FODDER IN INDIA. 1 3 



of weeds also extrkvagant. Stock manuring or grazing are 

 to be strongly deprecated. If you are bound to do it, have 

 the animals very carefully tended, no goats, and a small plot 

 at a time ; when they move on to the next plot light plough or 

 harrow the previous one ; don't let the dung be taken away, 

 count the animals as often as you can, not always at the same 

 time of day, and charge the highest rate you are allowed to 

 discourage the practice. When they have been over all your 

 plots once clear them off altogether, and repair bands, etc. 



Artificial manures are not cheap, they are not so bene- 

 ficial to the land (especially grass lands) 



^ ^ ■' ° Artificial Manures. 



as natural manures ; excepting " lime 



no manager of a grass farm should dream of using artificial 

 manures, apart from experiments or under specific orders, 

 unless natural manures are absolutely unobtainable. 

 The writer is not pre-historic or pessimistic, neither would 

 he attempt to farm in England or the Colonies and not use 

 artificials. If you don't go with the times you will be left. 

 But we are in India and we are most of us working 

 many hundred, up to a few thousand, acres, also everything 

 else apart at home or abroad when available "natural 

 manure is the best." Mind you scientifically applied if 

 suitable to the soil conditions ; artificials will give you 

 a " bio- yield," but it is quantity more than quality ; coarse, 

 unpalatable, biologically usound grass ; artificials as it were 

 are '* tonics " and should be used as such, made useful as 

 stimulants but certainly not as alternatives to nature. On 

 the other hand, as already written in the chapter on soils, 

 certain chemical elements are necessary for plant life, and if 

 any of these are deficient in your soil they may be replaced 

 satisfactorily by the agency of suitable artificial manure. 

 Artificial manures are much more beneficial to quick grow- 

 - ing crops (especially root crops) than to grass, but in any 

 case their benefit is not lasting and their use for our purposes 

 in India are not ordinarily economical. There are various 

 pamphlets and hand-books on artificials, read them 

 advisedly and intelligently and don't be led away ; and 



