32 SCIENTIFIC REPORTS OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH 



Pusa 12 is now being systematically distributed by the 

 Agricultural Department in South Bihar where its supe- 

 riority over the local wheat has been established as the 

 result of numerous trials. A large amount of seed was 

 supplied this year to the Director of Agriculture from the 

 Dholi estate. 



One set-back to the spread of Pusa 12 has to be recorded, 

 namely, the damage done by the late rains when the wheat 

 was on the threshing floor. This was most severe in the 

 Western Districts of the United Provinces. In Bihar and 

 Oudh, threshing at the seed farms was fortunately com- 

 pleted before the rains came. 



Pusa 4- Where a rapidly maturing wheat is required,. 

 Pusa 4 is in great demand. In Bundelkhand, Mr. Burt has 

 been distributing this wheat for some years and after last 

 harvest it came into the market for the first time in bulk. 

 The available supply was bought up at a substantial 

 premium by Messrs. Shaw Wallace & Co., for use in their 

 mills at Calcutta. 



In the Central India States, a beginning has been made 

 in the trial of Pusa 4. Very good crops were obtained, 

 particularly under irrigation, and a larger quantity of seed 

 is being given out for sowing next October. 



The quality of Pusa wheat. In connection with some 

 milling and baking trials carried out by Mr. Humphries at 

 Wey bridge, the opportunity was taken of re-testing the 

 original stock of Pusa 4, Pusa 6, and Pusa 12 after an 

 interval of nine generations. No change in the milling and 

 baking qualities could be detected. All these three wheats 

 yielded excellent bread, the loaves from Pusa 6 being per- 

 haps the best. This is fortunate as two very promising 

 series of crosses on this variety have now been fixed and are 

 ready for field trials. 



Wheat-breeding . While the Pusa wheats now being 

 grown on large areas in India are markedly superior to the 

 country wheats in yield and quality, nevertheless they are 

 by no means the last word in plant-breeding in this crop. 



