Edible Products. 



20 



[July, 1909. 



of these plots a more accurate idea of 

 this action of the green ciops may be 

 obtained by consideration of the relative 

 yearly improvement of the plots than 

 by comparison of the total weights of 

 leaf taken from them. 



Improvement op the Plots. 



By far the most improvement has 

 been shown by Plot No. 6 on which 

 Arahar has been grown for three conse- 

 cutive seasons ; this may, I think, be as- 

 cribed to the large amount of organic 

 matter produced and the method of 

 introducing it into the soil, which con- 

 sisted in trenching the alternate rows 

 and burying the whole year's growth in 

 the trenches. The improvement in the 

 texture of the soil due to this method of 

 treatment is very marked, and the condi- 

 tion of the bushes is equally altered for 

 the better, the strong growth of new 

 wood piomising well tor the future 

 continuance of their vigorous condition. 

 The method of growing Arahar in teas 

 is very similar to that in use for Tephro- 

 sia Candida, except that the latter is 

 generally left to make two or three 

 years' growth before being cat down 

 and buried, whereas in the experiment 

 plots the Arahar has been hoed up and 

 buried at the end of each season, a fresh 

 crop being sown in the following spring. 



Tephrosia Candida (Boga Medeloa) was 

 not included in the original scheme of 

 green manuring, but has been planted 

 in the new clearance with great advan- 

 tage to the young tea, and two plots 

 are now under treatment with this plant 

 in the green manure series. 



One other very important action of 

 green manures is the fixation in the soil 

 of nitrogen derived from organic matter; 

 this nitrogen, originally present in an 

 insoluble form in the humus, is reudered 

 soluble by the action of soil bacteria, 

 and, as this change probably takes place 

 to some extent even in the cold weather, 

 the resulting nitrates are liable to be 

 removed by the first spring rains beyond 

 the reach of the roots of the tea bush, 

 the activity of the latter at this early 

 part of the season not being sufficient to 

 allow of their absorption as fast as they 

 are formed. A good crop of green man- 

 ure, however, will be able to take up a 

 considerable amount which would other- 

 wise pass into the drainage water, re- 

 taining the nitrogen for use by the tea- 

 bush later in the season; and although 

 in many soils under tea, and especially 

 such as are in a good state of cultivation, 

 much of the nitrate carried down into 

 the subsoil by rainwater is probably re- 

 turned to the surface by capillary rise 

 of the latter, yet, a great loss of nitrogen 

 in this condition must inevitably occur, 



which green manures grown at this sea- 

 son of the year would help to diminish. 

 It is also probable that the ordinary pro- 

 cesses of nitrification of organic matter 

 are considerably modified and reduced 

 during the period of growth of a legu- 

 minous crop, and this would account to a 

 great extent for the falling off in yield 

 of the tea bushes, whilst the land was 

 occupied by such green manures as Matai 

 Kalai and Dhanicha, and emphasises the 

 necessity for limiting such occupation to 

 the shortest time consistent with the 

 production of a fair crop of the green 

 manure, 



Pruning. 



These experiments were designed to ob- 

 tain information as to the best methods 

 of light pi nning old tea. Six plots of 

 one acre each were laid out, and the fol- 

 lowing styles of pruning were adopted : — 



Nos. 1 and were treated in accordance 

 with the local method of light pruning, 

 no cleaning out of weak shoots or laterals 

 being done. 



No. 2. This plot was thoroughly cleaned 

 out both at the sides and centre of the 

 bushes and no weak laterals were left. 



No. 3 was "Table" pruned, i.e,, cut 

 straight across, leaving two inches in 

 the centre, but no cleaning out was 

 done. 



No. 4 was similarly treated, but four 

 inches of wood was left. 



Mo. 5 was pruned on the " Baghjan " 

 system, that is practically all the new 

 wood was cut out, the new growth being 

 intended to come away each year from 

 the same point, thus forming a knot 

 which yearly increases in size. Owing to 

 the great age and mixed character of 

 the bushes ot these plots, it has been 

 found impossible to carry out this system 

 in the same way as that which has been 

 adopted at Baghjan itself, but the ap- 

 proximation has been sufficiently close 

 to allow of comparison. Owing to want 

 of vitality iu many of the bushes many 

 stems have died back from the pruned 

 knot, necessitating a certain amount of 

 cutting back, so that the general effect 

 is due partly to the individual style of 

 pruning and partly to the system aimed 

 at. 



There was a very marked difference in 

 the yields obtained from the various 

 plots ; those on which the Table pruning 

 was adopted demonstrate very clearly 

 the failure of this method to stimulate 

 vigorous growth, and should be sufficient 

 to convince the most conservative of its 

 character. It has been found necessary 

 in consequence of the weedy character 

 of the harmful growth produced on these 

 two plots, to abandon this method of 



