Scientific Agriculture. 



556 



[June 1908. 



was notably successful in securing vast 

 quantities of nitrogen from the air by- 

 growing lupines and other legumes abun- 

 dantly provided with potash and phos- 

 phoric acid. Among the crops noted for 

 their ability to utilize the nitrogen of 

 green manures may be mentioned sugar 

 beets, potatoes and also mangels. For 

 the best utilization of green manure 

 nitrogen potatoes and beets should 

 receive 45 to 55 pounds of phosphoric 

 acid per acre, preferably as phosphate. 

 An abundant supply of potash is even 

 more important. An application of 95 

 to 100 pounds of actual potash, either in 

 kainit or in muriate, may be utilized by 

 large crops of potatoes or beets. 



Animal manures while containing all 

 the elements of plant food owe their 

 effectiveness largely to their nitrogen. 

 Fresh manure may contain on the 

 average 0'5 percent, ot nitrogen; that 

 is, 10 pounds per ton. Well rotted 

 manure, carefully kept, may contain O'o* 

 to 0'75 per cent, of nitrogen. Apart 

 from its plant food, animal manure may 

 play an important role in the soil, because 

 of its organic matter, that is humus- 

 forming material and its countless 

 number of germs. Thanks to these, it 

 hastens the transformation of plant food 

 in the soil, and it is for this reason that 

 the highest crop yields are secured on 

 most soils only where manure and com- 

 mercial fertilizer are used together. 



The high grade commercial nitrogenous 

 materials are prominently represented 

 by nitrate of soda and sulphate of 

 ammonia. To these may be added the 

 so-called lime niti'ogen or calcium cyana- 

 mide made in Europe at the expense of 

 atmospheric nitrogen, and likewise the 

 nitrate of lime made by another method 

 in Norway. The latter two are made 

 under patents held by European scient- 

 ists and with the aid largely of cheap 

 water-power. A pound of nitrogen 

 derived from each of these materials, or 

 from still other nitrogenous substance, 

 has an unequal value. The nitrogen in' 

 nitrate of soda and nitrate of lime 

 possesses the greatest value; the nitrogen 

 in ammonia salts and calcium cyanamide 

 has a somewhat slighter value. Then 

 follows the nitrogen in dried blood, 

 tender leaves and stems of clover or of 

 other legumes, the nitrogen of manure, 

 etc. in the order named- The unequal 

 value of the nitrogen from different 

 sources should be ascribed tothe different 

 amounts of transformation these mate- 

 rials must undergo before they are tit to 

 nourish the crops. These values are 

 further affected by the character of 

 the soil, climate and crop. The in- 

 fluence of the last-named factor is shown, 

 for instance, by the fact that beets 



prefer nitrate-nitrogen to ammonia- 

 nitrogen, whereas potatoes will use one 

 as readiiy as they will use the other. — 

 Louisiana Planter and Sugar Manu- 

 facturer, April 11th, 1908. 



THE CENTRAL AGRICULTURAL 

 COMMITTEE, MADRAS. 



memoranda!! on the introduction op 

 Improved Ploughs in the Tinne- 

 velly District. 

 The following notes on the introduc- 

 tion of the light iron plough and the 

 single seedling system of planting paddy 

 into the Tiunevelly District are printed 

 for circulation. 



2. They are instructive as showing 

 the methods by which success may be 

 achieved, the obstacles with which the 

 introduction of improvements in Agricul- 

 ture are met, and the way by which these 

 may be removed. 



3. The two points which seem to be 

 clear are : first, that the ' improvement ' 

 must possess advantages easily capable 

 of demonstration, and, second, that as 

 many members of the Association as 

 possible should demonstrate the improve- 

 ment on small pieces of their own lands 

 in as many centres as possible. The 

 Central Agricultural Committee will be 

 glad to hear of any similar attempts 

 made by Associations to introduce im- 

 provements together with an account of 

 the difficulties experienced in their in- 

 troduction and the objections urged by 

 ryots against them. 



Methods op introduction op the Iron 

 Plough in the Tinnevelly District.— 

 At the time of the Agricultural Exhibi- 

 tion held in Tinnevelly in 1905, Messrs. 

 J. Dhai maranga Raj u mid J. Chelvaranga 

 R iju demonstrated the working of the 

 various implements sent from Koilpatti 

 and Saidapet farms, notably the iron 

 plough (Neelakanta Asary's plough) with 

 cattle ordinarily used by ryots by the side 

 of the Tinnevelly-Palamcottah road both 

 in puddle and in dry lands. This at- 

 tracted the attention of several ryots who 

 attended the Exhibitions. Messrs. J. H. 

 B. Jackson, D, G. Waller, and D. T. 

 Chadwick were also present during the 

 demonstration and took a very keen 

 interest in it, and appreciated the supe- 

 riority of the improved over the country 

 plough. These Divisional Officers d rew 

 the attention of some of the leading 

 Mirasdars of their divisions to the use- 

 fulness of the improved plough, and for 

 some time after the Exhibition, several 

 ryots enquired about the working of the 

 iron plough from time to time and 



