Jan. 1908.] 



67 



Miscellaneous, 



direction of Mr. Smith, which demonstrate that the double crop is practicable and 

 profitable. Summing up the results of the work done at Burdwan last year, th e 

 Deputy Director says emphatically :— " These figures do away entirely with the idea 

 that, if the area of jute cultivation is increased, the people's food supply will be 

 imperilled, for not only is the ryots' food-supply assured by the paddy crop, but in 

 the same year a crop ot jute is obtained from the same land, and this extra crop will 

 enable the cultivator to obtain other necessaries of iife than those ensured by the 

 paddy crop." The mischievous character of the attempt to induce the ryot to confine 

 his attention to paddy is made very conspicuous by the figures which Mr. Smith 

 cites. Land which will ouly yield coarse paddy, worth from Rs. 22 to Rs. 28 an acre, 

 will grow jute worth Rs. 125 an acre. To advise the ryot to sacrifice a crop worth 

 Rs. 125 in favour of one worth Rs. 28 would in any case be foolish, but when it is 

 known that he can grow both and make a net profit of Rs. 150 an acre, the misguided 

 agitation in favour of exclusive rice-growing cannot be too strongly condemned. It 

 may be of interest to mention that the modus operandi for securing two crops is to 

 sow the jute in the beginning of May. At the beginning of August it can be har- 

 vested, and the land, after being thrice ploughed and once harrowed, is ready to 

 receive the transplanted paddy. It is to be hoped that no efforts will be spared to 

 bring these facts to the knowledge of the cultivators. In Bengal this is the true 

 technical education upon which public funds may be expended to the advantage of 

 the whole community. It must not be supposed, however, that the problem of 

 growing rice and jute on the same land has engrossed the activities of the Depart- 

 ment. Investigations are also being prosecuted into the most economical manures 

 and their most profitable use. The merits of different ploughs have been tested. 

 Attention is also being given to the problem presented by the many varieties of 

 paddy. Their name, observes Mr. Smith, is legion. Mr. N. G. Mukherji's collection, 

 made for the Indian Industrial Exhibition in Calcutta, contained as many as 1,182 

 named varieties. It is impossible to suppose that all these are equally good. For 

 market purposes, at any rate, certain varieties are known to command a ready sale 

 and a high price, and it will be greatly to the advantage of the cultivators if they can 

 be led to grow the kinds which are the most trustworthy and yield the best results.— 

 Indian Agriculturist, Vol. XXXII, No. 10, October 1907. 



Notes and Queries. 



By C. Drieberg, 



I may mention for the benefit of those who are growing Kola or Bissy nut 

 (Cola acuminata) that the use of the nut (according to a Circular report in the 

 British Trade Journal) is increasing. It grows best in moist soils from sea level 

 up to 3,000 feet, and attains a height of 30 to 50 feet. A tree ten years old should 

 yield from 100 to 150 lb. of nuts per annum. The price according to a Jamaica 

 report varies from 8s. to 15s. per 100 lb. according to season. The nuts are simply 

 dried for the market. They are considered an excellent tonic and are chewed by 

 the natives for liver complaint. I may mention, on the authority by Sir Henry 

 Blake, that it is also very efficacious in malarial fever. 



P.— Here is the latest Indian report on the subject of transplanting single 

 seedlings instead of clumps. The experiments were undertaken by the Bengal 

 Department of Agriculture :— " For the last three years experiments have been 

 conducted to ascertain at what distance apart paddy seedlings should be trans- 

 planted, and whether any benefit is derived by planting more than one seedling in 

 each hole. The results for the three years show that it is best to transplant from 



