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f^n tKOPiCAL Aai^lCULTURlSf, 



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MANURING TEA WITH COTTON-SEED. 



Our readers will recollect that we (|Uoted into the 

 Tropical Aciricidturist the results of experiments in the 

 manuring of tea by iMr. F. McL. Carter of Ohaudpore 

 (rarden, Chittagong, with castor cake solely, and the 

 same substance mixed with superphosphate. Mr. Carter 

 has now published in the Indian Tea Gaietti, the 

 results of manuring with Cotton-seeds. Three pounds 

 to a bush raised the yield to 831 lb. per acre as com- 

 pared with 554 lb. on an unraanured plot and the 

 profits in first and .second years were good in pro- 

 portion, though not quite e((ual to those resulting 

 from the use of castor cake. There is no evidence 

 that in this case the quality of the leaf was improved. 



MEMORANDUM OF EXPEEIJIENTAL MANURING WITH 



COTTON-SEED OX CHANDPORE GARDEN, CHITTAGONG, 



TV SEASONS 1882 AND 1888. 



Elevation of plateau 75 to 80 feet above the paddy 

 lands ; and soil, a sandy loam near surface, with a 

 ferruginous clay and sand for subsoil. The bushes 

 are of a fair Assam Hybrid variety, transplanted 

 from nurseries in 1867, to. 4' x 4'=:272'2 per acre, and 

 were pruned down to 18 inches on 5th, 6th and 7th 

 January 1882. 



Season 1882. 

 The e.xperimental plots A, B. and C comprised :^ 

 acre, 680 bushes each manured with Cotton-seed, &c. 

 and a similar area contiguous to each with no manure ; 

 all properly fenced in, and plucked by selected 

 women throughout the .season, the leaf being carefully 

 weighed by beam scales. The style of plucking 2J 

 leaves (the bud counted as one). 

 Plot A manured with Cotton-seed, (g) 2 lb. per bush ) 

 equal 68 maunds per acre j 



„ B Do. do (g 3 lb. per bush ] 



equal 102 maunds per acre j 



„ C Do. 1 lb. of Cotton-seed, mixed 



with 5 lb. of ffobar per bush 

 equal to a combination of 

 204 maunds per acre. 

 The manures were applied between the 7th and 10th 

 March 1832. 



Results in yield. 



Plot A. 

 lb. oz. ft. 



(594 8 green leaf =(594 tea per acre. 

 564 5 „ =564 



J 



} 



Manured \ acre 

 Non-manured do. 



In favor of former by 130 3 



or an increase of 23 per cent. 



= 130 



Manured ^ acre 

 Non-manured do. 



Flat B. 

 lb. oz. lb. 



831 11 green leaf =831 tea per acre. 

 554 2 „ =554 



=27/ 



In favor of former by 277 9 „ 

 or an increase of 50 per cent. 

 Plot C. 

 lb, oz. lb. 



Manured j^ acre 729 10 green leaf =730 tea per acre. 



Non-manured do. 632 10 „ =633 „ 



111 favor of former by 97 „ ^ 97 „ 

 or an increase of lo3 per cent. 



From the foregoing areas there were 27 flushes in 

 the season, which commenced on loth March, and 

 terminated on 81st December. 



The rainfall in 18S2 was 102 inches and 31 cents, and 

 number of days in which rain fell was 137. 



The average rainfall for this garden in 15 years 

 was 97 inches 70 cents. 

 The height of bushes at end of season was on plot A 



Manured plot 36" 



Non do. 30" 



Do. do. Plot B 



Manured 36" 



Nou do. 30" 



Do. do. Plot C 



Manured 36" 



Non do. 30" 



The mean average of Brokers' tliree valutatious in 

 ist season was lvO-8'5 per lb. from the manured 



a^tBMWMnnnij w 



areas, v/;. 8!h June, 5th August, and l7th November, 

 ani also KO-8-5 on non-manured area, no diflereiice 

 in fact, but plot B was the highest, being K(»-8-7 

 per lb., the lowest being EO-8-2 per lb. on plot C. 

 The results are estimated as follows- — 

 riot A. 



Manured plot lb. 694 tea to say 

 Non-manured do. „ 5(;i 



per acre 

 R0-8-0=R347-0 

 R0-8-0=R282-0 



--R65-0 



In favour of former by 130 „ 



Less the actual cost of the manure, includ- ) 



ing Freight, transport, and applic- V =R47-8 

 ation &c., was on this plot R47-7-4 per acre J 

 Amount in favour of manured plot ... =R17-8 



Therefore, the profits were 36| per cent per acre. 

 Eesults from Plot B. 



Blanured plot 

 Non do. 



per acre, 

 lb. 831 say @ R0-8=R415-8 

 lb. 554 (w R0-S=R277-0 



lb. 277 „ =R138-8 



R71-3 per acre =R71- 3 



In favour of former by 

 Less the actual cost of "i 



manuring, &c., this > 



plot was ) 



Amount in favour of manured plot =R67 



Therefore, the profits were 943 per cent per acre. 

 Residtg from Plot C. 



Manured 

 Non do. 



plot 



lb. 



lb. 



730 

 633 



@ 



per acre. 

 R0-8=R365-0 

 R0-8=R3l6-8 



In favour of former by lb. 97 „ 



Less actual cast of manures 

 on this plot @ R 39-11-8 per acre 



=R48 8 

 -=R39-12 



Amount in favour of manured plots ... =K 8-12 



Therefore, the profits equal 22 per cent per acre. 



From the above it will be seen that plot B, ma- 

 nured with lb. 3 per bush^l02 maunds, or about 

 H tons per acre, give the best returns. 



This can be demonstrated in another way : for ins- 

 tance, the cost of manuring plot A is R 47-8, and 

 plot B, R71-3 per acre, which is exactly 50 per 

 cent more; whilst the profits on former were o6| 

 per cent and on luttir 943 per cent per acre, or 

 "57o5" per cent greater, whereas in "theory" the 

 profits ought not to have been in excess of 50 per 

 cent per acre above plot A. 



I should have stated that these areas were twice 

 deep dug, and five times light hoed or weeded in 

 the season, which is twice more than is the usual 

 practice on this garden. 



The foregoing experiments were carried on in 1883 

 also, being the second season, but no more cotton 

 seed or other mmure was applied to the plots, and 

 the outturn from them is as follows : — 



A 



Manured area ... lb. 470^ green leaf :=lb. 471 tea 



per acre, 



Non do. do. ... lb, 457 „ -^-Ib. 457 „ 



In favour of former by lb. 133 i? -■^^- 14 ,, 

 The increase therefore was ...= 3 per cent per acre. 



Add do 1st year ..-^23 ,, ,, 



Total iiicrea.sed yield in 2 sea.sons:::-,26 ., ,, 



The profits therefore will be 



Manured plot ... lb. 471 tea per acre (o' K« 8 =R23o 8 



Non do. do. ... lb. 457 „ RO 8 =R228 S' 



In favour of former by lb. 14 

 Less cost of manure 



Therefore, net profits 

 Add profits 1st year 



.R 24 8' 



Total profits in two years ,, 



or 5I3 per cent. 

 Manured area ... lb. 571 green leaf^^lb, 571 tea 



per acre, 

 Nou do. do, ... lb. 42G2 „ —lb. 427 „ 



In favour of former by lb, 144i 



=lb, 14-1 „ . 



