'REPORT ON THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE BOMBAY PRESIDENCY FOR THE YEAR 1903-1904' [‎85v] (58/112)

BOMBAY ADMINISTRATION REPORT.
[1903-19Q4,
Chap. IV.
34
PRODUCTION
AND
DISTRIBUTION.
Water-supply.
Season.
Forage crops.
Other crops.
Cross-fertilization.
New methods of
protection and
cultivation.
Farm implements.
Agricultural
training.
Financial result.
decreased by over 50 percent, owing to the constant supply provided by the canals. Of tlle
crops irrigated in Sind, wheat increased in area by nearly 200,000 acres and rice by nearly
100,000 acres.
4. The figures for the year under report show 148,164 pakka and 93,436 kacha wells for
irrigation or respective increases of 1,299 and 257 on the figures of last yeai. Similarly otter
wells are shown to be 140,751 in number or 2,097 more than m the previous year. Thongli
the figures are not entirely reliable, satisfactory progress appears to have been made in tie
construction of wells. In Ahmedabad and Nasik liberal grants of tagayi account for an
increase of 330 in the number of wells for irrigation. Water-supply from tanks appears to show
a slio-ht decrease, which is made up for by an increase from sources other than wells and tanks.
3 # —Crop Experiments.
The total number of crop experiments carried out during the year amounted to 114. Of
these, 45 were in the Northern Division, 40 in the Central Division, anci 2 in the Southern
Division. In all 20 experiments were made on wheat, 15 on jowari, 12 on rice, 19 on hill and
other millets, 9 on tur, 13 on gram and other pulses, 6 on groundnuts, 11 on sesamum and
other oil-seeds, 8 on cotton, and 1 on coriander.
4.— Agricultural Experiments.
Poona Farm,
1. The season was only moderately favourable for kbarif crops owing to long alternate
spells of wet and dry weather.
2. Experiments with fodder crops were continued. The yield of the guinea-grass planta
tions was no better than last year as they have become old and need renewal. Hot-weatker
fodders, hundi jowari and maize were grown for comparison, and the latter was found to have
an advantage over the former in respect of quantity, quality and value. Eor kharif fodder,
maize, jow&ri, sundhia, utavli and nilwa and the three other sorghums were planted. It was
found that maize and sundhia had to be irrigated during a spell of dry weather while the
sorghums gave the best return. A new kind of fodder crops “ sanwhich is grown in
Madras, was experimented with, but the result was not successful owing to cutting being
delayed too long.
3. Various experiments were made with gram and other pulses, while among new plants
tried were Rangoon beans, Soy-beans, Velvet beans, Peruvian castor seed and cotton seed and
six varieties of maize. Two experiments with heads of wheat went to show that the habit of
producing larger heads is hereditary and that a small grain from a large head produced a better
head than a large grain from a small head. Fifty-four varieties of tur were grown for
classification.
4. A large number of cotton hybrids produced by cross-fertilization' 1 in the previous
year were sown and a selection of the best plants for further propagation was made. Some
new crosses of wheat were made; 134 varieties of wheat were sown, including the hybrids of
the previous year's crossing. Some distinct types were produced.
5. Experiments made with a chemical mixture to counteract the groundnut “Tika”
disease were fairly successful. Similar experiments with the wilt disease of tur proved a failure.
A similar result attended an experiment to manure tur with a patent manure.
6. A consignment of various tools was received from America, but they have not yet
been sufficiently tested for report.
7. There were two probationers from Madras and one each from Mysore and Sind
undergoing practical training at the farm, besides the three probationers from the Bombay
Educational Department, who were there in the previous year.
8. The net cost of the farm rose to Rs. 4,148.
Poona Fairy Farm,
Stock.
Feeding experiments.
Financial result.
Season.
Experiments,
Crops,
1. The dairy herd numbered 151 cows and 85 buffaloes at the end of the year. The
supply of milk was better than usual, but could not keep pace with the demand.
2. An experiment in feeding milk buffaloes with yams produced good results, the yield
of milk increasing. jus,
3. The net profit on the dairy for the year was Rs. 6,137.
Mdnjri Farm,
1. The season was on the whole favourable.
2 , Experiments with different kinds of manures were made on sugarcane, lucerne, maize)
jowari and bajri. The chief positive result was that sewage was found to be the best kind oi
manure for lucerne. Various innovations in the methods of cultivation of sugarcane, cotton,
maize, jow£,ri and linseed were tried, but nothing of great importance resulted. Several new
crops were planted; those which showed most promise were Canary seed and English pease-
Selection was made from among the cotton-crosses made in 1901-02 and 19 varieties of cotton
were grown for identification and comparison.
. Comparative variety tests were made with sugarcane, sweet potatoes, maize, bajn,
jowdii, wheat and pulses. Indigenous varieties of maize and Gujarati varieties of bdjri produce
the best results. The other experiments were inconclusive.