868 



THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 



rjUNE 2, 1884. 



acbon for maintaining the fertilitv of land under coffee, 

 lliis he contends may be accomplished by a combination of 

 surtace drams, terracing, wash-holes, and forking. He then 

 endeavours t ) prove the economic value of such works by 

 assummg what seems a maximum expenditure upon them, 

 and iialancmg that against the value of the principal elements 

 contained m any estimate of waste; "but only by actual 

 experiments is it jKissible to demonstrate, first, that 

 waste can be altogether prevented, and second, that 

 It would pay to prevent it." As a measure of economy Mr. 

 (Jlarke places weeding second only to draining. Then, as to 

 manurmg, lie admits the great use of cattle manure, but 

 points to the physical obstacle to its universal application 

 on coffee estates in the cost involved in carrying it on 

 C0011C.S' heads to any distance up steep paths maecessible to 

 wheel traflic. fcome planters forget or do not know the im- 

 mense difference there is between various kinds of cattle 

 manure ; the food which the animals have been fed with 

 13 often Ignored in estimatmg the value of manure. Mr. 

 Ularke reproduces some figures published by the greatest 

 authority on the subject, Sir John Lawes, who has shewn 

 taat the value of manure, from animals fed with cotton 

 seed decohcated is worth £6-10s. per ton as compared with 

 4s. per ton the value of manure from animals fed with 

 turnips. In summing up his valuable essay, the writer 

 remarks : — •' ' 



The time has come to coffee planting, as it must come 

 to every industry, when the maS-gin of profit allowed by 

 the conditions of .supply and' demand no longer permits 

 careless and wasteful cultivation. The planter of India has 

 to contend with the effects of leaf-disease on his trees at 

 the same tune that over-production has reduced the price 

 ot coffee to a figure scarcely ever reached before, and he 

 must meet the difficulty mth aU the resources that science 

 can place at his disposal. No other country in the world 

 otters the same advantages in cheap labor and suitable cUmate, 

 so that if the time of depression acts as a spur to greater 

 effort and stricter economy, we may well hope to see the 

 industry emerge, strengthened and encouraged for a long and 

 profitable career. 



Major-General Morgan, of Ootacamund, contributed an 

 easy on the same subject. It is brief and cothe point. He says 

 that the first thing to be done to maintain the fertiUty of 

 the soil is to preserve it ; in other woi;ds. to prevent the soil from 

 being washed away. He differs from Mr. Clarke in hisopuiion 

 as to terracmg and remarks that if thorough cultivation of 

 the sou IS to be carried out, terracing will not admit of it 

 He ihsmisses catchdrams as useless, and recommends shaUow 

 I'lts, he does not favour constant weeding—" absolutely no- 

 thmg IS gained by keepmg the soil perfectly tree of weeds 

 for m wet weather you cannot kill the weeds, and in a fort- 

 night they are as bad as ever. . . . After the monsoon sets 

 in with violence, no mamotie should be allowed in the ground 

 but as soon as weeds flower they should be cut over with a 

 grass knife an.l buried between the trees." As to manuring, 

 General Morgan seems more inclined to use cattle manure 

 than does Mr. Clarke. But he mentions ashes and poudrette 

 and points out the advantages to be derived by the use of 

 latrmes on the estate. In this connectipn we may mention 

 for the benefit of AVynaad planters what he says of their 

 operations: — 



The sad state of ■Wjniaad with regard to its coffee is a 

 Btnkmg example of sterility produced by propagating from 

 the same seed for thirty years. The trees had exhausted the 

 sod and in turn became exhausted themselves, and from seed 

 produced from such trees may be traced the principal cause 

 of the rmn of coffee in ^Vynaad. I am aware that borer and 

 leat disease have mush to answer for, but the wretched stunted 

 appearance of the trees is due to non-manuring and breedme 

 111 an m. ° 



He recommends draining as a cure for some diseases of 

 coffee and cinchona and laments the wasted opportunities 

 of many planters, who have not used the decomposed felspar 

 which was to be found m the subsoU of then- estates Ifis 

 adnce to pioneer planters is good — ' 



First secure a good climate, for torrents of rain at one 

 time for months and dry winds for a long period are dp! 

 structive to tea, coffee, and cinchona. Then see that your 

 soil and aspect are good; the first should bo a bromisoil 

 resting on a good yellow subsoil; the aspect should be north 

 it possible. Hanug secured these, be careful that your seed 

 IS trom strong healthy trees; this is a matter of vital im- 



c.?o fnf ?; I- " ^^l^ ""' ''"^■^'•''' "' *<= ■"»«' scientific manner 

 sail when it is due solely to weak trees. Assuming that the 

 o, t Ihf ' ^''T°£' '^'^df™«»g the soil are property carried 

 a success.^^^ ^^" '"^"'^ ""'^ the results must be 

 ^ Three essays are given on the utilization of irrigation water 

 in v-iew to obtaining the largest returns ,vith thf le™t ^ 

 to the soil and least waste of water. The first which 



Sunerinte"',' ^^"^rj'"' '' '^^ ^^- «• ^^- S"bha KowDr.^ty 

 are^Zd? fi"*5 ^^^'^l^' Agricultm-al Department, and' we 

 are glad to find a native at the head of the essayists, for 



more tl^^n ;? T 'v'"^ "'^™*'' '^^ -^^tive population far 

 «idenH; V, t Europeans. JIi-. Subha Row's essay is 



to the nl^r .1°^ ^?'^""'''°'^'''^ S"-"' '""'=1^ "•tte'ition 

 to tne subject, and copious extracts from it ought to be 

 quoted in the district Gazeitos, and widely circidated among 



mended are, briefly, thorough utiHzation of rain and pro- 

 motion of the hygroscopic power of the soil ; a large forest area 

 to absorb hca^-y rams and secure perennial springs; storage 

 of rn-cr and tank water; adoption of measures fo? checking 

 the erosive action of rivers on their own beds, and foi 

 clearing canals and tanks ot excessive silt an.l .sand distrib- 

 w.wtl fl ■'," "measured quantities; proper application of 

 ^ater to the soil; se ection of such crops as will, under given 

 conditions of soil, climate, &c.. produce the largest retires 

 ""^5,';*;;"fl"?'!?«° i^rig^'i""; ''''"Irtion of mec"^^^^^^^ 

 soils bfrt '""'^ in-igation water; improvement of poor 

 mn As ^ f f>, ^™'"''' f warping." &c. The concluding re- 

 web,v»t t ffayst are so valuable and outspoken that 

 M.ior Ho,v,H I'l "f^°/ 'luotingthem-in another column 

 Major Howard, r.e., of Meelut, N. AV. Prorinces, also con- 

 tributes as es.,ay on irrigation. First of all he describesX^ 

 NortZrn™T'fr"" "ff'^^^^ting water from the canals 0? 

 Northern India, and the successive steps by which that system 

 has been developed from less perfect arrangements. Thm h" 

 points out the injury which has, in somi places, resulted 

 rom over-uTigation, and the measures that are be ng teken 

 to remedy it. Inconclusion he has aUuded to the various 

 means of preventing waste or water rarious 



The best method of planting fuel plantations in India is 

 a good subject for local essays, and those written by Mr 

 Rhodes Morgan, of Malabar, and Major-General Morgln are 



capitahsts. The Government has spent R900 in obtainins 

 these essays, and has had them printed in EngHsh. It now 

 remains for it to do the most necessary part of the tr.aus^ 

 action, jnz to widely, but di.scrimiuately, distribute them 

 throughoutthe Presidency.— .7/r«7,ws VaU 



CONSTITUENTS OF SOILS. 

 What are alkalis? AlkaH is a general term. It includes 

 all those substauaes which have an action like the W of 

 wood ashes, which is used for soap making. If this ley 

 IS lioiled dowi, dry it torms potash, as all know. Now lim? 

 fresh slaked, has the alkaline properties of potash, °ut 

 weaker, and so has the calcined magnesia of thi shops but 

 m a less degree than lime. Here we have two suhsUces 

 earthy in their look, having alkaline properties. They are 

 called, therefore, alkaline earths. JJut what we underst^d 

 chiefly by the term alkalis means potash, soda and ammonia 

 l'ota.sh IS the alkali of land plants; soda is the v^kMot 

 sea p .ants ; and ammonia is the alkali of animal substances 

 Potash an.l sec a are ff.ed ; that is, not easily rais.-.TIn' 

 vapor by fire. Ammonia always exists as vapor, unless fixed 

 by something else. Hence there is a distinction among af- 

 kahs which IS easily remembered. This .listinction is founded 

 on the source from which they are procurcl. and upon their 

 nature when heated. Potash is a vegetabi,. alk,.ll. doiS 

 from land plants; s,)da is a vegetable alkali, .I.Tived from 

 so.-! plants; ammonia is an animal alkali. d.TiM.l from animal 

 substances. Potash an.l soda are fixed alkalis ; amnion'™, 

 a volatile lalkah. Pot.ash makes soft soap, with grclse, and 

 soda forms har.l s,,ap. Ammonia form.; neither iiard nor 

 soft; It make.s, with oil. a kind of ointm. nt, used to rub 



Lrtlio,.rt/''"V ".f^^ *if ,'>''°"' of v.,Iatile linim/nt 

 But though there be three alkalis, and tw.. alkaline earths 

 It should on no account be forgotten that they all have com- 

 mon properties, called alkalin... and which will'enabloa person 

 to understand their action without anything being sai.iabou 



