92 ILLUSTRATIONS OF INDIAN BOTANY, 
Soi. The following extract from Mr. McClelland’s report descriptive of the first tea 
colony the deputation visited near Cuju will explain hoth the appearance of the spot and the 
. character of the soil. On entering the forest in which the plants were growing he observes 
129. 
ees The first remarkable thing that presented itself here, was the peculiar irregularity of the 
surface ; which in places was excavated into natural trenches, and in other situations raised 
into rounded accumulations at the roots, and trunks of trees, and clumps of bamboos, as in 
the annexed figure. The excavations seemed as if they had been formed artificially, and were 
from two, to three, and even four feet deep, of very irregular shapes, and seldom communicating 
with each other. After many conjectures, I found the size of the excavations bear exact pro- 
portion to the size and height of the nearest adjoining trees, and that they never appeared im- 
mediately under the shade of large branches. The cause then appeared to be the collection of 
rain on the foliage of lofty trees ; from which the water so collected is precipitated in heavy 
volumes on the loose and light soil, excavating it in the manner described. 
The trenches are from one yard to ten in length, and generally a yard, or two yards wide ; 
and their general figures correspond to the form of the interstices between the branches above. 
The tea plants are most numerous along the margins of these natural excavations, as well on 
the accumulations of dry soil raised around the roots of bamboos. The soil is perfectly loose, 
and sinks under the feet with a certain degree of elasticity, derived from dense meshes of 
succulent fibres, prolonged in every direction from various roots. Its colour is light grey, 
perfectly dry and dusty, although the surrounding country was still wet, from the effects of 
rain that had fallen for several days immediately prior to our visit. 
iven the trenches were dry, and from their not communicating with each other, it seemed 
quite evident, that the soil and substratum must be highly porous, and different in this respect 
from the structure of the surrounding surface of the country, 
xtending examinations farther, I found the peculiar character of the soil in regard to 
and stiff.” Again (p. 23.) at Noadwar. “ Having entered the skirts of a forest which 
though not under water, was wet and slippery, and 
mud ; we suddenly ascended from the dry bed 
of the entire vegetation of the spot. The red soil disappears 
wells in this neighbourhood, to be abeut ten feee eee I observed the level of the waters in the 
» to] the surface of the ground. 
_ From these examples it will be observed that a light, porous, yellow ontidiah soil, is the kind 
ja Sih occupied by the tea plant were inva-. 
, of which circum , 
to in any attempts made to extend its cultivation, et nneee Ongth to be ‘well astenden 
~Cumate ano Exposure. a this head I find it most difficult to elicit precise 
r . ton L les before me, owing to th ii ain f -the 
details originating, not in the want : : Fa aed RAtarG OF ARS 
“Boi » nt of care on th f : h | 
examined the subject with much attention, but ria ft lated ar 0 
“ : ae i owing e vast extent of surface 
over which the tea plant is produced, and the remote situations of the countries in which — 
