ALBERT AND GABKIELLE HOWARD. 187 



variety enables a bottom growth of weeds to gradually become 

 established unless the hemp is very thickly sown. In 1909, weigh- 

 ments were made of the green crop 53 days after sowing, just before 

 being ploughed in for green manure. In appearance the plots 

 seemed very different, and it was expected the weight of the taller 

 Jubbulpore variety would be much the greater. Actual weigh- 

 ments, however, showed that the difference was very slight. The 

 local variety gave 7 maunds 15 seers per 2,000 sq. feet, the Jubbul- 

 pore variety 7 maunds 35 seers, an increase of only 40 pounds. 

 The stubble of the local variety was more weedy than that of the 

 Jubbulpore hemp, but, as has been stated above, this difference is 

 reversed if the plants are allowed to grow for fibre and seed. As 

 far as green manuring is concerned, the advantage is with the Jub- 

 bulpore variety, especially if the sowings have to be made early. 

 There is one possible disadvantage, however. The variety from 

 the Central Provinces produces but a poor crop of seed in Bihar, 

 and it remains to be proved whether it would be found cheaper 

 to import fresh seed every year and to use the land, which would 

 otherwise have to carry the crop for seed, for the growth of a rahi 

 crop. 



The great advantage of *Sann-hemp as a green manure in 

 improving the quality and productiveness of the soil of the alluvium, 

 although often referred to, does not appear to be fully realised and 

 sufficiently widely adopted in practice. This appears to be due 

 to the manner in which the crop is grown and ploughed into the 

 soil. It often happens that a difficulty is experienced in getting 

 the crop rotted and thoroughly incorporated into the soil before 

 the cessation of the monsoon leading to great damage to the suc- 

 ceeding rahi crop through white-ants and througli a too open tex- 

 ture caused by the undecomposed stems. These objections are 

 easily overcome by a little care and forethought. To be successful 

 as a green manure and to give time for tliorough decomposition 

 and subsequent incorporation of the crop, it should be sown in a 

 previously well prepared and well aerated seed bed preferably on 

 the showers of May or not later than the earliest showers of June. 

 The risk of withering is small as the tap root grows so rapidly that 



