107 



All these are excellent soils, as is well shown by the analysis 

 of the non-sandy portion of the soils. These gave 



In parts of these lands there are ridges of gravel, but now the 

 water level is in some cases over one hundred feet below the surface. 

 This is caused by the rivers sinking underneath this bank of sand 

 at the foot of the hills, and proceeding underneath until its southern 

 edge is reached. On these soils, I fancy, artificial drainage will only be 

 needed in special cases the soil is generally so porous that the water 

 disappears practically at once. This bank would be one of the places 

 where irrigation, if it was possible, and would pay anywhere, 

 owing to the extreme porosity of the soil, and the great depth at 

 which water is found, would be of advantage. 



Exhaustion will take place first in the Organic Matter and 

 Nitrogen, and it would be advisable to grow crops of Mali Kalai 

 or other leguminous plant at intervals after the tea has been ten 

 years on the ground. On this land " sau " trees would be of great 

 advantage. Ultimately the most effective manure here will be the 

 rich surface soil from the surrounding grass jungle (where this exists), 

 or in its default cattle manure, or oil cake. Soluble Nitrogenous 

 manures cannot be at all recommended, and phosphates of any sort 

 will not be required for many years. If the climate will allow (and I 

 fear it will not) of close plucking, high quality teas should be 

 here producible. 



There is, I understand, a deposit of red soil, as well as the 

 above grey material, in this district, but I have not been able to 

 examine it. 



Of a totally different character is the soil which is met with on 

 the tea gardens which lie nearer the river. Here one gets land very 

 slightly above the level of the adjoining country, and composed of a soil 

 much finer in texture than those I have just been describing. Further- 

 more it is not very deep, and at a depth varying from 8 to 15 feet 

 there is found, in places at any rate, a subsoil water charged with 



