June i90t] 375 Scientific Agriculture. 



Fertilising Ingredients in 100 lb. of Green Leguminous Crops. 



Crop. 



Moisture. 



Nitrogen. 



Phosphoric 



Potassium 









Acid. 



Oxide. 





lb. 



lb. 



lb. 



lb. 



xted. clover 



on. fin 

 oU UU 



U DO 



Id 



0'46 



White clover 



ol UU 



U*5o 



0.20 



0-24 



Alsike clover 



ol oU 





A.I 1 



11 



0.20 



Crimson clover 



O\£.0U 



A. A O 



U 43 



- 13 



0-49 



A 1 fa 1 fo 



ivitaiia ... 



to OU 



U 7Z 



0-13 



0-56 



Cotvpea ... 



/o ol 



n.0^7 



U z7 



O'lO 



0'31 



Serradella ... ... 





U il 



U 14 



0*42 



Soy bean 



73-20 



0-29 



0-15 



0-53 



Horse bean 



74-71 



0-68 



0-33 



1'37 



White lupin 



85-35 



0-44 



0-35 



1-73 



Yellow lupin 



8315 



0-51 



o-ii 



CIS 



Flat Pea (Lathyrus sylvestris) 



71-60 



1-13 



0-18 



0-58 



Common Vetch ... 



84-50 



0-59 



1-19 



070 



Of these plants the cowpea and soy bean seem specially useful, for if the 

 seeds are allowed to ripen they form a very nutritious food for stock, and as 

 only part of the fertilisiugs constituents is absorbed by the animals the greater part 

 may be returned to the soil in the manure. The seeds of lupins are exceedingly 

 nutritious and are fed to animals in Europe, but the poisonous constituents must 

 first be removed by soaking and steaming ; this renders them less valuable than 

 the cowpeas and soy beans, which need no such treatment. 



Experiments in Ceylon. 



In 1902 experiments with green manuring plants suited to the climate and 

 conditions of Ceylon were commenced at the Royal Botanic Gardens at Peradeniya, 

 and in August 1905 a Circular was published giving an account of the results 

 obtained up to that time and of the experiments proposed to be undertaken or 

 already in progress. 



Experiments have been made with the object of ascertaining the best time 

 for sowing and the species which give the best results in association with different 

 crops, such as tea, cacao, rubber, coconuts, and rice. The amount of nitrogen 

 absorbed and the effect of various fertilisers on tubercle activity have also been 

 made the subject of an investigation. Of the plants tried Crotalaria striata and 

 other species of Crotalaria, Erythrina lithosperma, Arachis hypogoea, Vigna 

 Catiang and other species, Phaseolus sp. Albizzia moluccana have been most success 

 full. Crotalaria striata has been found satisfactory in young tea clearings, but 

 does not grow well in association with old well developed tea plants unless sown 

 immediately after pruning and fertilised with some soluble artificial manure. On 

 young tea clearings a crop of Crotalaria amounting to 12,000 lb, per acre has been 

 obtained between July and December from 10-20 lb. of seed. A plot of land devoted 

 to cacao has given in a year no less than 14,000 lb. of green material per acre. 



As the Crotalaria plant in the green state contains from 0-73 to 0'99 per cent, 

 of nitrogen, a crop of 14,000 lb. is equivalent so far as nitrogen is concerned to 

 1,700 lb. of castor cake or 700 lb. of sodium nitrate. The chief advantages derived 

 from the use of Crotalaria striata are (1) cover to ground is obtained in two or three 

 months ; (2) the plants being one to three feet high check the force of the rain and 

 so reduce " wash "; and (3) they do not twine round the stems of the main crop. 

 The chief disadvantages are (1) cost of planting ; (2) cost of weeding for the first 

 two or three months ; (3) the plants must be uprooted twice a year or much woody 

 matter is formed, which is not suitable for digging in. 



