t 506 ] 



ashes than oil-cakes. Crops valued for their pods though 

 benefited by potassic manures are actually damaged by nitro- 

 genous manures. Saltpetre, oil-cake, solid and liquid excre- 

 ments of animals are therefore unsuitable for leguminous 

 crops. Ashes contain as a rule 5 to 10 % of potash. 



(4) Calcareous manures. e.g. lime, shells of cockles 

 and snails, kankar, gypsum, &c. 



This class of manures is best suited for leguminous 

 crops, their chief function being to make the other consti- 

 tuents of soils readily available. Like phosphorus and potash, 

 lime also increases the flowering and fruiting tendencies of 

 plants. Whenever therefore it is noticed that plants or trees 

 are vigourous in producing leaves but backward or reluctant 

 in putting forth flowers and fruits, the application of 

 lime, ashes, and bones should be at once resorted to. 



(5) Salt. This is scarcely of any value as a manure ex- 

 cept for certain special crops such as cabbages, beet, asparagus, 

 cocoa-nut, etc. Impure salt and Khari nimak are better 

 manures than pure salt, as they contain an admixture of 

 saltpetre and sodium sulphate. 



8 1 1. The practical advice of Lawes and Gilbert, the 

 greatest agricultural chemists of England, should be always 

 borne in mind in choosing special manures for special 

 crops : (C Use phosphates for turnips and such like root- 

 crops, potash for leguminous plants and active nitrogen for 

 grain/' 



812. Indirect manuring. Under this head may be in- 

 cluded the following : 



(a) Feeding of cattle with oil-cake on fallow land. 



(b) Growing of leguminous crops, for pulse and for 

 fodder. 



(c) Growing crops by irrigation but not too free irri- 

 gation. 



(d) Cleaning of sewers, tanks,/////.?, wells every two or 

 three years, clearing them of all impurities including vege- 



