230 COTTON IN THE MADRAS PRESIDENCY. [185362. 



CHAP, of vetch or pulse), raggy, theny, cootheerivaly, chendrookoo 

 L_ oil, and castor oil seeds, etc. The soil is considered extreme- 

 ly fertile. 



316 2nd, The Veppel, or Black and Sandy soil.- The 



Veppel, or Black and Sandy soil, partakes of the same nature 

 as Black Cotton soil, varying in depth from two to four and a 

 half feet. After a heavy fall of rain, the upper surface of this 

 soil, to a depth of about six inches, soon becomes dry ; but the 

 lower stratum, to a depth of three or four feet, will retain mois- 

 ture for three or four weeks. The other crops grown on this 

 soil are cumboo, raggy, cholum, buller, red gram, theny, and 

 castor oil seeds &c. This soil also is considered to be fer- 

 tile, but in a less degree than that first named. 



317 3rd, The Fottel, or stiff clayey soil." The Pottel soil 

 is stiff and untractable. It varies in depth from one to three 

 and a half feet. After a heavy fall of rain, the upper sur- 

 face of this soil, to a depth of four inches, will soon become 

 dry : but the lower stratum, to a depth of three feet, will 

 retain moisture for about two, or two and a half weeks. The 

 other crops grown on this soil are cumboo, horse-gram, 

 samay, varagoo, theny, and castor oil seeds, etc. This soil 

 is not considered fertile. 



318 4th, The Shevel, or Red Soil." The Shevel soil is of 

 a loose friable nature, varying in depth from one to three 

 feet. After a heavy fall of rain, the upper surface of soil, 

 to a depth of one foot, soon becomes dry ; but the lower 

 portion, to a depth of one and a half or two feet, will retain 

 moisture for one and a half or two weeks. The other crops 

 grown on this soil are red gram, varagoo, castor oil seeds, 

 theny, etc. This soil is not considered fertile. 



319 Geology and topography." The Cotton fields towards 

 the west in this district are slightly undulating, with gene- 

 ral slope to the eastward ; while to the east, the country 



