainfall only and also prevents the loss of fine soil by 

 surface wash, has been observed for some years at Pusa. 

 The subject has been brought to the notice of the planting 

 community in Bihar in a paper read at the meeting of the 

 Bihar Planters' Association in January last. The Pusa 

 method has been taken up with success on several estates 

 and a great deal of attention is now being devoted to the 

 subject. On the Dholi Estate, the lands are being divided 

 up into drained areas about five acres in extent so as to 

 admit of the use of reapers and other labour saving devices 

 in the cultivation of wheat for seed purposes. Mr. Danby, 

 in a letter dated January 3rd, 1914, gives his opinion on 

 this system of drainage as follows : — 



" During the past year I have applied the system of 

 surface drainage to some 40 bighas and I intend to extend 

 it to the whole of my factory zerats here and at the outworks. 

 The lands which I drained in this way this year were 

 formerly, in a wet year, more or less waterlogged the whole 

 of the rains owing to the water from the higher lands 

 draining into them. This year I was able to cultivate and 

 keep them clean all through the rains and even after the 

 late rains which we had this year I was able to sow wheat 

 in them before the end of October." 



A note on the subject of drainage and soil denudation 

 by rain wash was submitted to the Board of Agriculture at 



