i87 



It requires to be planted about a month earlier, i. e., in the 

 beginning of June, and will not grow successfully when sown among 

 maize, as the other kinds usually are. It would not appear to stand 

 shading and requires to be cultivated as a separate crop on open 

 ground. This is a great disadvantage and probably accounts for the 

 fact that it is not commonl}^ grown. This year a quarter of an acre 

 was grown at the Demonstration Farm among maize and gave very 

 poor results, the outturn being only about 2)-2 maunds. 



The usual method of cultivation of the first five varieties is as 

 follows: — After the maize has received the second hoeing and the 

 weeds have been carefully buried, the seed is sown among it at the 

 rate of about half a maund per acre, at the end of June or beginning 

 of July. After the harvesting of the maize, the top parts of the 

 stalks are cut off and carried awa3% and the soy bean crop is hand- 

 weeded. Where the plants are thick, the weeds are often tied on to 

 the maize stalks, which have been left standing. After the weeding 

 the crop soon covers the ground with a mass of luxuriant vegetation. 

 Soy beans ripen in November. The leaves usually fall oft' before the 

 crop is harvested, and add to the manurial residue left by the roots, 

 the nodules of which are ver}^ conspicuous. Soy beans are not sold 

 in the bazaars to the same extent as Dal. The price is from Rs. 

 2-8 to over Rs. 3 per maund according to the season. The straw of 

 this crop is coarse and of little value for feeding purposes as stock 

 do not eat it readily when dry. When used for bedding it finds its 

 way back to the land with the manure. 



For green manuring purposes for tea or other crops, the erect- 

 growing varieties would be found the most satisfactory, as they do 

 not climb on the tea bushes, and, moreover, they are much more 

 easily dug or ploughed in No. 6. which does not grow luxuriantly in 

 shade, would not answer very well; No. 4, Barmeli Bhatmas, is 

 probably the best variety for green-manuring, and as this is the one 

 usually grown by the nativ^e cultivators, seed could easily be obtained. 



Particulars of the cultivation and outturn of the best half-acre of 

 Barmeli Bhatmas grown on the Kalimpong Demonstration Farm 

 are given :-- 



Date 





Cost, 





1910. Particulars. 



R> 



. A. 



P. 



27th June — Pulling up the weeds from maize land and 









burying 







8 







,, Sowing and hoeing in seed 



I 









10 seers seed 







13 







9th Aug.— Stripping;off lower leaves from maize stalks 







6 



6 



1st Sept. — Cutting and carrying off tops of maize stalks 







9 







2nd &3rd Sept.— Hand weeding 



3 



3 



3 



15th Nov.^Cutting, tying into bundles, and carrying 

 to farm steading 









2 



12 







28th Nov.^ — Threshing and winnowing 



T 



II 







Totat cost of cultivation 



II 



3 



9 



