.^iS 



THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. [Nov. i, iS86, 



per acre. 



'I'Lu increased yield therefore was -^153^ per cent ,, 

 -Vdd do. 1st j-ear -~50 per cent ., 



Total increased yield iu two seasons=^S34 per cent ,, 



The profits consequently will be 

 Manured plot ... lb. ."illof teaperacre@ltO-S=^ R:283-S 



„ @ K0-8--ll2ia-S 



Non 



do 



...lb. 127 



— ilG7-5 



Tniavourofformer bylb. 144 

 Less cost of manure 



Therefore, net prolit per acre ... 

 Add profits 1st yeiir ... ,, 



Total profits in two years „ 



O 



Manured area ... lb. 500 green leaf=lb. 500 tea per acre. 

 Non do. do. ... lb. 438 „ =lb. 438 



... =R139-5 

 196-4 per cent. 



In favour of former by lb. (52 ,, =lb. 62 „ 



The increased yield therefore was=14 per cent per acre. 

 Add do. do. 1st year =15'o ,, „ 



Total increased yield in two seasons=29'3 „ „ 



The profits therefore will be 

 Manured plot ... lb. 500 tea per acre @ E,O-8=250-0 

 Non do. do. ...-=lb. 438 „ R0-8=219-0 



In favour of former by^=lb. 62 

 Less cost of manure 



Therefore, net profit 

 Add profits 1st year 



per acre 



r= R31-0 

 == R8-12 



Total profits in two years „ 



^E39-12 



=100 per cent per acre. 



Iu the second season the increased yield of C over 

 plot A must be attributed to the gobiir not liaving 

 been in a soluble condition, and therefore not fit for 

 assimilation by the rootlets of bushes until second 

 year after application. 



The plucking of 2J leaves (bud as one) commenced 

 in 1883 on KJth March, and terminated on 29th Decem- 

 ber—and there were 25 Hushes 'u the season — the 

 rainfall being 112 inches 21 cents. The garden was 

 deep dug once, and light hoed or weeded 2f 

 times — total 3J times only this year, which is much 

 less than usual. The bushes were pruned down to 

 18" on 11th and ]2th January — and on plot B (the 

 others were not recorded) the average height at end 

 of season on manured area was 37 inches, and on 

 non-manured area 33 inches. On a reference to my 

 Castor Cake experiments published in 'Tea Ga.ette of 

 6th October 1885, it will be seen that better results 

 are obtained on plot No. 3 where castor poonac alone 

 was applied (^ lb 1 per bush— 24 cwts. per acre, 

 although the cost in 1884 was K70 per acre, than 

 on plot B manured with lb 3 per bush of cotton 

 seed, and which cost 1171-3 ; the profits in the 

 ti'v seasons of former being 245f per cent and from 

 latter 195-4 per cent per aci'e. 



The trials with cotton seed were not registered after 

 the second season- but it was very noticeable that 

 the bushes were benefited by the single application 

 Ju the third year also. 



I should have stated previously that the seed was 

 purchased at Naraingunge near Dacca perfectly fresh 

 at 6 as. per maund, and had to be trausported from 

 there about 170 miles to the Factory, all the tnu/ 

 hy v.-ater except the last 2 miles, on a level road, 

 from the khal to garden. The seeds had then to 

 be heaped in 50 or 100 maunds, the latter (|uautity 

 the most desirable, moistened with cold water (hot 

 water wotdd have answi-red the purpose (juieker) and 

 then covered over witli c'.ods of earth to induce fer- 

 luentation with the object of destroying its vitality; 

 otherwise the seed when put into the soil would 

 bave gcruiiuated nn^ produced pluutti, 



I found this took from 5 to S days, which could 

 be judged by the disagreeable sour odour emitted, 

 and also the proper stage could be ascertained by the 

 temperature of the heap, as the outside was Very 

 warm when felt by tlie hand. The entire charges 

 for trans])ort, fermentation, and application- to the 

 soil, cost KO-5-2 i)er maund, and including the purchase 

 money of 6 As. per maund, the total cost per niaund 

 was RO-11-2. The former charges therefore nearly 

 equalled the orgiual cost. 



I have been frequently asked if such and such a 

 manure would pay if the transport charges were 

 hiuhcv thau yet Cost to this garden; and to enable any 

 one to ascertain the limit of expense under this 

 head, beyond which there would be a loss , it will be 

 necessary to make the following calculation. The 

 average price the Tea realizta per lb., is a principal 

 factor in the estimation ; another of considerable im- 

 portance, also, will be the average yield per acre on 

 a garden in ordinar)/ seasons prior to any application 

 of manures. If, as in the former case, the produce 

 sells below a certain price per lb., taken in connection 

 with the cost of manure there will be a loss ; and 

 in the later case loss will ensue likewise if the yiM 

 pier acre is below a stated (juantity ; and ou the other 

 hand the converse will happen if the tea realizes high 

 prices, &c. In this event the incre;ised price will en- 

 able the planter to pay more for the cost of manure 

 and transport, and still secure a good profit per acre. 

 Most managers can till fairly well what the ordinary 

 yield per acre is on the different areas of a garden 

 iu full bearing, unless the season should turn out ex- 

 ceptional, and therefore there will be no difficulty, 

 when the cost of manure and results obtained from 

 it per acre is known, in ascertaining whether it will 

 pay to apply a certain t|uantity or not on any 

 particular area. As a general rule, poor lauds that 

 are incapable of producing more than about 2 maunds 

 of tea per acre when in full bearing should be aban- 

 doned, as it would never pay to apply the large 

 quantity of manure requisite per acre iu order to 

 ensure a remunerative yield of crop, unless of course 

 the manure could be put late the soil for very much 

 less than is possible at the present time. 



Table I, is based on the supposition that the results 

 obtained from plot B will be accepted as more satis- 

 factory than either of the other experimental pieces. 

 The plot C also shows well in second year, and prob- 

 ably would be preferable where ;/i*b(^/' can be had in large 

 quantities, and when cotton seed is expensive. I will 

 assume that a garden's teas realize any of the prices 

 from 8 As. to 10 As. per lb. inclusive as iu column 

 2. (-"olumn 1 gives the increased yield of tea per acre 

 due to manuring; col. 3, the gross receipts per acre; 

 col. 4 the increased yield in 2nd season ; col. 5 the 

 total gross receipts per acre iu 2nd season, cost of 

 mani.i.rina, 



TABLE I. 



Table II show.s the itrt projits and loss yer acre in 

 bn/h s 'asons after deductiug the expenditure for 

 manuriug as on plot B, and for a progressive iu- 

 creiise in the cost of applying cotton seed from Kt'-U-3 

 up to IXi psr mi'-iul mduiivv. 



