Miscellaneous. 



[Jan. 1908. 



9 inches to 12 inches apart, and that planting one seedling per hole, 12 inches apart 

 has given a better outturn both in grain and in straw than planting two seedlings' 

 per hole at the same distance apart. This is a very important result, and it is worth 

 bringing to the notice of all cultivators who grow paddy. In almost every part 

 of the province there is an idea among the cultivators that it is better to dibble in 

 several seedlings together in each hole. In some places four to six are planted, 

 in some places eight to ten, and in parts even a larger number than this is dibbled 

 in together in each hole. It has long been thought that this was a most wasteful 

 practice, and the results of experiment at both the Burdwan and Outtack Stations 

 corroborate this view. As long as one healthy seedling is planted in each hole it 

 is quite sufficient ; and this means that the cultivators might effect an enormous 

 saving in the consumption of paddy for seed. It has been estimated that some 

 3,50,00,000 maunds of paddy are used each year for seed. If three-fourths of this, or 

 even one-half can be dispensed with, there will be a large saving to the cultivators. 

 At Cuttack the results have been the same. At this station, for the last two years 

 he practice of planting one seedling per hole has been compared with planting two, 

 four, and eight seedlings per hole, and one seedling per hole has given the best 

 outturn all through." 



T. M.— The specimens of beans you send are those known in India as Guar 

 beans (Cyamopsis psoraloides) called by the Tamils Koth-averay. It has been succes- 

 f ully grown for the last year or two at the Government Stock Garden and the 

 seeds distributed to School Gardens. The plant is a robust hairy erect annual, 

 2 to 3 feet high. The pods are thickish and from lh to 2 inches long. Not only are 

 the ripe seeds eaten, but the tender pods are also cooked as a vegetable and are very 

 palatable. The albuminoid contents as given by Church are 29*8 per cent, against 

 24*5 in the groundnut (Arachis). Altogether it is a bean that is worth popularising. 



J. A. — It has been conclusively proved in Indian experiments that saltpetre 

 and bonemeal produce excellent results on paddy: 60 lb. saltpetre and 250 lb, 

 bonemeal are required per acre. You (and all paddy growers) would do well to 

 satisfy yourself of the benefits of this manure by an experiment. Order a small 

 quantity from any dealer in manures and try it next season ; if it is found that 

 the expenditure of a few rupees more will double the crop, the ultimate result may 

 be an appreciable increase in the local production of paddy. 



N. D.— I do not know what financial assistance in the case of well-irrigation 

 is granted in the South of India, but I have just read that a special officer of the 

 Bengal Department of Agriculture, who was put on to enquire into and report 

 upon well-irrigation in the Province, recommends its encouragement and suggests 

 that in order to help in the construction and maintainance of wells, loans should be 

 granted by Government under the Land Improvement Loans Act and Agriculturists' 

 Loans Act, and at a lower rate of interest than at present — all such loans to be 

 advanced locally. The Director of Agriculture, Bengal, is said to have secured 

 Government sanction to employ a staff of borers, who will be fully equipped with 

 boring tools, to give assistance to those desirous of constructing wells. 



F. N.— I am sorry to say tha t hardly one in a hundred cuttings of Prosopis 

 juliflora were found to stike. I have written for seeds, and you can have plants 

 when I raise them. The tree is prickly and 40 to 50 feet high when full grown. 

 The pods are described as buff-coloured and about 6 inches long. It is these pods 

 that give the tree value as a source of stock food. The common names of the tree 

 are Agroba, Mesquite and Cashaw. Baron von Mueller mentions that it thrives in 

 damp saltish air and at sea level. The Locust bean or St. John's bread (Ceratonia 

 siliquaX jp far as my experience goes, is unsuited to Colombo. I have sent two plants 

 to JaffnaTto see how they will do there. 



