INSTITUTE, PUSA, FOll 1919-20 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. A description of much of the work has 

 already appeared in the form of Memoirs and Bulletins. 

 The following is a summary of some of the items of more 

 immediate importance. 



Agricultural Section. The permanent experiments 

 were continued on the lines of former years and the 

 usual collaboration in field experiments with the other 

 Sections of the Institute. The general farm area has been 

 organized so as to provide a large-scale test of the mainte- 

 nance of soil fertility under a double cropping system 

 without irrigation, the principal crops being used as food 

 for the dairy stock and consumed on the farm. 



Data regarding the economics of " power " cultivation 

 and the comparative value of various rotation crops are 

 being collected. 



The success of the cross-breeding experiments with 

 cattle, so far as the first cross is concerned, is now assured. 



The results of the combined cattle-breeding and fodder- 

 raising experiments are clear on two important points, 



viz., — 



(1) that, for the production of milk, it is possible by 



crossing with an imported breed of high 

 pedigree to improve on the milk outturn per 

 ■ head of the Montgomery cattle purchased in 

 the Punjab, to the extent of at least 100 per 

 cent. ; 



(2) that, where conditions permit, it is possible by 



the use of power on a fairly large scale to 

 greatly reduce the production-cost of fodder. 



It is now clear that the cost of production of milk for 

 the large towns could be largely reduced by the breeding 

 of cross-bred cows for the special purpose of milk produc- 

 tion and the growing of cheap fodder on the lines adopted 

 at Pusa. 



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