207 



M\ ostiiiisito nuule on ( )ct()l)C'r ."ith put the expected crop at 

 ■20,000 jiaiiicles yieldiiio- K; lbs. of eleaii dry seed. 



The last ;<i-atheriiig has now taken phiee and tlie result of the 

 <r()p is shown hy the followino- titiures : 



Dates of 'i)-i('kin<i-. ] 



28th Septeniher 



1st October 



(itli 



ittli 

 12tli „ 

 Kith 



20tli ., 

 2(ith 



3rd Xovemher 

 lotli 



Total 



Thus the crop of one ek'venth of one acre totalled 183 Ihs. 13 ozs. 

 of clean drv raii,i ready for grindinii', e<piivalent to 2OO0 Ihs. or 300 

 ^•antanii's per acre. 



It is i)rol)ahle judging- fi'oni the number of panicles collected, 

 which is far in i-xcess of the estimate previously made, that the crop 

 would have been greater l)ut for the depredations caused hy Inrds. 

 Although a hoy was employed lustily beating a kerosine tin, it is 

 feared that the toll taken on Sundays and holidays was somewliat 

 considerahle, as is shown ])y the short weight of the last picking of 

 10th Xovemher, which for 7000 panicles only gave 17 lbs. of clean 

 seed — a great nnmber of ])anicles l)eing fouml empty of seed. The 

 crop was sold at 7 cents ])er lb. realii^ing $12.80 Avhich is e(piivalent 

 to a gross return of $140.80 per acre. 



From the date of sowing the seed in the nursery on 2nth June, 

 to the last picking, the crop had occupied the ground for 4 months 

 and 12 days . 



The piece of land on which this trial was made is very low, 

 rather wet and liahle to floods, with a loose friable and deeji soil, 

 quite suiiahle to the cultivation of ragi if it could he ])roperly 

 drained. Fortunately no flood occurred to spoil the crop, and the 

 weather was moreover propitious throughout, exce])t just towards 

 the end when excessive rains may possibly have delayed the ripen- 

 ing of the grain, affecting thereby the colour of the seed which 

 lacked the brilliant orange tint of the jirevious lots. 



Except the changkoling of the land and the making and raking 

 of beds, the work, from the transplanting of the seedlings to 'he 

 harvesting of the crop and the de-husking of the grains, was almost 

 whollv performed hy women, who seem to take' to this work with 

 the zest which attaches to the familiar tasks of farm life. 



