t 356 ] 



of grain is proportionately very small, the straw only 

 showing a most luxuriant growth. Lowlying land is unsuit- 

 able for juar as water logging kills it. 



340. Cultivation. The same sort of cultivation as is 

 recommended for maize should be adoped. The roots are 

 easily spoilt by water-logging, hence ridging or earthing is 

 advisable and water accumulating in the field should be let 

 out. 10 Ibs. of seed should be used per acre, if it is grown 

 for grain, but 30 Ibs. per acre if it is grown for fodder, sowing 

 being done i8"X9" apart in the former case and 9" X 6" in 

 the latter. It is usually grown mixed with arahar, cotton &c. 

 But the best result is obtained by growing it singly. 



341. The juar crop is very much subject to fungoid 

 diseases specially if the heads appear in the rainy season. 

 Rust, smut and bunt having been all noticed. Insects, 

 birds and squirrels also do a great deal of damage. We have 

 seen smut in a very exaggerated form in the juar grown at 

 the Sibpur farm. The seed should always be sown pickled 

 with sulphate of copper for preventing fungoid diseases. 



342. It should be noted here, that stunted juar grown 

 when there is deficiency of rainfall, is poisonous to cattle, 

 containing probably an excess of saltpetre. If irrigation is not 

 available juar should not be sown till June i. e..< the commence- 

 ment of monsoon, that the ill effect of early drought on this 

 crop may be avoided. Sowing late in August should not be 

 done either, that the ill effects of late drought may be also 

 avoided. Death among cattle from eating stunted and parched 

 up sorghum is fairly common in the Punjab. Veterinary 

 Surgeon Anderson discovered on breaking open a stalk of 

 stunted juar plants which had killed cattle, a very considerable 

 quantity of a white salt deposited in crystals in the pith more 

 especially at the nodes. This was found to be nitrate of 

 potash and the quantity in the stunted and withered stems 

 was so large (25 per cent, of the dry matter), that this was at 

 once put down as the determining cause of death. 



