Miscellaneous . 



54 



[July, 1908. 



sively copied once their merits become 

 known. Thus the successful establishment 

 of the Moradabacl District Bank was 

 followed by the starting of similar banks 

 in half a dozen other places. In the case 

 of Moradabad assistance was granted by 

 Government, but in every other instance the 

 banks have depended on their own resources. 

 This example of the readiness of the people 

 to adopt a new idea is a most encouraging 

 sign, and augurs well for the future develop- 

 ment of the Co-operative scheme. If every 

 responsible zemindar in Bengal, every lead- 

 ing man in the principal towns, would make 

 it his business to read the story of this move- 

 ment in the United Provinces, and en- 

 deavour to realise its enormous possibilities 

 for Bengal, the benefit to the people would be 

 incalculable. Merely as agencies for the in- 

 vestment of capital, the Co-operative Societies 

 are worthy of consideration. The district 

 banks, which finance societies affiliated to 

 them, charge interest at the rate of 2-h per 

 cent. Loans are freely taken on these terms, 

 and there is no reason to doubt that in com- 

 parison with the amount charged by the 

 bania, 12| per cent, isa philanthropic rate of 

 interest ; while judging from past experience 

 the loans are perfectly safe. " In most 

 societies," says the Report under consider- 

 ation, " repayments are wonderfully regidar." 

 Even in a bad season the repayments to 

 the central banks amounted to about 90 

 per cent, of the loans issued. It is not claim- 

 ed that the results achieved in the United 

 Provinces are due to the initiative of the 

 people themselves. The independence and 

 self-government of the societies will be 

 attained in course of time, but at present 

 the help of public-spirited men is needed 

 to train the people in the principles of co- 

 operations and to give the initial impetus. In 

 some cases, where a movement is being start- 

 ed on new lines, a condsiderable time must 

 elapse before the services of competent 

 directors can be dispensed with. But in ordin- 

 ary circumstances the people have been 

 quick to learn. Old-established societies 

 have become prosperous, and new ones on 

 the same lines have been established. The 

 effects have been such as to surprise and de- 

 light any one who takes an intelligent inter- 

 est in the welfare of the community. Money- 

 lenders have been paid off, and peasants 

 have been enabled to cultivate their land on 

 conditions which promise prosperity and 

 ultimate freedom from all debt. Artisans 

 have been helped to secure their own emanci- 

 pation. In short, wherever the societies 

 have come into being they have brought 

 new life and new hope. In the light of 

 these facts we have no hesitation in 

 saying that there are few ways, if any, 

 in which an educated native gentleman of 

 means can render better service to this 

 country than by taking an active part in the 

 promotion of co-operative credit ; and we 

 trust that in Bengal there may be no lack of 



such benefactors. It cannot be that the 

 United Provinces have a monopoly of men of 

 the required type. — Indian Agriculturist, 

 Vol. XXXIII., No. 1, January, 1908. 



MANGANESE COMPOUNDS AS 

 FERTILISERS. 



By W. F. Sutherst, ph.d., p.i.c. 



Some years ago reports from Japanese 

 experimental stations came out about the 

 good effects of manganese on certain crops, 

 and latterly in Holland the matter has been 

 taken up more thoroughly, and so far the 

 results have been most favourable. Man- 

 ganese is widely distributed in the soil, and 

 most plant ashes contain a good percentage 

 of it, especially is this the case in forest trees, 

 in which iron is present in about the same 

 quantity. 



Whether it occurs in these plants as acci- 

 dental or a necessity, and the reason for its 

 presence, is not yet fully known. So far it 

 has been explained that the good effects are 

 more or less of a tonic nature, such as small 

 doses of arsenic have been known to exert 

 on certain crops. A recent report from the 

 Groningen Experimental Station (Holland) 

 shows that certain plant diseases have been 

 cured by using manganese salts as fertilisers, 

 and, in consequence, much larger crop yields 

 obtained. So far this is only a theory, and 

 needs further work for absolute proof. 



As maize has been spoken of as answering 

 best to manganese fertilisers, trials were 

 carried out here to see if such effects could 

 be obtained under our conditions of climate 

 and soil. To be absolutely under control, 

 pot experiments were tried, each pot being 

 about 3 feet high, with an area of about one 

 square yard. A quantity of soil was tho- 

 roughly mixed, and each pot filled under like 

 conditions ; holes were made about 2 in. 

 from the bottom, so as to allow excess water 

 to drain out ; but the 2 in. of soil below 

 the holes being constantly wet, kept the pot 

 from being absohitely dry in case of great 

 evaporation. In pot No. I. 2 grammes (30 

 grains) of chloride of manganese were dis- 

 solved in water and sprinkled on the soil ; 

 in No. II., 5 grammes of the black oxide of 

 manganese (pyrolusite) were thoroughly 

 mixed with the first 6 inches ; in No. III., 

 2 grammes of manganese sulphate ; and in 

 No. IV. no manganese was placed. 



In order to get a thoroughly representative 

 growth in such a small space, about 20 seeds 

 of equal weight were planted in each pot, 

 and when a certain size had been reached, 

 about ten of irregular growth removed. 

 Later on this process was repeated till one 

 only remained, and was allowed to reach the 

 height when photographed. 



