Miscellaneous. 



re 



January, 1910. 



the Madras Presidency, while the Tinne- 

 velly district produces about | of the 

 cotton yielded by the whole Presidency. 



Cotton is sown with the N. E. 

 Monsoon (i.e., in September-October) 

 which begins with copious rains that 

 gradually diminish in December, while 

 the period from January to March is 

 comparatively dry. This distribution 

 of rainfall allows time for the proper 

 setting of the main crop, while the N. E. 

 wind is reckoned on to ripen the cotton 

 and burst the pods. The picking gener- 

 ally begins in February. The April- 

 May rains, as a rule, produce another 

 flush of blossoms which yield a second or 

 " summer" crop. Occasional heavy rain 

 is to be preferred to frequent light 

 showers. By June the crop is over and 

 the preparation of the land for the next 

 season follows. 



Two kinds of cotton are commonly 

 cultivated, the produce of which is 

 known as "Tinnies," viz., "Karangani" 

 which is indigenous and " Uppam," 

 a naturalised species. The former is 

 classified as Gossypium obtusifoliwn and 

 the latter as O. herbaceum. The aim of 

 the cotton operations on the farm is 

 directed towards producing a 



UNIFORM LINT OF IMPROVED LENGTH 



and quality and a higher yield. To this 

 end plant-breeding and selection, and 

 better methods of cultivation and 

 manuring are being carried on. As the 

 supply of superior Karangani seed does 

 not suffice to meet the demand, seed- 

 farms have been established in con- 

 venient centres. These farms, if worked 

 entirely by the Department, would 

 naturally cost a great deal, for which 

 reason an arrangement which is of 

 mutual benefit to the cultivator and the 

 Department is resorted to. The Depart- 

 ment selects what is considered to be a 

 suitable site in a village, and enters into 

 an agreement with the owner to carry 

 out the object it has in view. On the 

 one side 



SEED AND IMPLEMENTS ARE ALLOWED 

 FREE 



by the Department which pays the 

 assessment i.rate and also gurantees to 

 purchase the seed cotton at Rs. 4 per 

 candy of 500 pounds above the market 

 price. The implements it is sought to 

 popularise are worked by the station 

 farm hands, and the crop is thus cultivat- 

 ed according to the most approved 

 system. 



The ryot on his side is expected to do 

 the preliminary work of ploughing, 

 manuring by penning sheep and weed- 

 ing, and also supply cattle. By this 

 arrangement the Department carries on 



demonstrations in the working of imple- 

 ments, proves the value of better 

 methods of cultivation, and, at the same 

 time, secures a supply of good seed for 

 distribution. The farm labourers are 

 men who are taken from among the ryots 

 themselves, and are made the effectual 

 means of proving the advantages of the 



METHODS AND APPLIANCES RECOMMENDED 

 BY THE DEPARTMENT. 



It may be thought that the terms 

 offered to the ryot ic connection with 

 these seed-farms are too liberal, but 

 such terms are necessary at first if any 

 reform is to be effected. A niggardly 

 policy under such circumstances is only 

 calculated to defeat the object it has in 

 view. Gradually, however (as is indeed 

 the case atKoilpati) the concessions maj' 

 be withdrawn as confidence is gained in 

 the methods and appliances recommend- 

 ed by the Department. Already the 

 ryots are adopting these, and as the 

 prejudices of one locality are overcome 

 the scene of operations is shifted to 

 another. 



Authorities do not seem to be agreed 

 as to the seed-rate for cotton. The West 

 Indian Department advises 6 lbs. for 

 Sea Island and Mr- McCall 48 lbs. for 

 Egyptian. At Koilpati for drill sowiug 

 10 lbs. are considered as ample and 

 leaving a good margin for thinning. 



Various tests are being carried on as 

 regards seed rate, depth of cultivation, 

 spacing, and manuring. 



IN THE MANURING EXPERIMENTS 



acre plots have been treated with cattle 

 manure as conserved by the ryot as well 

 as according to improved methods. The 

 ryot collects his manure either in 

 exposed heaps or pits, interlayering it 

 with silt, while the more approved 

 means of storage are the loose box 

 system, in which the manure is collected 

 in situ in a loose box and covered over 

 each day with a layer of litter, and the 

 byre-pit system in which the manure 

 and litter are removed daily and 

 collected in a covered pit. Manuring 

 with artificials is also being tried. 



THE TWO CHIEF CEREAL CROPS 



of the district are Cum bu (Pennisetum 

 typhoideum), and cholam (Sorghum 

 vulgare). Cumbu, the favourite grain 

 crop of the ryot, is being grown on 

 the farm in combination with various 

 legumes, e.g., dhall, lab-lab, cluster bean, 

 and sunn-hemp). New varieties from the 

 Transvaal are also being tried. The 

 fodder from Cumbu is reckoned to be 

 poor. 



Ragi (Eleusine coraccana) our "Kurak- 

 kan " is also cultivated to a considerable 



