'68 



refuse-of an exceedingly rank vegetation, it is considered that the same 

 nullah cannot furnish top-dressing material again before ten years 

 have elapsed and this estimate is much too low for the average 

 garden, tn certain cases, however, practical experience seems to 

 indrcate that mere subsoil from hullahs may be of some service. 

 This has -apparently been the case on some of the Assam Company's 

 gardens." At present the only explanation is that it has some 

 beneficial effect on the texture of the land, but if so, it can only be 

 in rare cases that it will repay the cost of application, 



FOREST SURFACE SOIL AS MANURE, 



In the absence of peat or good hullah soil, the surface of the 

 forest has often been used, and, provided it has not to be carried 

 more than a few yards, this has been distinctly an economical success. 

 Only about the top six inches is usually however valunble, and 

 the depth at which the removal should stop can generally be seen 

 by a change of colour in the land. This material is useful exactly 

 in proportion to its richness in Organic Matter and Nitrogen, and 

 no more. Its effect on the texture of the soil to which it is 

 applied can be practically neglected. If, therefore, it is richer 

 in the above constituents, as it presumably is, than the soil to 

 which it is to be applied, it is useful, but an analysis of both will 

 be necessary (in regard to these constituents) before one can 

 say whether it will be profitable or not. Thus the material used 

 at Salonah, Nowgong, taken from the surface of " Korkani" Jungle, 

 contained 9*53 per cent, of Organic Matter and 'iS percent, of 

 Nitrogen, the soil on which it was put contained 5*13 and *o8 

 per cent, respectively, hence the material did very great good. 

 Another forest surface soil which came into my hands from 

 Golaghat contained 497 per cent. Organic Matter and '13 percent, 

 of Nitrogen. As the soil was a light one, it would probably be of 

 advantage, but it will not usually pay, even on light land, to put on 

 material containing a much less amount of valuable matter than this. 



In these cases it becomes a very grave question as to whether 

 other less cumbrous methods would not give better results. The 

 method is costly, from 30 to 100 rupees per acre being spent on one 

 application, but the usual justification seems to be that this is 

 expended in labour, and the labour must in any case be paid, 

 therefore, as the process of putting it on the land comes in the 



