81
Lucerne.
"There are 2¼ acres under cultivation (sown in ridges). The crop has done very well and has given a good
outturn, viz., 1,715 maunds 35 seers. The crop was attacked by the Cheopa parasite which necessitated cutting
the affected plots close to the ground, dressing with ashes and flooding. This quickly destroys the parasite.
Guinea grass.
The area under cultivation was ¾ acre. The outturn was very good, viz., 1,021 maunds 5 seers, against
330 maunds 23 seers last year from the same area. This plot was plentifully manured.
Impey.
The area under cultivation was 3 acres. The outturn was very satisfactory, being 593 maunds 34 seers, of
Churri or green stuff, and 90 maunds of Karbi or dry stuff.
Carrots.
There was 4 kutcha bighas under cultivation, the outturn being 277 maunds 29 seers.
Hay.
There were 1,015 maunds of hay made during the year. The quality was excellent. The Hapur Encamping
ground gave a poor outturn. This is attributed to want of sufficient rain, and also the young stock
(donkeys) graze on one-third of the ground. The Hapur Encamping ground has also supplied us with 150
maunds of bedding grass. Rai Ram Chunder Sahai, late Tehsildar of Hapur, has given us every assistance in
his power towards making the encamping ground a success.
Oats.
The area under oat cultivation was 4½ acres. The yield was 40 maunds of oat-seed and 60 maunds of
Bhusa. The seed will be changed this year.
Barley.
The area under cultivation was 2 2 / 5 acres. The outturn, 38 maunds of seed and 30 maunds of Bhusa,
was satisfactory.
Moth.
There was 2½ acres under cultivation. The yield was 7 maunds 11 seers, and 71 maunds 37 seers of
Bhusa.
Maize.
The area under Indian corn cultivation was 10 acres. The yield, 12 maunds 20 seers, very poor, attributed
to the sudden cessation of rain after sowing. Some of the plants became stunted and others dried up. This
plot was too far from the wells to allow of irrigation.
Jowari.
The area under cultivation was ½ a bigha. The outturn was very good, being 21 maunds 23 seers.
Sugar cane.
The area under cultivation was ¾ of a bigha. The outturn was fair, being 16 maunds 25 seers 8 chittacks.
Gram.
The area under gram cultivation was 23 acres. The yield, 36 maunds of seed and 30 maunds of bhusa. a
very poor outturn, attributed to (1) want of September rains which give strength and vigour to the plant, (2)
the plants were also attacked by soondi, an insect which causes the plant to wither, and (3) the strong westerly
winds prevailing during the time the gram was forming in the pod, also played great havoc.
Mandua.
The seed of this grass was sown, but owing to want of rain, it did not thrive. It is proposed this year
to sow as is done in the Allahabad and Azamgarh districts, viz., sow in seed beds and transplant. The plot will
be irrigated in May and the seedlings planted, and when the rains break, also weeded three times and after first
weeding a top dressing of manure given."
Punjab Farm.
487. The results obtained at this farm by the produce of the big mares
employed at farm work; out of nine mares, five foals were obtained and one
mare is now heavy in foal.
488. Of the 6 pony mares, two were bought late in the year, but of the
remaining four only one had a foal. All are promising foals and are likely to
prove fit for Army Remount purposes.
Farm Produce.
Punjab Farm.
489. This year has proved, as in the North-Western Provinces Farm, a
most disastrous one for farm operations; even with day and night irrigation,
many of the crops have proved failures.
The following are the crops grown, showing the results obtained:—
Lucerne.
" This year, two acres of land were under lucerne cultivation and the yield was 1,692 maunds and 38 seers.
The crops were good, with the exception of one bed near the ring fence, which was attacked at night by por-
cupines and rooted up, this did not give a fair yield. More land could not, unfortunately, be placed under this
valuable perennial, as the only well the farm possesses is not capable of irrigating more land than is at present
under cultivation.
Guinea grass.
One-eighth of an acre of land under this crop gave 807 maunds and 38 seers of Guinea grass. I do not
consider this grass of much value as a green fodder crop. It does not yield much throughout the year; during
the rains is the only time it does well when other green fodder is abundant ; during the winter months
not a single cutting can be got. It requires a good deal of manure, and a change of soil every other year.
Gram.
This crop was a decided failure, for want of rain and irrigation. It was so much affected with ' rust' and
' grub worm,' that we have only been able to get back the quantity of seed sown, the average yield being about
one maund per acre with about the same quantity of bhusa.
One maund and 12 seers of mustard was got from the same land.
Oats.
Seven acres of land from which a crop of maize had previously been obtained, were put under oats. The
dry weather affected this crop as much as the other. Though every endeavour was made to irrigate the land by
working the well pumps night and day, we managed to get only an eight anna crop, the oats being very light
and small. The stalks were stunted, but of finer quality than in other years. The yield from the seven acres
was forty maunds fourteen seers of oats, and two hundred and three maunds of straw. A change of seed for the
next sowing is necessary, as the quality of the oats has much deteriorated owing to the same seed having been
used for the past three years. Arrangements have been made to obtain good oats from the Bullia district where
a good variety of oats is grown.
Barley.
This crop, due to liberal irrigation, was fairly good; though the stalks did not grow as high as in other
years. The yield of grain was comparatively good, both in quality and quantity. One and a-half acre yielded
seventeen maunds fifteen seers of grain, and twelve maunds of Bhusa.
Maize.
This is chiefly a monsoon crop, and consequently did not do well, owing to insufficient rain. The yield
from six acres of land was only 28 maunds and one seer of maize, and one hundred maunds of stalk.
Impey.
This is also a rainy season crop, but a small plot of well manured land near the well was sown in the
month of February 1896, and this gave cuttings in April, June and July, yielding three hundred and thirty-five
maunds and thirty-nine seers of good green fodder. Last February, one and a-half acre of land was sown, this
has grown very well and promises to give a good outturn.
Carrots.
One and a-half acre of land was put under this crop of the country variety. A very good outturn of four
hundred and forty-seven maunds and twenty-six seers of carrots, and fifty-five maunds twenty-six seers of carrot
tops, were obtained."