MANURE. 67 



cattle manure. It is not heating like horse-dung, and may be 

 applied in large quantities without any risk. The fresher it 

 is applied, in my opinion, the better, for it has then far more 

 power. If mixed with any vegetable refuse, the bulk being 

 increased, it will go further, but I do not thing it is intrinsi- 

 cally any the better for it. 



There are several chemical manures advertised for Tea 

 plants. ' Money and Ponder's Chemical Manure/ lately pa- 

 tented by Mr. Ponder and myself, is said to have been 

 very successful on several gardens. It is manufactured by 

 Mr. J. Thompson, Kooshtea, Bengal, who will supply all 

 details. 



All garden refuse should be regarded as manure and buried 

 between the plants. I allude to the prunings of the bushes 

 and the weeds at all times from the land. To carry these 

 off the ground, as I have sometimes seen done, is simply 

 taking off so much strength from the soil. The greener, too, 

 all this is buried the better. 



When it is considered how much is taken from the Tea 

 plant, it is evident the soil will be exhausted, sooner or later, 

 if no means are adopted to repair the waste. Where manure 

 cannot be got the waste must be made up, as far as possible, 

 by returning all other growth to the soil. But manure 

 should be got if possible, for it will double the yield of a 

 garden ; and highly concentrated chemical manures will, I am 

 sure, be eventually much used on Tea gardens. 



The best way to apply it, if enough manure is procurable, 

 is round each plant ; not close to the stem (the rootlets by 

 which the plant feeds are not there) but about I foot from it. 

 Dig a round trench with a kodalee, about 9 inches wide and 

 6 inches deep, at the above distance from the stem, lay in the 

 manure, and replace the soil at top. If the plants are young 

 the trench should be narrower, shallower, and 6 inches, instead 

 of i foot, from the stems. 



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