117 



or calculated on the non-sandy part of the soil 



Land such as this hardly wants manuring at present. Deep and 

 thorough cultivation should produce as good tea as the land can give 

 for the time being, but ultimately nitrogenous manures will be 

 required in the first place. In any case, even at present, a green 

 manuring crop would be found to be of very great value. 



The second section of the North Lakhimpur district embraces 

 chiefly the sandy land gardens, Lilabari, and, I believe, Pathalipam 

 and Bordeobam. In these sections it is difficult to prevent drains 

 falling in owing to the sandioess of the soil, but nevertheless they 

 are capable of growing excellent tea. The following analyses of 

 Lilabari soil, the first a virgin soil (in Nahor forest; deeper than the 

 average of the garden, and the second a soil which has been fifteen 

 years under tea, illustrate the composition. 



The first of these, for a virgin soil, is very deficient in Phosphoric 

 Acid, so much so that I could hardly advise it being put out under 

 tea unless the probability of phosphatic manuring being early neces- 

 sary was faced. The old tea soil has done excellently up to date, 

 yielding six maunds per acre of fairly fine plucked tea. It is liable, 

 however, to rapid deterioration if organic and nitrogenous manures 



