HAPPY INDIA 175 



no feet above the river water-level. This is too 

 great a depth from which to raise water by means 

 of oxen-driven well pumps for irrigation purposes, 

 but where electric horse-power is available, then 

 water for irrigation might be raised from these 

 great depths, and that would make cultivation 

 possible and also afforestation possible in those 

 districts. 



Wherever there are great hydro-electric powers 

 that are not fully used with urgent work, they might 

 be employed in extracting nitrogen from the air for 

 the purpose of making nitrolin or (with sulphuric 

 acid) sulphate of ammonia, or some other compound 

 of nitrogen which would be suitable for manures 

 and render it unnecessary to buy nitrate of soda from 

 Chili. And no doubt this nitrolin could be made at 

 a very small price, providing it was not charged with 

 interest on the cost of the hydro-electric installation. 

 If that plant worked in the day-time in driving 

 mills or other works that are chiefly daylight work, 

 then at night it might be used for the manufacture 

 of nitrogen compounds, which would help to make 

 the soil productive, and thus make these great hydro- 

 electric works profitable. These nitrogen compounds 

 will keep in a warehouse for a long time if required. 

 Therefore they might be manufactured in the flood 

 season when there was plenty of water-power ; but 

 the erection of hydro-electric generators for the 

 flood season only would be an additional expense 

 that would require an additional outlay of capital 

 for that special purpose, and therefore that capital 



