INSTITUTE, PUSA, FOR 1917-18 61 



their remarkable freedom from disease compared with those 

 grown under similar conditions on the richer but poorly 

 aerated black soils. Messrs. Clouston and Aiyer concluded 

 their paper as follows : — 



" We venture to say here that Mr. and Mrs. Howard of 

 Pusa and Mr. Hole of Dehra Dun have done India a great 

 service in focussing our attention on the importance of 

 drainage and soil aeration as soil factors which count for 

 even more in crop-production than manuring. The time 

 may yet come when, with the extension of irrigation facil- 

 ities, these laterite soils, which in the Central Provinces at 

 least are at present considered to be below the margin of 

 cultivation in most cases, will be treated as garden land of 

 the best quality. Given water, all that is required for such 

 soils is cultivation and manure. We can rely on the nitri- 

 fying organisms to do the rest." 



2. The improvement of fodder production. 



Progress continues to be made at Quetta in the study of 

 the various factors involved in the growth of leguminous 

 crops and also in the better preparation and utilization of 

 the resulting fodder. ■ 



One of the factors concerned in the raising of these crops 

 has been proved to be the aeration of the soil. That such a 

 result was probable could be inferred from the following 

 facts : — 



(a) In both shaftal (Trifolium reswpinatum) and 



lucerne cultivation, the edge effect is pronounced 

 and the crop is always better on the small em- 

 bankments separating the irrigation compart- 

 ments (kiari) than in the kiari itself. 



(b) In order to maintain a good stand of lucerne under 



Quetta conditions it is necessary to manure the 

 land every winter with farmyard manure 

 applied on the surface. 



(c) The best crops of lucerne are obtained by leaving 



the mulch of manure undisturbed during the 

 growth period as by this means the surface soil 



