AND COLLEGE, PUSA, FOR 1914-15. S3 



new variety of better quality is an important undertaking 

 which, if successful, will be a distinct step in advance. 

 Up to the present, what has been done has been to produce 

 improved wheats and to test them under cultivators'' 

 conditions. The next stage is to replace the country crop 

 by the new kind and, while this is in progress, to convince 

 the Home Millers that India can produce much more 

 valuable wheats than those now exported. Once a large 

 area is completely replaced, the wheat trade can supply 

 itself and fraudulent admixture with local wheat will be 

 rendered difficult. 



Besides Pusa 12, two other new wheats, No. 4 and No. 6, 



are proving useful in certain parts of India. Where the 



supply of soil moisture is limited and where the general 



conditions require a rapidly maturing wheat, Pusa 4 is 

 meeting a long-felt want. This variety possesses strong 



straw, good grain and is also practically immune to yellow 



rust. In Bundelkhand, it is being successfully distributed 



to the cultivators by Mr. Burt. As a cover crop for Java 



indigo in Bihar, this variety is also likely to be of use. 



The kind, however, which appears to suit Bihar best as a 



single crop is No. 6, which for the last few years has 



done exceedingly well on the Belsund estate. It is 



practically immune to both the common rusts in Bihar and 



seems to thrive even under adverse conditions. With the 



spread of drainage in Bihar, it will be possible to extend 



the cultivation of wheat and to make sure of a fair crop 



even in unfavourable seasons. 



In addition to the results obtained in India, the new 



Pusa wheats have been tried with success in other countries. 



In the Argentine, where the ordinary crop is often 



damaged by hot winds before harvest, Pusa 12 and Pusa 4 



have given good results and a stock of seed is being worked 



up for distribution on the Government farms. Equally 



favourable reports have been obtained from Australia and 



the Sudan. It seems probable that, in addition to India, 



Pusa will prove of use as a wheat-breeding station for the 



warmer wheat-growing areas of the world. 



P 



