clvi Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal. [N.S., XIII. 



ind only the merest skin of the deep alluvial soils of the plains is made 

 use of by crops. This vicious circle, however, can be broken. Nature 

 in the form of the nitrogen-fixing leguminous fodder crops provides the 

 means. The resources of the State, properly directed, are amply 

 sufficient to utilize this means. 



The Results of some Experiments on Ragi (Eleusine coracana). 



By L. Coleman and K. B. Veneata Row. 



This paper deals with the results of cultivation experiments extend- 

 ing over some eight or nine years and plant breeding experiments extend- 

 ing over four years. 



Science of Forestry.— % C. E. C. Fischer. 1 



1. Backwardness of forestry in Great Britain owing to her geogra- 



phical position and climatic conditions. 



2. Progress of forestry in Europe. 



3. Advocacy of forestry in Great Britain. 



4. Position of forestry in India. 



5. Indirect benefits of forests. 



6. Necessity for further research in India. 



7. Natural phenomena on which the science of forestry is based. 



1 A Study of the Arrowing (flowering) in the Sugarcane with 

 special reference to Selfing and Crossing Operations.— By 

 T. S. Venkataraman. 



In the work of breeding new sugarcane varieties by raising seedlings, 

 a study of the conditions which lead to the flowering in the sugarcane is 

 naturally one of great importance. Geographical situation, amount of 

 rain received during the period of active growth in the cane, interference 

 with the vegetative growth as resulting from the roots getting pot-bound, 

 and the time of planting combined with the nature of the soil on which the 

 canes are planted, are all found to be factors of some importance in in- 

 ducing flowering in the cane. It has also been found that, whereas 

 certain classes of canes flower freely year after year, others do not flower 

 at all, or do so but scantily. 



Sugarcane varieties show a marked sequence in the time of arrowing 

 and the thick canes, on the whole, arrow earlier than the thin ones. There 

 has been in the past, a persistent attempt at making the above two 

 classes of canes arrow simultaneously witii a view to crossing, as it is be- 

 lieved that in such a cross lie the greatest chances of success at the pro- 

 duction of a better class of cane for North India. A certain amount of 

 approximation between the two arrowings has been secured by a careful 

 manipulation of the dates of planting and soil conditions, 

 inf J; f y fl arrows ( a ° we ") of different varieties has shown some 

 v „rES !, n %?S 9rt ? CeS a3 re S ards m ale fertility between (1) different 

 arToS and (J ^LT™™ Ratoon T c ™P3> W ^event parts of the ^ 

 «hEI;£r ( } 5 ly * Versm ' Late canea - The above study has en- 

 mill Wii> Pa / a u 0a of / Certain § rou P of c^es with comparatively poor 

 StK' ty t0 £ U36d a3 ' Mothers in cro3sin g operations, and also a 



which to a e?f° ag arfOW3 ° f th ° Same Variefc y «■ to which to Cr ° 33 ^ 



^oota^J ?i f T a ! 6 !? rtilifcy in the cane arr <"* undertaken with some 

 tucoea, tor the first time during the arrowing season 1916, promises 



the 15SBKKS ffiSS? * ■*■* io *• Coa * reM namber of 



