316 Miscellaneous. [Mat, 



Aracan soil. Singour soil. Hinglee soil. 



Oxide of iron (peroxide) 15.65 10.60 6.00* 



Water and saline matter 1.00 0.75 1.50 



Vegetable matter and fibres 3.75 1.10 .75 



Silex 76.90 80.65 87.25 



Alumina 2.00 4.50 1.50 



99.40 97.69 97.00 



Water and Loss.... 60 2.40 3.00 



100.0 100.00 100.0 



— from which it will be seen that the best tobacco soil we have hitherto 

 found in India contains 16 per cent., or nearly one-sixth, of iron, which 

 is mostly in the state of peroxide, and that the inferior sort of tobacco 

 grows in a soil containing only 6 per cent., one-sixteenth of iron of which is 

 moreover mostly in the state of protoxide or black oxide. 



I thought it worth examining what the quantity of iron in the different 

 sorts of tobacco would be ; and I found that, while the ashes of one ounce, 

 or 480 grains, of Havanna and Sandoway cheroots gave exactly 1.91 grains 

 or 0. 40 per cent, of peroxide of iron, the ashes of the same quantity of the 

 Hinglee or best Bengal tobacco only gave 1.50 grains or 0.32 per cent., 

 and it appears to exist in the first two in the state of peroxide, and in the 

 last, as a protoxide, of iron ; rendering it highly probable that the flavour 

 of the tobacco to the smoker depends on tbe state and quantity of the 

 iron it contains ! for we have now, observe, traced the iron from the soil 

 into tbe cheroot. Green copperas water, which is a solution of sulphate 

 of iron, is often used by the American and English tobacconists and 

 planters to colour and flavour their tobacco ; and this would be decomposed 

 by the potass of the tobacco, and sulphate of potass and carbonate of iron 

 be formed. Carbonate of iron is of an ochre yellow colour. I took care 

 to ascertain that this process had not been performed with the cheroots 

 used for my experiment ; and I do not believe our Bengal cheroot-makers 

 know of this method. 



Sugak. — Sugar seems to depend both on the state of the iron and on 

 lime in the soil. The sugar soil before you is also from the Black River, 

 (Mr. Geneve's,) an estate upon which from 3000 to 7000, and even on one 

 spot the astonisbing quantity of 12,000 lbs. of sugar have been obtained 

 from an acre, of from 12 to 150 bazar maunds per bigah ! Captain Sleeman 

 is my authority for these statements. 



Now the peculiarity of this soil is, you will observe, that it is a red soil, 

 i. e. that its iron is mostly in the state of peroxide ; and it contains more- 

 over about 9 per cent, of carbonate of lime, with probably some sulphate 

 and phosphate of lime, say perhaps altogether 10 or 12 per cent, of calcare- 

 ous matter. We have in many instances endeavoured to cultivate this 

 cane on soils destitute both of peroxide of iron and lime, and we complain 

 that the cane has been found watery. It is clear that the cultivator who 

 would succeed in sugar should pay attention to these peculiarities ; for 

 without doing so he may have returns, but often no profits. His profits, in 

 a word, may depend upon his canes, his cotton, or his tobacco, being fed 

 with the food which they require. I used the words feed and digest because 

 it cannot be too often repeated that plants are living beings, and that the 

 vigour of their life depends, as with ourselves, on abundant and suitable 

 food. 



Tea Soils. — The tea soils, though I notice them last, are not the least 

 interesting. The first is a soil from Assam, for which I am indebted to 

 Captain Jenkins ; and the second is from the Bohea Hills in China, sent 



* Mostly protoxide. 



