236 



great astonishment, he presented himself in the flesh, 

 perfectly restored to health, and even more than 

 usually hearty. On eagerly enquiring for the 

 means that effected this, they were conducted to 

 some sugarcane plants, on which, he informed 

 them, he had solely subsisted since their departure. 

 Induced by this remarkable circumstance, occur- 

 ring under their own observation, every care and 

 attention was bestowed, we may well suppose, on 

 the conveyance of such an invaluable acquisition to 

 their own land, where the soil and climate have 

 since contributed to its prosperity. 



Soil. The soil best suiting sugarcane is 

 aluminous rather than otherwise, tenacious 

 without being heavy, readily allowing excessive 

 moisture to drain away, yet not light. A gentle- 

 man, one Mr. Ballard, has endeavoured to make the 

 point clear by describing the most favorable soils 

 about Ghazipore as Alight days" called there 

 mootearee or doansa^ according to the presence of 

 more or less sand in their composition. (Trans* 

 Agri-Hort. Soc., L, 121J 



Mr. Peddington seems to think that calcareous 

 matter, and iron in the state of peroxide, are 

 essential in a soil for the production of the superior 

 sugarcane. There can be no doubt that calcareous 

 matter is necessary, but experience is opposed 

 to his opinion with regard to the peroxide. 



The soils preferred at Radnagore is there 



