46 SCIENTIFIC REPORTS OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH 



grew the same type of Java indigo under similar climatic 

 conditions at two centres — on the stiff black soils at Tharsa 

 and on the open, porous bhata soils at Chandkhuri near 

 Raipur. On the well-aerated, poor bhata soils, Java indigo 

 grew with great rapidity and formed good and abundant 

 seed. On the richer but badly aerated black soils at Tharsa, 

 the growth was very poor. These results are illustrated in 

 a paper by Messrs. Clouston and Padmanabha Aiyer read 

 at the Lahore meeting of the Indian Science Congress. A 

 more effective confirmation of our views on the effect of soil 

 aeration and drainage on the growth of Java indigo could 

 hardly be desired. All interested in the welfare of the 

 Bihar indigo industry should carefully study Messrs. 

 Clouston and Aiyer's paper which is published in the 

 Special Indian Science Congress Number of the Agricul- 

 tural Journal of India of 1918. It will be interesting to 

 see what class of colour will be obtained on these bhata soils 

 when the Chandkhuri crop is made into indigo. 



The results obtained on the production of seed of Java 

 indigo under Bihar conditions were applied on a large 

 scale during the year and very fine samples were obtained, 

 much better than anything imported from Java. The 

 yield was affected by shortage of moisture at the end of the 

 rains and also by the dry winds during the ripening period 

 in February which led to a good deal of loss from the split- 

 ting of the pods. For the first time since the shortage of 

 seed of this crop became acute, the supply has been such 

 that the price per maund has fallen very considerably, a 

 result which will probably reduce the quantity of seed 

 grown outside Bihar. The Pusa experiments have proved 

 that good crops of seed can be obtained in Bihar provided 

 the land is well selected and sufficient care is taken in the 

 manuring, cultivation and spacing of the plants. The best 

 returns are obtained under conditions of garden rather 

 than of field cultivation, and it might easily pay some of 

 the estates to devote very special attention to the seed crop 

 on a small area and also to keep in reserve a year's supply 

 in case of floods or unfavourable seasons. The experiments 



