first rain storm may wash the whole into the drains. These nitrates 

 are usually present in fairly large quantity in the spring, but during 

 the remainder of the flushing season probably never exist at any 

 one time in more than infinitesimal proportion, unless it be after 

 the rains have stopped. What influence they have on the produc- 

 tion of spring and autumn flavour, is a matter to be investigated. 

 It is certainly possible, if not probable, that the available nitrates 

 present in abundance in the soil may have something to do with 

 this flavour, but apart from the determination of changes through 

 the season, the amount of nitrates is so small and changes so often 

 that its measurement is generally of little utility, and has hence 

 been omitted in my analyses. 



But the permanent supply 'of soil nitrogen is that contained 

 in the "organic matter" or "humus," and the amount of organic 

 matter and nitrogen form the first and most important measure of the 

 fertility of a soil for tea, of the likelihood of its being of permanent 

 value, and also of the probability of its giving high quality tea. Un- 

 luckily the amount of organic matter is one of the most difficult things 

 to measure, and the figure in the analyses called by that name is 

 only valuable when a similar class of soils are compared. These 

 constituents are however so essential and important that, unless they 

 are present in large enough quantity, the other ingredients of the soil 

 are all but useless. The best virgin land in Assam invariably 

 contains more than 35 per cent, of organic matter, &c., and more 

 than 0-8 to 0*9 per cent, of nitrogen in the non-sandy portion of 

 the soil. The following examples of virgin or almost virgin soils 

 selected from several districts show this : 



