26 



27. Sugarcane. Mr. Meggitt, the Agricultural Chemist, 

 selected a small plot for growing sugarcane with the intention 01 

 personally selecting individual canes by chemical and othei 

 methods for propagation. The results will be reported on in du< 

 course. Very valuable results have been obtained by the 

 methods in the West Indies and- only experience will prov<| 

 whether or not they are suitable for Indian conditions. 



Grain Crops. 



28. Bhddli. An enquiry was instituted on the identity 

 this crop and seeds were obtained from the chief centres of cultil 

 vation in the Bombay Presidency. The seed was grown this yea 

 in the Ganeshkhind Botanical Gardens. It was sown about th| 

 middle of June 1906 and ripened too late to be included in las 

 year's report. 



Bhddli is distinguished from the other small millets by thl 

 long drooping rarely erect bristly heads. Some of the lattel 

 are often cylindrical and slightly tapering towards the apex. The: 

 are divisible into 4 types, roughly recognizable by the 



(1) short or absent bristles. Nasik, Ahmednaga 



Set aria italica, var. 1. 



(2) long bristles and crowded branches of the panicJ 



Panch Mahals. S. italica, var. 2. 



(3) purple colour of the head and much laxer branches 



the panicle. Barsi and Poona Farm. S. Italia 

 var. 3. 



(4) this is rather distinct from the others and is known 



the more slender heads with yellowish bristles ai 

 the grains (spikelets) arranged in whorls directll 

 on the slender axis. Setaria glauca. Kdn\ 

 Poona Farm (Eatnagiri). Navani, Hang! 

 (Dharwar). 



The cultivation of Bhadli does not seem to be of any n 

 portance. Its distribution in the Presidency is as shown below :- 



Kh<iudesh 



Nasik 



Ahmednagar 



Poona 



Sholapur 



Panch Mahals 



Broach 



Acres, 



4,104 



3,985 



4,087 



4,728 



404 



117 



165 



