314 



THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 



[Nov. 2, 1885. 



in favor of latter by 2851b at as. 8 ... 142 8 

 Leas cost of manure per acre (iucreaseil by 



75 per cent)... ... ... 122 8 



Therefore, profits per acre ... ... 20 



I do not think those results are to be despised. I 

 must again reiterate that the improved quality of the 

 tea due to the manuring ami consequent enricliiug 

 of the soil has not been allowed for in this calcul- 

 ation either. In addition to what has already been 

 recorded, I may notify that the experiments on plots 

 1, 2 & 3 in 1884 are being continued this season also 

 and wit/lout any further application of the respective 

 manures, in order to ascertain whether the bushes 

 derive any benefit in the 2ud year; and so far as the 

 outturn shows at present, i. f., to 2uth July, when 

 only 11 flushes iiave been plucked out of the 26, 

 there will be in this season the increase of leaf on 

 plot No. 2 over No. 1 of 13 per cent., and on plot 

 No. 3 the excess amounts to 32 per cent, of leaf 

 over the non-manured plot No. I, wliicli is most 

 satisfactory, as it will still further augme.it the 

 profits per at-re. 



It seems, therefore, that for the first year at 

 least, the experiment is largely in favour of a 

 heavy application of castor poonac alone, against 

 a lighter application of a mixture one-third bone- 

 dust to two-thirds castor-cake. Mr. Carter then 

 goes on to show his brother planter.s that he has 

 obtained his castor-cake this season at a price 

 32 per cent lower than last, and he shrewdly 

 suggests : — 



I am disposed now to think that a single application 

 of 24 cwt. ol castor cake per acre will exteutl its b ue- 

 ticial itifluence in the soil for nearly three seasons; 

 therefore it would be advisal)le at commencement of the 

 4th to (naiture again : otherwise the ^ ield would fall off 

 which is (mly natural w'len the plants or bushes find 

 iho food tliey have been accustomed to, and thrived 

 upon, is no longi-r at their service. We all know 

 the close analjgy between the ani'iial and vegetable 

 kiugtlom, and I am sare if we bad t^een for some *ime 

 accustomed to ^rood wholt^some diet which jigrce.l with 

 us, we should i-utf.-r niateria'ly if saddfuly deprived of 

 it. 

 And he adds 



Judging from e.spericDre der.ved from tviah conducted 

 on t..is estate, theie can be 1^0 d;juut tliatwlien oiu-e 

 stimulating/ manures h;ivf: been applied to an exhauste.i 

 01 even WMak sud, the practice must b.- continued eveiy 

 3rd to 5tl- >e;.r, dependent upon the I'lescriptiin and 

 qtiji. tity u>>'^l p.'V acre, and age of Inishrs. If from any 

 cause this is uegb cted the results will be disnstrous. and 

 the mrn.ey '-xp iiuod on the previous maiiuiing will h.ive 

 hern to a great -xtent wasted. 



T''os.', yierffnv, who are tbinki''g about -iipplying 

 tiieir Tea G rle .r. with stimulating manures should, 

 oiice resolved upnn, make up their miiuis alsu to co>'- 

 tinue u-ing thei^ at cfriain fixed per'ads, which oui:ht 

 to be asct-r jtiintd exper-iino'-tAl'v t'T each, as soil.s 

 differ so nii cb tbnt ^ir (;e ei il ra*e »• -uld answer for 

 all, especia''y wht-n loeated in .itbei districts, and I 

 may s-iy, I'Iso, whcj uar, lens are situated some distance 

 apart in ttie same dis'tict even. 



Mr. Carter enters into calculations as to the ord- 

 inary yield per acre of an estate which would 

 justify manuring, and he sums up thus : — 



It will thus be seen by the abi've computations 

 bflsed upnn the data Mctually obt'dne-' on experi- 

 mental plot No. -J, that the ordinary or i.nrnial outturn 

 if a ga''ib:L mus' not bo less than A mat' nth of tea pry 

 ftcre^ [320 lb. .Kd.1 otliMrwi.'.e the cost 01 itnin- 

 nring with casLor cake (whetlier in qnuititi - :>< 24 

 cwt., 18 cwt.. 12 cwt , or even c^■ t, to tli-' acre) 

 will not be rd overed. Tbi^ holds [>;ood however on 

 t' e supposition. Istly, tlmt the calce costs exactly 

 R70 per arre ; 2ndly, 'hat 24 cwt. for that area will 

 benefit the tea buslies for one season O' ly ; anil Sriliy, 

 that th'' tea is not improved in quality by tlie inanurc, 

 find sells at same price as the crop from bushes ou 



land without any. Now I have shown previously that 

 in this season the same quantity of castor cake per 

 acre was put in the ground for K53. which is much 

 less ; and 2ndly, that the original application is increas- 

 ing the yield also in following year ; and lastly, ex- 

 perts have valued the tea 2 pie to 3 pie per lb. higher 

 on manure plots in the 1st season, though I doubt 

 if th(;re would be any difference in the 2iid year ; 

 consequently, when these altered conditions are allowed 

 for, the average outturn of tea per acre in an ord- 

 inary season on a garden that has never been manured 

 need not be so higlj as before stated, in order to cover 

 the cost of tiie manure. 



He then enters into calculations to show that it 

 will pay to manure gardens yielding 2i maunds per 

 acre or 180 lb., or even less, and then he goes on to 

 add together the two years' profits ou his manured 

 plots, thus : — 



The nett profits I ought to have shown before, per 

 acre, in 2nti season on plot No. 3 when the manure 

 costs R70, I estimate due to an increase in yield of 

 30 per cent, at EU9-8 . . 142J per cent 



To which add 45'30 per cent. 



at 1172-8 .. .. 103* 



Total in two years 7.5'3 per cent. 



equal 11172 or .. 245J 



The nest profits per acre in both seasons, when the 

 manure costs R53 as in 1885, I estimate as follows : — 

 No. 1 plot 629 lb. tea per acre 



@ 8 as. . . . . 314-8 per acre 



No. 3 914 lb. tea per acre 



(§'8* .. .. 46G-8 „ 



Increase of yield, 285 lb. or 4.5-3 



per cent. .. .. 152-0-0 „ 



Less cost of 24 cwt. nianiu-e 



per acre . . . . 53-0-0 ,, 



Therefore, profit . . 99-0-0 



or 186| per cent 

 The 2nd year by estimatation. 

 On this Garden l-3rd or 33-3 per cent, of season's 

 outturn, is generally made by 2tith July, which hap- 

 pened to be the exact date the last iJusb was plucked 

 from experimental plots ; therefore the final outturn 

 on these acres at end of season should be in 

 Plot No. 1 6()3 lb. tea per acre, at 8 as. 331 8 

 Do. No. 2, 802 lb. tea per acre, at 8 as. 431 

 Increase in yield, 199lh. or 30 per cent. 99 8 

 Less cost of manure nil 



Therefore net profits .. 99 8 



per acr,5, or 18t;j per cent. 

 Add profits 1st year .. 99 8 



or 18H^ per cent. 

 Total profits in 2 years .. l'J8 8 



or 374 i per cent. 

 Mr. Carter promises to give the actual results of 

 the second year on his manured plots, and the 

 valuable paper winds up thus : — 



It should be observed, liy judging from the experiments 

 with Castor cake alone, at 24 cvts, per acre, that this 

 quantity will not prob: bly be of much ben. fit to the 

 tea bu.shes beyond the 3 year, il so long: therefcre 

 at the expiration of that oer'od a renewal of the 

 application, or some other, will become ane.-essity, and 

 I am not quite sure whether a larger quantity per acre 

 won'd not be more remunerative, and continue to do 

 good over a longer time; but tins is merely conjectural, 

 and cnnnot be nnule sure of until ascertained experi- 

 mentally. I hope next season to make trial of 30 

 cwts. and upwards per acre, and as many believe small 

 ijuantitieK applied ^t shorter intervals will Rive the 

 best resu ts. and be nio.-e profitable than the former 

 method, it wiii be as -* II at same time to experim-^nt 

 in this wa\ :ilso. 1 h ;ii', however, Mr. E. liter, that 

 some of ;our c< lis' *■: ..iswill co-op rate in the wcrk, 

 as I -au assure y..M ; nrrimental's ug, to b.: 01 y 

 [Tactical value, nee Is ^inat car., constant atten;i .1, 

 some expense, and not u little tronl.le. Those who con- 

 template manuring with Castor cake can draw their 

 own conslusions from foregoing trials, and I hope I 

 have made everything clear and understandable ; but 

 if an entire garden is to be manured similar to Plot 



