226 SOILS OF INDIA. 



that lime might probably exist in solution among the rich 

 mud on which the seed is sown as the waters retire, — and 

 this was found to be the case ; a quantity of it being pro- 

 cured at the moment of the subsidence of the waters, it 

 was found that the drainings were highly impregnated with 

 carbonic acid gas, and that lime was held in solution by it, 

 — a fact which perhaps throws some light on the phenomena 

 of the formation of kunkur. 



2. The Cotton Groiaid or Regur Soil forms one of the 

 most interesting features in the physical geography of many 

 districts of India. It probably originates from the disinte- 

 gration of trap rocks. It varies in depth from two or three 

 to twenty or thirty feet, and even more ; its extent is pro- 

 digious, "as it covers all the great plains in the Deccan and 

 Candeish, some of thos.e in Hydrabad, and perhaps also 

 those of other parts of India. This soil is as remarkable 

 for its fertility as for its very great extoiir. ; and a curious 

 circumstance is, that it never hes fallow, and ncvir receives 

 the slightest manure. Even the stems of the cotton-plant 

 are not allowed to remain on it, being employed for making 

 baskets, or used as firewood ; moreover, in all those parts 

 of the country where the cotton ground is met with, there 

 is so little wood that cow-dung is carefully collected and 

 dried for fuel. Cotton, jovaree, wheat, and other grains 

 are raised from it in succession ; and it has continued to 

 aiford the most abundant crops, without receiving any re- 

 turn for centuries, nay, perhaps for 2000 or 3000 years, — 

 thus proving the inaccuracy of the opinion held by agricul- 

 turists, that if something be not constantly added to land 

 equal to what is taken from it, it must gradually deteriorate. 

 Attention must be paid to the order of cropping ; but if the 

 weather be favourable the ryot is always sure of an abun- 

 dant harvest. 



The fertility of this soil is probably owing in part to its 

 power of absorbing moisture from the atmosphere. This 

 power is great, even when compared with the best soils in 

 Britain. A well-known writer. Sir H. Davy, says, " I have 

 compared the absorbent powers of many soils with respect 

 to atmospheric moisture, and I have always found it greatest 

 in the most fertile soils ; so that it affords one method of 

 judging of the productiveness of land." He further states, 

 that 1000 parts of a celebrated soil, from Ormiston in East 



