INSTITUTE, PUSA, FOR 1918-19 3 



II. Work of the Institute. 



Scientific work. The scientific work of the Institute 

 during the year is described in the reports of the various 

 sectional heads. The more important investigations were 

 the following : — 



On the Pusa farm, which is managed by the Imperial 

 Agriculturist, besides carrying out manurial, rotational 

 and varietal tests, the economics of steam cultivation are 

 being studied. In view of the favourable reports of 

 motor cultivation from home, a Fordson motor tractor was 

 obtained during the year. A demonstration of its work- 

 ing was given in the presence of a large number of people 

 from all parts of India. The tractor worked with imple- 

 ments in use on the farm and did all that it was asked to 

 do in excellent style. Experiments are in progress to 

 determine working costs, etc. The work on the breeding 

 of pedigree herds of cattle is increasing in importance. 

 Besides the pure Montgomery and half-bred Ayrshire x 

 Montgomery herds, there are now three-quarter-bred, 

 double cross-bred and quarter-bred calves on the farm. 

 Careful observations and records are being kept with a 

 view to collecting data as to hardiness, milk yield, etc., of 

 the various crosses. A series of calf-rearing and feeding 

 experiments are also in progress. During November, 

 1918, 169 cattle were inoculated against rinderpest by the 

 serum simultaneous method, without any casualties. The 

 demand for the surplus stock disposed of at the half- 

 yearly sales was very brisk and high prices were realized. 



In the Chemical Section, further investigation was 

 made as to the value of Dyer's method in estimating avail- 

 able phosphoric acid when applied to calcareous soils. 

 Attention was also directed to the retention of phosphoric 

 acid in calcareous and non-calcareous soils. The influence 

 of windrowing on the sugar content of sugarcane in the 

 Peshawar valley and the direct and indirect action of green 

 manures in relation to paddy cultivation were other im- 

 portant investigations in progress in this Section. 



