388 Report on Productions and Manufactures. No. 113. 



these soils, is, that they effervesce with acids, thereby indicating the pre- 

 sence of carbonate of lime. 



As far as our geological knowledge can lead us, the presumption is, that 

 these soils in all their varieties' are nothing more than the decomposed 

 sienitic rock, and considering the number of simple bodies, of which this 

 is composed, viz. Oxygen, Silica, Aluminium, Calcium, Potassium, Sodium 

 Iron, and perhaps Manganese, and the ever varying proportions of its more 

 immediate ingredients, we cannot wonder at, although we may fail to ex- 

 plain their striking diversity. Our notions of what may be termed the 

 chemistry of nature are yet very vague and unsatisfactory, for an appeal 

 to the crucible, electrophorus, and the whole machinery and reagents of the 

 laboratory, has not always been successful in elucidating natural pheno- 

 mena strictly chemical. Let us rest on the negative evidence of the im- 

 possibility of discovering, with our present lights, any other source for 

 these soils than the rocks subjacent or in their vicinity,nntil strong proofs 

 be afforded of their origin elsewhere. We cannot class among these the 

 opinion, well nigh become an axiom with certain Indian naturalists, that 

 the Regur, soil is always due to the disintegration of basalt; as for this 

 purpose we must bring the Kishna or Godavery over heights and ravines, 

 that existed periods of time anterior to a secondary trap rock being 

 thrown up. 



When the ground is left uncultivated, even for the short space of a 

 year or two, it never fails to be covered with a low jungle, composed 

 chiefly of the Cassia auriculata and Zizyphus microphylla, the former 

 plant is hardy and luxuriant, and is in every respect the peculiar enemy 

 of the cultivator, who certainly does not take the most effectual means to 

 rid his fields of it, contenting himself with burning it or cutting it down 

 to the level of the soil instead of rooting it up. Of the jungle trees by 

 far the most common is the Butea frondosa, now in full blossom, which 

 with the Bombax heptaphyllum, and the Erythrina Indica stand out as 

 the most garish of the forest trees. The Garuga pinnata, Hyperanthera 

 Moringa, Cassia fistula, Annona reticulata, Melia Azedirachta, Bauhinia 

 parviflora, Capparis trifoliata, Ficus Indica, Ficus religiosa, Bombax 

 gossipinum, a species with yellow flowers, Feronia Elepbantum, with 

 four or five species of Acacia make up the list of the more common jungle 

 trees. The Borassus flabelliformis, (the Palengra tree) is every where 

 seen, which wilh the Phonix sylvestris, also common, yields in great 

 abundance the well known Toddy. Of the common jungle creepers two or 

 three species of Asclepias, and Capparis, and the Combretuin rotundifoHum, 

 are at this season, the most conspicuous. 







