172 



the same place. There is a substratTam of hwaJzar rlirovi^I: :Mr the 

 whole of that part of the coimtry, and to some . „is 



earth with the surface soil the fertiiity of the latter is ascribed : — 



1 2 3 



Hvgroiaetric moistm-e, OIL dry:::.- 212 icg. , 2'o 2 1 3-6 

 Cart onaceous and Tegetatle n:-.::.r. ::: calcinatioii I'S 21 -± 0 

 CaxlDoiiate of lime (No. 3 e:aervesce r , . . I'o 0,6 3-9 

 Alk a li n e salt, soluble . . . ' . . .1-0 I'l O'S 

 Silex and alumina ...... &4:'l P-i'l §S-2 



lOj-0 100-0 100 '0 



The earths unfortimately were not separated. Piinsep 

 says the two first were chiefly of sand, and the third sriinewhat 

 argLilaceoxis. The former required irrigation, but : _rr was 

 sufficiently retentive of moisture to render it r^mieocssary. — 

 ( Journ. Asiatic Soc. ii, -iSo.j 



Manures. — The sugar cane being one of the most valued crops 

 of the ryot, he always devotes to it a poition of the fertiKsiiig 

 matters he has at command, though in every instance this is too 

 small. 



In the Sajahmun'rry Ldlsrrict. previously t^? planthig:. the soil is 

 slightly manured. ei"d::cr by having cattle folded upon it. or 

 by a light covering of the rotten stra— f rlie green and black 

 pessalloo, which is here a favourite i.vi:_l:-vr, Li some paits of 

 Mysore the mud from the bottom of tanks is employed, and this 

 practice is more generally adopted in other places. Thus the 

 fields being divided by deep ditches in Dina'pc-jr. the mud from 

 which is enriched by the remains of decayed aquatic plants and 

 animalsj forms an excellent manure for the sugar cane, and of this 

 the ryots make use, spreading it over the surface before the 

 ploughing is commenced : and when that operation is completed, 

 the soil v~ fv.:-her fertilised by a dressing of oilcake and ashes. 



CiT.d vj3s would unquestionably be of the greatest benefit 

 if applied to the sugar cane crop. Xot only would theii^ aiiiin:il 

 matter serve as food for tl_e ;[:lants, but the phosphate of lime of 

 the bones is one of the chief saline constituents of the sugar 

 cane. 



Salt is another valuable manure f jr this crop. Dr. IN'v.Z'inr. in 

 a E^eport made to the Agricultiiral S ^ciery of Antigua. c';?:ives 

 that salt has been found a valuable auxiliary in cultiva r:_e 

 sugarcane. Many trials of it. he says, have been madi l..,i::.h- 

 successive seasons, applied generally to the extent of ab; : :_b>? 

 or ten bushels per acre. It destroys grubs and other ins: , :;. a_: 1 

 gives the canes an increased vigor and ability to resist di'ought. 

 It is a singular remark of the intelligent traveller. M. de Hum- 

 boldt, while speaking of the practice adopted in the ]Missions of 

 the OriQOCO, when a coco-nut plantation is made, of throwing a 

 certain quantity of salt into the hole which receives the nut ; that 

 of all the plants cultivated by man there ai'e only the sugar cane, 

 the plantain, the mammee, and the Avocada pear, which endure 

 equally iiTigation with fi'esh and salt water. 



