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PADI EXPERIMENTS. 



By L. Lewton Brain. 



The Department of Agriculture, Federated Malay States, has this 

 year commenced to carry out some experiments on padi cultivation 

 in the Government irrigation area in Krian, Perak. The experi- 

 mental areas were selected by the Director of Agriculture with the 

 assistance of Mr. Pratt, Government Entomologist early in the pre- 

 sent year, and now some l8 acres of the worst land in the district is 

 being tried. Next year it is hoped that a larger area will be taken in 

 to the experiments. 



It must be distinctly understood that these trials by the Depart- 

 ment of Agriculture are purely experimental, and are not in any 

 sense demonstration plots. Until the trials now begun are completed 

 it is impossible to forecast what the results will be. Later on when 

 it is known what course of treatment is advantageous, demonstration 

 plots might and probably would be useful. 



The experiments have i)een in charge of Mr. H. C. Pratt, 

 Government Entomologist, with the assistance of Mr. E. Bateson, 

 Assistant Mycologist. Both insects and fungi attacking padi are 

 also being studied. 



Note on the Padi Experiments in Krian. 



In the following notes no attempt can be made to give the re- 

 sults of the padi experiments which are now in progress in Krian. 

 It may be of interest, however, to some readers to know the line on 

 which it is intended to carry out these experiments during the three 

 forthcoming years. 



In the beginning of 1911 nearly one hundred acres of land were 

 selected in those parts of Krian where the return from the land was 

 either nil or very poor. Of these one hundred acres it was found 

 practicable to cultivate only 18 acres this year, the remaining fields 

 to be used for experimental purposes during 1912, 1913 and 1914. 



The 18 acres are in three blocks, one 13 acres at Simpang Tiga,. 

 one 2^ between Simpang Tiga and Simpang Lima, and one 2^ acres 

 at Sungei Bogak. The average return from these lands for the past 

 three or four years has been practically nil varying from 20-50 gan 

 tangs per acre. 



The object in selecting these lands is to determine whether they 

 are, when properly cultivated, suitable for the profitable cultivation 

 of rice. The work partakes of the nature of reclamation, and in 

 Sungei Bogak it is reclamation from a very peaty bog. 



The work commenced on February 6th of this year, the last of 

 padi being transplanted on August 26th. 



The most important question over all these fields has been 

 thorough drainage and bunds of sufficient strength and density to 

 keep out water if there be too much surrounding the fields or to hold 



