16 SCIENTIFIC REPORTS OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH 



In " Nepali " field of 22 acres, maize grain came to 10 

 maunds with 20 maunds of stalk, arhar grain came to 14 

 mannds. Cost of cultivation was Rs. IS per acre and return 

 Rs. 71. 



Oats. Oats are the chief cold weather cereal crop, 

 Bihar oats are probably the best quality grown in India. 

 In the present season the straw was short, especially in 

 fields sown later than the first week in November. It was 

 not possible to get on to some of the fields in good time 

 owing to severe flooding of the farm consequent on the 

 bursting of a large Public Works Department bund. 



Two hundred and twenty- four acres of oats were sown, 

 the average out-turn was 17 maunds per acre and 1J tons of 

 straw. One or two of the flooded fields brought the average 

 down. Fifteen acres in South Punjabi field averaged 29 

 maunds of grain per acre. 



The oat straw is very good fodder and can be fed with- 

 out chopping. 



Pulses. Arhar and field peas are both useful rotation 

 cold weather crops. The former is convenient as it has not 

 to be sown at a busy time in October-November, but the yield 

 of grain is less than the peas and the pea straw is useful 

 fodder. Oats and peas cut green gave a yield of over 300 

 maunds per acre and made excellent fodder for dairy cattle. 



For the hot weather a pulse crop for grazing which will 

 keep the ground well covered during the rains is a great 

 desideratum. Fallow ground unless it is high is very diffi- 

 cult to keep clean during the rains. If the water stagnates 

 it is not possible to work it and it becomes a mass of weeds. 

 The pulses being tried for this purpose are cow peas, soy 

 bean, velvet bean, guar (Cya7no])sis psoralioides) and a few 

 others. 



Jute and Sugarcane. A quantity of jute is grown for 

 seed by arrangement with the Fibre Expert to the Govern- 

 ment of Bengal. It is a useful crop for low ground which 

 is liable to be flooded. 



A number of sugarcane varieties are grown on the farm 

 without irrigation. These varieties have mostly been for- 



