INSTITUTE, PUSA, FOR 1916-17 43 



In addition, there are numerous private irrigation works as 

 well as a large number in the Native States. Taking the 

 Indian Empire as a whole, there can be no question that the 

 water wasted every year would, if used to the best advant- 

 age, bring in a very large direct revenue to the State. This 

 of course is only one aspect of the case. Increased produc- 

 tion means more seed to be moved by rail, more dues at the 

 ports and a great stimulation of trade following the 

 increased spending power of the people. A good deal of 

 work will be necessary before India can reap the full results 

 of these experiments. Proposals for the further develop- 

 ment of the work have been submitted to the Government of 

 India. 



2. The improvement of fodder production. 



In the last report, a detailed account was given of the 

 preliminary trials with baled shafted (Tri folium resupina- 

 tum) which had been carried out by various units of the 

 Fourth Division. During the year, these trials were con- 

 siderably extended and 645 maunds of shafted hay were 

 supplied for trials to various units, the details relating to 

 the tests being supervised by Brigadier-General Cook, 

 R.G.A. The results of these large scale experiments were 

 exceedingly satisfactory. The Revenue Commissioner has 

 arranged for a hundred acres of shaftal to be sown near 

 Harnai which will be dried and baled next year for the 

 Quetta Garrison. The introduction of this fodder into 

 the Harnai Valley is expected to provide a useful rotation 

 crop and to increase the yield of the cereals now almost ex- 

 clusively grown in this tract. In other respects, Harnai is 

 a very suitable place for this work. Water is abundant 

 and it is situated at the rail-head of the Loralai Fort 

 Sandeman road. The military advantage obtained by the 

 use of such fodders is a reduction of about thirty per cent, 

 in the total weight of forage carried on active service. 



With a wider experience of the cultivation of legumin- 

 ous fodder crops under Quetta conditions, the dependence 

 of the yield on soil-aeration has become more and more 



D 



