8 



typical. The alluvial (red) soil formed of the debris washed from the western 

 hill ranges is also suitable Saudy soils of Bassein and its vicinity are also 

 good, provided they are on high level ground. Small stones lying about on 

 the surface will not be harmful and even stones of the size of an ordinary 

 lemon will not matter at all. In all cases level ground so situated as to 

 ensure good drainage should always be selected. [Climatic influences have 

 also to be taken into account. R. S, F.] 



Preparation and manuring. The land should be well ploughed and 

 cross-ploughed in Falgun (February-March) and the weeds, rubbish, fatnda, 

 etc., collected and destroyed. It should be left open to atmospheric influences 

 for about 20 to 30 days and in Chaitra (March- April) it should be dressed with 

 manure. Any ordinary manure such as stable refuse, farm-yard manure, will 

 do. Poudretta is very good. Costly manures such as oil-cakes are not needed. 

 It should be broad-casted into the furrows made by the ploughings. The 

 field should then be levelled and covered over by means of a light maind 

 or samdr. The quantity of manure required for any soil would depend 

 upon its suitability for jute. Best soils require one cart-load per bigJta 

 (25,812 square feet, a little more than half an acre). About 6 cart-loads per 

 acre are absolutely necessary for inferior soils. [I think many soils would 

 require more manure than this. Five tons per acre of farm-yard manure is 

 common. R. S. F.] A large quantity is said to kill the young jute seedlings 

 by its ({ souring " effect. [This may hold as regards the Deccan. It is not 

 quite correct with reference to Bengal. R, S. F.] It is absolutely necessary 

 to manure every land, however superior it may happen to be, for no jute will 

 prosper even in the best lands without a dressing of manure. As a rotatioi 

 crop to sugar-cane fields it will answer well, provided it be manured. 



Sowing. In the month of Vaishdkh (April-May) the land should b 

 irrigated thoroughly. In about 4 or 5 days thereafter, the land will hav 

 become sufficiently dry to allow of the working the harrow or a light danta 

 with which furrows should be made length- ways and cross- ways. The surfac 

 soil at this time should be such that, if crushed between the fingers, it shoul< 

 not stick to them. The furrows made by the implements in use here (pdbh a r, 

 etc.) are at a distance of 9 inches. The Bengal implement used for this purpos 

 makes small furrows at a distance of about 2 inches. In the absence of simila 

 implements the necessity of cross-furrows with such as are locally available i 

 evident in order to secure an even distribution of seeds. The seed is broad 

 casted in these furrows and then covered over by running tli3 kulav or 

 light leveller. The seed rate is 2J seers per acre, [6-9 Ibs. per acre is th 

 normal rate. Early sowing is a powerful factor in determining the SUCJGJSS o 

 a crop. Experimental crops in Behdr sown in July have not been a succes 

 but those sown in March and even as late as May have. Obviously the tim 

 of sowing depends on rainfall or irrigation. R. S. F.] 



Weeding and thinning. The seed will germinat3 in 3 or 4 days. I 

 about a month the seedlings will grow 10-1 1 inches high. The field shoul 

 now be weeded and seedlings thinned out. Only the overcrowded plant 

 should be removed, leaving a space of about 1-1 ^ inches round cac 

 plant. Blanks may now be filled by transplanting from the thicker nn-j 

 crowded portion. At this time the land may bo irrigated if deemed necessary 

 Generally plants, 9 inches high and above, do not require much watering 



