The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-05-15

stockholders as a reserve. This bank
| Is expected to stimulate trade all
| around. British investors fight shy OF
independent native states, and hereto
| fore no bank could hope to be success
| in Baroda, for the reason that the law
| gave tax collectors the right to seize
| funds and property wherever found
| without process of civil law, but the
| organizers of the new bank have per-
suaded the Durbar to change this law
| to follow the British law of civil pro-
! cedure.
Among other state encouragements
to native industries, there is technical
| school at Baroda, where instruction Is
given in machine running and In native
| arts. The state also employs experts
/ in various lines, though until the re-
| cent appointment of an economic adj
wiser their work has been more or less
| disconnected, and only spasmodic re-
suits obtained. A German expert in
| horticulture has been employed Tor sew
eral years in laying out the parks,
! palace grounds, streets, ETC., planting
shade trees and experimenting on var
| ious lines. One of the most recent Of
these is that of developing cottage in
dustry in regard to silk growing and
reeling Mulberry trees are being
planted. cocoons bought and expert
ments made that are very favorable
thus far If the cottage industry is
successful there will also be erected
stream reeling factory, which will call
for foreign machinery.
Another line the expert is pursuing,
and one in which he has much in
terested the Gaekwar, is that Of the
cultivation of fiber plants, especially
that of agave and ramie- At pres
ent there are only some 1000 acres
under ramie in all India, but it is an
industry we'll suited to Ceylon and
to certain parts of India, such as
Madras and Kathiawar Peninsula, and
the industry is now being inaugurated
on a larger scale. If the experiments
in Baroda turn out as the expert
thinks they will, machinery will be
purchased for treating and spinning.
At present the demand for ramie is
increasing, and yet continental ramie
mills are occasionally closed for lack
Of material.
The state also has an experiment
station, where some interesting ex-
periments are being made, especially
with sugar cane and cotton. Expert
ments are being made with crossing
various cottons, also with growing
Egyptian, American, Spence tree cot
ton. Caravonica, vine cotton, etc
The native manager seemed to think
the Caravonica more promising than
the regular tree cotton. He also
claimed to have grown Egyptian cot
ton for four seasons without very
American staples became shorter and
coarser in the second season. The ex-
periments at this station are started
in the right spirit, but the lack or
system in observing and recording
destroys much of their value, as is the
case on the majority Of Indian ex-
pertinent farms.
In connection with the experiment
station are regular classes of agricul-
tural students, and they are familiar
lied with modern farm machinery
and also learn to operate the steam
engine and pump that are used at the
station for obtaining water from
deep well. On this farm the latest
steel plow was used in adjacent fields
to the crude Indian wooden plow.
The steel pillow went eight inches deep
and threw a wide furrow, the In
dian pillow went hardly four inches |
deep, and the furrow was simply the |
width of the pointed stick. The same |
field would have to be gone over twice |
with the Indian pillow to cover the |
ground. Of one blowing by the steel |
slow and then the subsoil be UNI |
.ouched, but for certain crops the I
preferred the Indian pillow, +
mainly because it served the pur-
pose with less strain on the oxen
Brooklyn Eagle.