Edible Products. 



328 



[June, 1909. 



is considered best for eating when taken 

 with a little sugar and fresh lemon or 

 lime juice. The fruit varies in shape 

 somewhat, that of some varieties being 

 nearly round and of the size of a large 

 melon ; but the most common form is 

 oblong or narrow-shape, with a tapering 

 point, varying from 10 to 15 inches long 

 by about 3 inches in diameter. The 

 peculiar property of the leaves in ren- 

 dering meat tender is well-known, and 

 appears to be put commonly into practice 

 by cooks in Ceylon. In other countries 

 even more powerful properties are 

 ascribed to the Papaw-tree, and close 

 proximity to it is sometimes considered 

 sufficient to effect the end in view. The 

 Papaw is a small quick-growing, sub-her- 

 baceous, branchless tree, belonging to 

 the Natural Order Passifloracece or 

 "Passion-fruit*' family. In the West 

 Indies vegetable pepsin, which is ob- 

 tained from the unripe fruit, is pre- 

 paied and exported to Europe, &c, for 

 use in medicine. Sir George Watt men- 

 tions the use of papaw juice, in India, 

 in softening tasar cocoons and thus 

 facilitating their being reeled. 



IMPROVEMENTS IN PADDY CULTI- 

 VATION ON THE SIVAGIRI 

 HOME-FARM. 



By J. M. Lonsdale, 

 Agi'icultural Expert to the Court of Wards. 



(From the Madras Agricultural 

 Calendar, 1909.) 



Among the improvements introduced 

 on the Sivagiri Home-farm in the Tinne- 

 velly District the most important are 

 the following :— 



Green-manuring with Kolingi — The 

 seed is gathered from the waste lauds 

 when ripe about the month of July, 

 Coolies are paid one measure of paddy 

 for one measure of thrashed Kolingi 

 seed. It is then kept in a dry place and 

 occasionally dried in the sun till pisha- 

 num paddy is harvested in Februaiy, 

 March or April. As soon as possible 

 after a plot has been harvested the land 

 is ploughed once and if the soil is hard 

 it is cross-ploughed also. If the soil is 

 so dry and hard as to prevent ploughing 

 immediately after harvest, then every 

 opportunity is taken of ploughing after 

 the showers of rain which usually fall 

 in April and May, but the earlier the 

 land is ploughed and the seed sown the 

 better will be the germination. Three 

 to five heaped Madras measures are 

 then sown broadcast, and it is covered 

 by ploughing once and cross-ploughing 

 with alight wooden plough. No fur the - 



cultivation is necessary. It must not be 

 irrigated. The crop is allowed to grow 

 till August or September, when every 

 opportunity should be taken of plough- 

 ing once through the crop in the dry 

 state after tne showers of rain which 

 usually fall during these months, in 

 order that weeds may be destroyed and 

 the soil aerated. The Kolingi, being 

 deep-rooted, very little will be up-rooted 

 by the plough, and the uninjured plants 

 will grow much better aud seeds pre- 

 viously buried too deep or too shallow 

 will germinate. In October irrigation 

 water becomes available, the plots of 

 Kolingi are then flooded and ploughed 

 in puddle. If the Kolingi is very thick 

 and the plants tall it is advisable after 

 flooding, but before ploughing, to pull 

 the Kolingi up by the roots and then 

 spread evenly over the plot. It is then 

 easily trampled in by ploughmen and 

 cattle whilst puddling. Thus by spend- 

 ing about six annas on seed aud doing a 

 little extra labour in the dry season, 

 when the work on the farm is slack, a 

 saving of Rs. 10 to Rs, 15 per acre for 

 poouac or jungle leaves can be made, and 

 often a great deal of time is saved and 

 all big ryots know how important it is 

 not to be late in the transplanting of 

 paddy. Kolingi grows best in light 

 loamy soils. It does not thrive well in 

 stiff clays or land which is water-logged. 



Single Planting of Paddy Seedlings.— 

 This is a question which affects most of 

 the south and west of this Presidency 

 and some parts of the north also. When 

 it is considered that there are about 74 

 lacs of acres of wet land in this Pre- 

 sidency, the ways and means of reduc- 

 ing the amount of paddy seed used per 

 acre must necessarily be of great im- 

 portance to most of the ryot class. It 

 has been proved conclusively at Sivagiri 

 that the amount of seed used per acre 

 can be enormously reduced without re- 

 ducing the yield by transplanting single 

 seedlings instead of a bunch varying in 

 number from two even up to twenty. 

 This is because the paddy plant possesses 

 the property of throwing out new shoots 

 when planted singly, but which does not 

 occur to any great extent when paddy 

 is planted in bunches. It is difficult at 

 first to teach the coolies to plant singles, 

 but when this has been done there is a 

 direct saving at least equal to the value 

 of the seed saved, as there is no extra 

 cost for labour. One point, however, 

 until recently has been overlooked, i.e., 

 the rate per acre at which seed is sown 

 in the seed bed must be reduced to at 

 least 100 Madras measures per acre in 

 order that the roots of the seedlings 

 shall not be so closely matted together, 

 otherwise, the transplanting cooliea 



