57 



condition of the Organic Matter. Virgin grass lands seem to 

 contain a good deal; virgin forest much less; grazed land very 

 little, and its apparent influence is probably only the influence of 

 the organic matter in the soil. The following are the amounts 

 found in a number of Assam soils : 



No regularity can be observed among these figures. Some of 

 the highest quality gardens are as low in percentage of lower Oxide 

 of Iron as any of the examples given, and on the other hand the 

 high medium gardens give as high a quantity as any. One cannot 

 therefore base any argument as to the quality of tea produced 

 applicable to Assam on their percentage of the lower Oxide of 

 Iron. 



MANGANESE IN SOIL, 



An attempt has been made to draw a connection between the 

 amount of Manganese in the soil and the quality of the tea. 

 Mr. Bamber seems to indicate that an addition of Manganese to the 

 soil caused the leaf to colour better and give a brighter liquor. I 

 therefore determined the amount of available Manganese in a num- 

 ber of virgin and old soils, but the figures, which follow, are so extreme- 

 ly irregular that one is driven to the conclusion that either it has no 

 connection with the quality of the tea, or else it is present in ample 



