MANUAL OF THE NILAGIRI DISTRICT. 



47-) 



Maize, all sorts. I Potatoes. CH. XXVII. 



Barley. ! Mangold wurtzel.^ Agr.^uke. 



Wheat. i Guinea grass. 



Sorghum saccharatnm. i Lucerne. 



Buckwheat.' I Mauritius grass. 



Fresh importations of seed require to be made constantly both Degeneration 

 from Australia and England. °^ ^''^''^• 



The stiff yellow soils even on steep hill-sides would be much Drainiug, 

 improved by draining, and all soils would benefit much by sub- p'jougliii^. 

 soil ploughing. In Australia lands subsoil ploughed suffer hardly 

 at all from excessive drought ; the soil remains free instead of 

 being caked, and the roots of plants are enabled to penetrate 

 much deeper, and of course to draw up much moisture. On the 

 Hills it is much needed. Terracing on steep slopes where stones 

 are available is undoubtedly a wise practice, but one that seldom 

 can be followed owing to the lack of stones. Fences also are scarce 

 and far between ; in fact, they can be said hardly to exist. Plough- 

 ing to the depth of 9 inches is very necessary, and if the subsoil 

 share is run in the furrows to the depth of another 6 inches, 

 or 15 inches in all, the results would be very satisfactory. 

 In breaking up grass-land the strain is very great ; the dynamo- 

 meter often showing 7 cwt. This is as much as four powerful 

 bullocks can manage. Indeed, they must be first-class bullocks 

 to do it ; the ordinary bullock would consider half this strain as 

 more than enough. Horses, being too fast, are of no use for this 

 kind of work ; but for earthing up potatoes or turnips a single 

 powerful horse with one of Ransom^s light single-horse ploughs 

 will do more work and keep more ground clean in one day than 

 25 coolies could or would do. 



Nothing is lost by heavy manuring and good cultivation. Cultivation 

 Ploughing 9 inches deep and 10 tons of good farm-yard manure to ^^ ">anure. 

 the acre may be considered fair cultivation and safe to produce 

 average crops in average seasons ; but even better than this may 

 be accomplished if the subsoil plough is used and 2 tons of 

 poudrette added to the 10 tons of farm-yard manure. It must be 

 remembered that turnips and potatoes insist upon manure being 

 applied direct in the furrows. Oats and other cereals do well 

 enough if the manure is thrown broadcast over the field. At present 

 the Hills are fain to content themselves with poudrette and farm- 

 yard manure, the cost of carriage up the ghat effectually forbid- 

 ding the use of any special manures, such as lime, saltpetre, 



* This grows well at Ootacamand, but ripens its seed so irregularly that one. 

 half the crop is in flower whilst the other half is shedding its seed. 



" This will not grow in Ootacamand ; the climate is too cold, and it requires 

 much salt. 



