AND COLLEGE, PUSA, FOR 1915-16 19 



equally nutritious but decline considerably in value as the 

 plant matures. 



VI. Feeding Stuffs (General). 



A considerable number of samples of feeding stuffs have 

 been analysed, the greatest number being, as in last year, 

 from the Military Department. It is intended to issue a 

 bulletin incorporating the results of these and other 

 analyses. 



VII. Starch. 



The experiments begun last year in connection with 

 sweet potato as a possible source for the commercial produc- 

 tion of starch, have been continued. 



In order to find out the yield and quality of starch at 

 different periods of growth, fortnightly harvests were made 

 from a field of sweet potatoes, from the latter half of Janu- 

 ary to the end of March. The analysis showed that the 

 best time for harvesting the crop was the middle of 

 February. 



Through the kindness of the Imperial Agriculturist 

 arrangements are being made to grow different varieties of 

 sweet potato in a plot of land better suited to this crop. 



Another crop tested was the kidney-shaped yam, Dios- 

 corea fasciculata (vern. suthni) which also is largely grown 

 here. One sample was found to contain 19 per cent, of 

 starch, and to yield a very good quality of starch. 



VIII. Lathyrus sativus. 



An attempt was made to find out the poisonous consti- 

 tuent of Lathyrus sativus (vern. khesari) which has a bad 

 reputation for causing paralysis. Samples of this pulse 

 grown at Pusa and at Barail (a village 8 miles from Pusa 

 which is notorious for cases of lathyrism) as well as some 

 samples from the Central Provinces (where also bad cases 

 of the disease occur) were examined. No alkaloids were 

 detected although some of the previous workers had found 

 what seemed to be a volatile alkaloid. 



