Edible Products. 



112 



[February, 1910. 



1907-08, " Garudansaniba " planted on 16 

 different plots gave an average yield 

 per acre of 1,952 lbs. ; in 1908-09 the same 

 plots planted and manured in the same 

 way gave an average yield of 2,264 lbs. 

 Only in this latter case seed had been 

 specially selected from those plots which 

 had been planted with single seedlings. 

 Hence the increase per acre of 312 lbs. 

 can only be put down to the improved 

 seed as all other conditions were prac- 

 tically identical. 



Very few experiments have been made 

 with any of the "Kar" varieties of 

 paddy except on the West Coast, where 

 the varieties of paddy, which were 

 tested at first, showed hardly any 

 powers of tillering. These have now 

 been tested three years, and the last two 

 years the seed has been specially set 

 apart from crops which had been trans- 

 planted with single seedlings. In the 

 first year each plant had only one or 

 occasionally two shoots. In the second 

 year many of the plants had three shoots. 

 In the third year nearly all the plants 

 had three shoots and some as many as 

 five. Thus at present crops planted 

 with three or four of such seedlings in 

 a bunch give better yields than singly 

 planted crops, but as the tillering power 

 develops gradually the singly planted 

 crops, though even now much superior 

 to the ordinary locally planted crops, 

 are overtaking in yield those planted 

 with 3 to 4 seedlings. 



To plant paddy with single seedlings 

 it is necessary not to sow too much seed 

 in the seed-bed. To plant one acre, a 

 seed-bed of seven cents, sown with seven 

 Madras measures of paddy, is ample. If 

 possible " Punnidiuathu " should be 

 adopted in preference to " Sithiranthu." 

 The seed-bed should also be manned 

 with well-rooted cattle manure and 

 ashes so as to give the seedlings a good 

 start. The seedlings should not be too 

 old when transplanted, seven days for 

 every month of the crop may be allowed ; 

 thus for a five-month crop the seedlings 

 should be not more than 35 days old. 



Some difficulty may at first be ex- 

 perienced in getting the transplanting 

 coolies to transplant single seedlings. 

 Therefore, until they get into the way 

 of it, close supervision is necessary. If, 

 however, the seed-beds are grown a9 

 above described, the seedlings are them- 

 selves sturdy and are easily separated 

 one from the other and not so much 

 difficulty will be felt. As regards the 

 distance apart at which seedlings should 

 be transplanted the ryot should use his 

 own judgment. On land which produces 

 over 750 Madras measures per acre fths 

 of a span, and on land which produces 



500 Madras measures or less half span 

 will probably be the best distances. Oc- 

 casionally on very rich land which may 

 normally yield 1,500 Madras measures of 

 paddy even as muc-h as two span distance 

 between the seedlings may give better 

 results, while on very poor land the co9t 

 of single planting may be prohibitive. 

 Fuithei than this the Department is 

 unable to advise us ; so much depends on 

 the variety of paddy, the quality of the 

 seedlings, and whether the seed has 

 been selected from singly planted crops 

 or not. 



THE INDIAN TEA INDUSTRY. 



Their Possibilities. 



(Prom the Indian Agriculturist, Vol. 

 XXXIV., No. 9, September 1, 1909.) 



Through the kindness of a fripnd, a 

 copy of the journal of the Lusker- 

 pore Valley Society of Planters has been 

 procured for perusal as advised by 

 •'Arboriculturist." The journal is for 

 1906. Whether this is the latest issue 

 the writer is unable to say, but he is in- 

 formed that there was no issue last 

 year. The general get-up of the journal 

 is good, and the society appears to have 

 been thoroughly well conducted. Why 

 such a desirable and useful institution 

 should have been allowed to lapse, it is 

 difficult to imagine. In its constitution 

 its objects are clearly stated : "to form 

 in the district a regularly constituted 

 body of planters and others interested 

 in tea culture, who may take cognisauce 

 of, discuss and take steps in regard to, 

 any professional matters which possess 

 general scientific interest, apart from 

 the objects of the Indian Tea Associ- 

 ation and its branches, and also by dis- 

 cussion, reading of papers and other 

 means to further the dissemination of 

 professional knowledge." All this is 

 very laudable indeed, and it may be 

 remarked in passing that the society 

 will not have much difficulty in dis- 

 cussing matters of either scientific or 

 practical interest, apart from the objects 

 of the branches of the Indian Tea 

 Association, the sole object of whose 

 existence appears to be to call a meeting 

 once a year and elect a committee 

 which is never asked or expected to do 

 anything. 



The rules of the society number ten, 

 the tenth being :— " There shall be no 

 drinking during the meetings." This 

 last lule has been the cause of no end of 

 jokes amongst the wags of the other 

 valleys, who have compared it to the 

 printed notice hung over the piano in 



