115 



or-calculating on the non-sandy part of the soil, we have : 



The exhaustion is evident in every constituent of importance, 

 and to replace these losses, which, considering the age of the tea, 

 are very small, the best methods would be those suggested in 

 the very similar land at Tezpur, vis., cattle manure followed by 

 green manuring, together with the planting of sau trees. In this case 

 the sau trees should be cut down when three years old, as this land 

 is, in the Bishnauth district, badly affected with mosquito, and hence 

 shade would hardly be advisable. The " bogga medeloa " (Tephrosia 

 Candida] is distinctly a bush which may have very great advantages 

 under these special conditions. Basic Slag before a green manuring 

 crop, just as recommended at Tezpur, would probably well pay for 

 application. 



East of the Bishnauth bank there lies a strip of korkani forest, 

 and beyond this a huge grass plain. In the forest strip several 

 gardens are found on a sandy soil, excellent in character, but not very 

 deep, and requiring manuring at a comparatively early stage of their 

 tea history. The subsoil, at a depth varying from 8 to 20 feet, consists 

 of clay, and this depth represents hence the depth of useful material. 

 Probably the following nine-year course rotation would be the best 

 that could be adopted : 



ist year 10 tons cattle manure the year before heavy pruning, and follow in spring 

 with mati kalai as green manure. 

 2nd year Nothing. 

 3rd year Green manure with mustard. 

 4th year Nothing. 



5th year Oilcake 10 cwt. per acre, and green manure with mati kalai (all in spring). 

 6th year Nothing. 



7th year Green manure with mustard. 

 8th year Nothing. 

 Qth year Nothing, 

 loth year Cattle manure as in ist year, &c. 



In this scheme the only thing to be imported would be the 

 oilcake, and even this might be obtained locally. 



