ed. For this crop, rich soil and facility for irrigation are Essen- 

 tial. The land should be also well-drained, that water may 

 not lodge in it even in the rainy season. If the plants are 

 grown from seed, the land should be prepared when the 

 rainy season is not quite over; but if they are grown from 

 root-cuttings the land should be cultivated in March or April, 

 soon after the winter crop has been harvested, irrigation 

 being done, if necessary, to soften the soil for convenience of 

 cultivation. After ploughing, the land should be cleaned of 

 weeds and straw by passing the ladder or harrow over it. 

 Before June the land should be got thoroughly clean and 

 ready by 7 or 8 ploughings followed by as many ladderings 

 or harrowings. Manure should then be spread over the land 

 and ploughed in and as soon as the rains have commenced 

 the planting of stumps should begin. If the plants are grown 

 from seed, a seed-bed is necessary. Holes should be made in 

 the seed-bed and two seeds put in each hole in regular line's 

 and the bed again levelled up. Two days after sowing, beds 

 should be watered and the watering should be continued 

 every 3rd day until the plants come up. After the plants 

 have appeared watering should be done every second day 

 except when there is rain. When the plants are about 9" 

 high they should be transplanted, leaf stalks being cut off. 

 The field to which they are removed should be got ready in 

 the mean time, ridges being put up 3 ft. apart and the plant- 

 ing done on the ridges. If the stumps are planted the plant- 

 ing should always be done on ridges 3 ft. apart. If 7 or 8 

 stalks with roots are planted in each spot they will form a 

 fine big clump. The stalks of the stumps planted should 

 stick out 7" or 8" above ground. The clumps occupy wider 

 and wider area as time goes on and as the plants get cut 

 away. In extending the plantation some of the shoots can 

 be taken up with roots and the roots planted, or after the 

 shoots have been all cut away the stumps can be dug up 

 leaving a quarter at each spot, Unless the stumps are 



