January, 1910. j 



67 



Miscellaneous. 



extent, and is being grown at the station 

 in depressed beds as well as on ridges 

 with a view to demonstrating that 

 the former is the better method for 

 '• summer " and the latter for " winter " 

 cultivation. 



Cholum (Sorghum vulgare) is very 

 extensively cultivated in the district as 

 a fodder, for which purpose it is sown 

 very thick. 



A SERIES OF EXPERIMENTS ARE IN 

 PROGRESS 



with eighteen varieties, to ascertain 

 which are best for fodder and which for 

 grain. The proper rate of sowing is also 

 the subject of enquiry. The ryots sow 

 about 40 up to 100 lbs. ; on the farm rates 

 varying from 8 to 20 lbs. are being tried, 

 The best period for cutting for fodder is 

 another matter being looked into. The 

 practice of growing fodder for cattle is 

 one that cannot be too highly com- 

 mended, showing as it does that the 

 cultivators place a proper value on their 

 stock. The result is that they keep only 

 as many animals as they need and can 

 feed and look after properly. Cattle are 

 always tended, and fields are seldom 

 fenced. Sorghum fodder (dried into a 

 kind of hay) is highly esteemed and 

 fetches a good price. 

 Various other crops are being 



RAISED FOR SPECIFIC PURPOSES, 



e.g„ cow-peas, to ascertain the best 

 varieties for fruit and for green mature, 

 Doliehos lablab as a soil renovator and 

 smother crop, and so on. 



A very interesting object lesson was 

 furnished by the onion plantation in 

 propagating CI) with seed-bulbs, (2) with 

 bulbs from seedling plants, and (3) with 

 seed from a succession of seedling plants. 

 The results were most strikingly in 

 favour of the last system. The method 

 of cultivation was also well worth 

 studying. 



The instructors were given every 

 facility for seeing the working of the 

 various farm implements. They also 

 had an opportunity of seeing the 



TRAPPING OF GRASSHOPPERS ON 

 DRY LAND, 



and of paddy-flies on wet land by means 

 of the bag recommended by Mr. Lefroy. 



The Koilpati agricultural station is 

 well organised and efficiently managed. 

 The experiments are carefully arranged 

 and carried out on a sufficiently large 

 scale to give them weight. The de- 

 monstrations are conclusive and appeal 

 to the visitor. The work on the farm 

 is influencing the operations of the 

 ryot. I congratulate the Deputy Di- 

 rector and his staff on these results. 



8 



Sivagiri, says Mr. Lonsdale, the Agri- 

 cultural Expert, in one of his reports, 

 is 12 miles as the crow flies from San- 

 kuranakoil, but 



IN THE ABSENCE OF ANY MEANS OF 

 AVIATION, 



I found it 43 miles by bullock carts 

 from Satur railway station ; and when 

 it was stated that this same road had 

 to be traversed on the return journey, 

 it is hardly necessary to add that the 

 Home Farm is not very conveniently 

 situated for visitors. 



The Farm consists of 281 acres, of 

 which 253 are under wet cultivation. 

 It is prettily situated at the foot of 

 the Western Ghauts, beyond which lies 

 the State of Travancore» 



It is best known for its successful 

 results in paddy growing, and was, 

 therefore, I reckoned, a suitable place 

 tor my Instructors to visit. This suc- 

 cess, as Mr, Lonsdale himself admits, 

 is to a great extent due to the labours 

 of the Farm Superintendent. 



The Sivagiri plough, of which I have 

 secured a sample, is used both on dry 

 and wet land, and is now being adopted 

 by many cultivators in the Tinnevelly 

 district. It is simple in structure, 

 weighs about 24 lbs., and costs on the 

 spot only Rs. 6. These 



PLOUGHS ARE MADE ON THE FARM 



under the eye of the Superintendent, 

 and my Instructors not only had op- 

 portunity of taking part in a plough- 

 ing demonstration, but also in seeing 

 how the ploughs are made. 



On the 5th instant the extensive paddy 

 tracts were visited and the different 

 operations in progress carefully followed, 

 Here wet land ploughing, the method 

 of applying green manure raised in situ, 

 and the transplanting of single paddy 

 seedlings were watched. 



The farm has done much to encourage 

 the use of green manure by inducing 

 cultivators to sow " Kolingi " (Tephrosia 

 purpurea) as soon as the paddy crop 

 is harvested, about March- April. The 



GREEN MANURE IS WORKED INTO 

 THE LAND, 



when it is ploughed again in Septem- 

 ber-October. 



Tephrosia, the Sinhalese ' pila ' and 

 Tamil ' Kavalai ' is a common weed on 

 waste lands. To pi'ove its value, and to 

 meet the demand created by the suc- 

 cessful operations on the Farm, the 

 Superintendent by offering a measure 

 of paddy for one of thrashed ' Kolingi ' 

 seed, has collected large quantities, In, 



