Abstract

This vegetable is cultivated in single crop wet lands in villages round about Melur. The plot is ploughed generally thrice soon after paddy harvest, in the middle of February. Sheep are penned at 2000 per acre and the plot is again ploughed thrice during May. Two seeds are dibbled in each hole in rows 6 feet apart. There is also a system prevailing here, of raising a nursery manured with Farm Yard manure. The seedlings are transplanted after a fortnight when they are about 9" to 12" high; and this system is preferred owing to the crop being better. The distance in this case also is 6 feet apart from plant to plant. Both the nursery and the plot are irrigated the day previous to plant- ing. The seedlings are pulled out carefully and transplanted singly in each hole, the soil having been just previously loosend with mammotti. Cave is taken to keep the plot always moist and clean. About a fortni ht after dibbling or planting, a mixture of ash and fowl dung in taa proportion of 10 1 is applied to each plant, at the rate of 20 baskets per acre, each basket holding about 6 Madras measures.

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