THE SURAT AGRICULTURAL STATION, 

 1903-07. 



Established 1896 ; North Latitude 21 12' ; East Longitude 

 72 52'; Elevation Approximately sea level; Soil- Black 

 cotton; Average rainfall 38' 42" ; Temperature Maximum 

 in May, minimum 51 in February. 



Area. 84 acres arable and 150 acres pasture. 



Superintendent. Mr. Bhimbhai Morirji Desai. 



Season, 



2. In February a little abnormal, rain fell wKich did neither 

 good nor harm. The monsoon burst favourably on the 9th June but 

 the season was on the whole unfavourable. With the exception of 

 a few days, there was rain almost every day till the end of the 

 month, General sowing was, therefore, delayed till the first week 

 of July. During this period, weeds grew unchecked and there 

 was no time left for preparing the fields before sowing. 



Weeding and interculturing operations were very much in- 

 terrupted by continuous rains in July from the beginning of tho 

 second week till the end of the month. A very short time was 

 therefore available for kharif sowings, which, together with tho 

 fact that the heavy rains had encouraged a vigorous growth of 

 weeds, prevented many fields from, being sown. Owing to too 

 much moisture the crops assumed a yellow appearance and many 

 of the germinating plants di$l, so that some fields had either to be 

 re-sown or the blanks in them filled up by dibbling seed. 



Similarly in nearly the whole of August and the first half of 

 September there was more or less rain almost every day, thus 

 seriously interrupting weeding and Bother agricultural operations 



3 930-1 



