56 SCIENTIFIC REPORTS OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH 



water collects, and about another two months before the 

 humidity rises (in May) enough to permit of migration. 

 Reports are common that the earliest attacks of ufra are 

 seen in these low -lying patches, which is just what would 

 be expected. It is not suggested that ufra always, or even 

 frequently, arises from these low-lying patches, as it has 

 been conclusively proved that the stubble in the paddy flats 

 that dry out in December, as the great bulk of them do, is 

 equally able to carry over infection to the next crop. But 

 whereas it is relatively easy to remove the infected stubble 

 and plough early in the latter, this cannot readily be done 

 in the former. So long as the soil remains muddy, it is 

 practically impossible to ailow the work-cattle into it, and 

 even if the stubble could be collected, it is too wet to burn 

 properly in December. When the stubble can be removed 

 and the land ploughed, it is so near sowing time that the 

 chances of killing out the worm before the new crop appears 

 are scanty. There appear to be only two ways of dealing 

 with these muddy patches : to drain them so that they dry 

 in time to permit of effective stubble destruction; or to 

 deepen them so that they can grow boro paddy. The latter 

 is only possible in the vicinity of permanent waterways or 

 khals, as the boro crop has to be irrigated during its growth, 

 but as these khals replace roads throughout much of the 

 area, there is a general demand for new ones wherever prac- 

 ticable. Experiments have been started to ascertain the 

 best way of dealing with this problem. 



An attempt to induce the paddy cultivators to burn the 

 stubble and plough early was made. Leaflets were distri- 

 buted throughout the infected area and several demonstra- 

 tions were arranged for, partly by the Department of Agri- 

 culture and partly by the revenue officials. In the Sadar 

 Sub-division of Tippera, 12 previously diseased plots were 

 treated, all of which escaped ufra; in Chandpur 64, of 

 which 9 got slight attacks. There was less ufra, however, 

 in this district than for several years. In Dacca the land 

 selected was very swampy and the treatment was ineffective, 

 probably for the reasons given in the last paragraph. 



