Abstract
IN 1925, the late Sir Ganga Ram, presented to the Punjab Government a sum of Us. 25,000 for the endowment of a prize of the value of Us. 3,000 to be called the Maynard Ganga Ram prize and to be awarded every three years, for a discovery, invention, or a new practical method which will tend to increase agricultural production in the Punjab on a paying basis. The competition is open to all. The first award, due in 1929, was made in 1931 to Dr. C. A. Barber, late Imperial sugar expert, for his funda mental discoveries which resulted in the production of Coimbatore sugar-cane. During the last five years, no further awards have been made owing to lack of suitable entries. The 1932 award has now been made to T. A. Miller Brownlie, lately agricultural engineer to the Government of Punjab, for his invention of a slip strainer suitable for water augmentation supplies derived from bores sunk in open wells. This strainer has the particular merit that it is not affected by alkaline sub-soil water—a defect from which many of the earlier metal strainers suffer. By its use, owners of well-irrigated lands can increase the output of water from their wells. The 1935 prize has been awarded to R. S. L. Jai Chand Luthra, professor of botany, Punjab Agricultural College, Lyallpur, for his new method of treating wheat seed against the fungal disease called loose smut. The wheat seed to be treated is merely soaked in water at ordinary temperature for four hours during the morning of a day in summer. Thereafter the soaked grain is spread in the sunshine until it is thoroughly dried. Experience has shown that this treatment is effective in controlling the disease without damaging the germinating power of the seed. Entries for the next award should reach the Director of Agriculture, Punjab, Lahore, on or Wore December 31, 1938.
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Maynard Ganga Ram Prizes. Nature 139, 958–959 (1937). https://doi.org/10.1038/139958d0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/139958d0