239 



The earths unfortunately were not separated. Mr. 

 Prinsep says the two first were chiefly of sand, and 

 the third somewhat argillaceous. The former 

 required irrigation, but the other was sufficiently 

 retentive of moisture to render it unnecessary. 

 (Jour. Asiat. Soc., II., 435.) 



Manures. The sugarcane being one of the most 

 valuable crops of the ryot, he always devotes to it a 

 portion of the fertilizing matters he can command, 

 though invariably on too small a scale. 



In the Eajahmundry district, previous to plant- 

 ing, the soil is slightly manured, either by folding 

 cattle upon it, when their refuse spreads and 

 saturates the ground, or by a light covering of the 

 rotten straw of the green and black pessallo, which 

 is here a favorite fertilizer. In some parts of 

 Mysore, mud from tank-bottoms is employed, and 

 this practice is more generally adopted in other 

 places. Thus the fields were divided by deep 

 ditches in Dinajpore, the mud of which, being 

 enriched by the remains of animals and decayed 

 aquatic plants, forms an excellent manure for the 

 sugarcane. The ryot spreads this over the surface 

 before ploughing is commenced, which when com- 

 pleted, the soil is further fertilized by a dressing of 

 oil-cake and ashes. 



Crushed bones would unquestionably be of the 

 greatest benefit to sugarcane crops. For not 

 only would their animal matter serve as plant-food, 



