HOWARD, LEAKE AND HOWARD. 97 



time. The experiment is being continued until the yield of the 

 late ploughed plot becomes steady, after which it is proposed to 

 reverse the treatment of the two plots. 



As regards quality, the appearance of the wheat from the late 

 ploughed plot was distinctly inferior to the other. It was paler in 

 colour and not so well grown as that from the early ploughed plot. 

 In this case, while the plot with the higher yield gave the better 

 quality, the fall in yield was greater than the difference in quality. 

 This agrees with our experience at Pusa in wheat growing that in 

 the case of the same wheat any adverse condition always affects 

 yield much more than quality. When quality is sensibly lost it is 

 almost certain that the yield is poor. 1 



B. Drainage. 



During the progress of the wheat investigations in India one 

 important factor in the growth of this crop has frequently been 

 observed. This is waterlogging both previous to and during the 

 growth of the crop. If wheat lands in Bihar are inundated for any 

 length of time during the monsoon, or, if portions of the fields are 

 continuously waterlogged for long periods, then a sour or semi- 

 marshy condition of the soil results which is shown by a yellow 

 crop of poor vegetative vigour and low yield. Often the consis- 

 tency of the resulting sample on such areas is affected and a large 

 proportion of mottled and soft grains are produced, which spoil 

 the appearance of the sample and lower its market value. Similar 

 results are to be seen in canal irrigated tracts in lowlying areas of 

 the fields which get too much water and in which the soil becomes 

 semi- waterlogged for long periods. These effects were distinctly 



Un connection with these experiments the behaviour of the continuous wheat plot at 

 Pusa may be of interest. This is a strip of typical wheat land which, for the past five years, has 

 been cropped every year with wheat without manure. In 1911-12, the fifth year of the ex- 

 periment, the yield per acre was 36*25 bushels, which is the highest yield of the variety (Pusa 22) 

 so far obtained at Pusa. No diminution in vegetative vigour was observed. On the contrary, 

 the growth was so great that a large portion of the crop was laid by wind soon after coming 

 into ear which circumstance diminished the yield of grain. It will be interesting to see for 

 how much longer these yields can be obtained and whether any organic matter besides the 

 stubble need be added to the soil. 



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