48 SCIENTIFIC REPORTS OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH 



as the returnable crates should be returned free. These 

 concessions are greatly appreciated by the fruit trade and 

 are certain to help materially in the improvement of the 

 industry. 



5. The propagation of fruit trees. 



When the development of the fruit industry in Balu- 

 chistan was first considered, the line of advance appeared to 

 be in the direction of improved packing. It was argued 

 that if the fruit at present produced could be sent to the 

 more distant Indian markets and sold to advantage, the 

 demand for such produce would increase and the extension 

 of the area under fruit would follow. These anticipations 

 have been realized and the demand for nursery stock is now 

 very great and is likely to remain so for some years. To 

 meet this, a considerable amount of attention has been paid 

 during the last few years to working out the best methods of 

 propagation under Quetta conditions. 



Stocks. The first point taken up in 1911 was a study 

 of stocks. For this purpose, all the possible stocks were 

 collected in 1912 and planted out side by side in a special 

 stock plot. The object of this was to compare their growth 

 and behaviour under field conditions. To bring out any 

 differences, a piece of land was selected which was not in a 

 very good condition as regards tilth and fertility. Almost 

 from the very beginning results began to accumulate. It 

 was soon evident that the stocks used on the damp soils of 

 Great Britain and the North of France were quite unsuit- 

 able for the hot, dry soils of Baluchistan. Stocks like the 

 Black Damask and the Mazzard, which are so much used in 

 Great Britain, are useless for Quetta. This at once ex- 

 plained why the peaches, nectarines, plums and apricots 

 vvorked on the former which have been introduced in such 

 largo numbers from Europe in the past have not done well 

 m Baluchistan even under garden conditions. Cherries 

 budded on the Mazzard have only done well on the most 

 favoured spots where the roots are least affected by the high 

 temperature of the soil. On the other hand, such stocks as 



