January 2, 1888.] THE TROPICAL 
ON IBEIGATION. 
To the Editor " Tropical Agriculturist." 
I shall feel obliged it' you, or some one of your 
correspondents would state why the subject of irrigation 
is so little attended to; and on what grounds some 
of the wealthy and intelligent cultivators of the soil 
abandon a practice which appears to me to produce 
the most plentiful crop upon a given part of the 
ground, and at the least possible expense with the 
least permanent injury to the soil?* 
My little experience in this art enables me, to say, 
that where paddy land is favourably situated, it will, 
by tho effects of water, regardless of seasons, produce 
a sufficient crop which may co?er all the expenses 
of tin cultivator, and would leave a sufficient quantity 
for his consumption without impoverishing the soil 
from whence it came. This, with other concommitant 
advantages, shall be more particularly enumerated if 
occasion requires, but entertaining, as I do, an idea 
that the island Lanka is suffering an enormous loss 
by the subject not boing more fully understood, I 
trust an apology for troubling you will be unnecessary. 
.T. A. Jno. RoDRino. 
Agricultural Instructor- 
+ 
ON LEAVES AS A MANURE FOR PADDY. 
Sir, — As the season for the cultivation of tho yala 
harvest is approaching, I am desirous of calling the 
atteutiou of your numerous readers and their friends 
who are prep iring to cultivate their fields to the 
consideration of the leaves of the common Pila plant, 
Imlii/of'vru purpurea aud Magulkaraude, Pongamia 
glabra as a manure for paddy. The great facility 
that every cultivator has of obtaining them from his 
neighbouring gardens free of cost, warrants their 
trying a series of experiments in sowing their seeds 
and putting on the loaves before the fields are 
puddled by tho buffaloes, as it is the custom among 
most of the native cultivators, or ploughed with the 
native or English plough'*. These leaves can be used 
as & Substitute for bone aud other manures which 
are costing ten or twelve times as much. 
Experiments have been tried, but not extensively 
enough to warrant its being said how muoh is saved in 
expense, and what quantities per acre ought to ba 
used to render tho best returns. 
It is to this poiut that I wish attention to be 
directed and as .sir Humphrey Davy iu his Elements 
of Agricultural Clieuii.<trg, writes: — " Nothing is more 
wanting in agriculture lhan experiments in which ail 
the circumstances are minutely and scientifically 
detaile 1." Would some of your readers or their friends 
asvist tbis object, and sow a small portion iu each of 
their fields of paddy with these leaves as manure, 
and report the result iu your paper ; that is, the 
quantity of other mauure used, the respective cost 
for manuring an acre, the yield, aud tho quality of 
tho ground experimentalized upon. 
J. A. Jno. Rodrmo, 
Agriiultural Instructor. 
THE GROUND-NUT TRADE OF INDIA. 
Pondieberry lately enjoyed the advantages of a 
monopoly of the Indian export ground-nut trade, but 
from a com par <tiv«ly insignificant beginning three or 
four years ago, Bombay has now divided, abaut equally, 
the bulk of the trade with the port of Pondieberry. 
The total number of lakhs of bags ( 10-1 lb. each ) ex- 
ported from India during each of the last three years 
iu round uumbers was as follows: — 
188.'). 1S8G. 1887. 
from British Indian Torts... 4 6-10th 6* 7-t0th 7 d-lulh 
„ Pondieberry... ... 7J 01 6j 
It will be seen from these figures that while thoship- 
* We suppose, that, as a matter of fact, fields am 
oi ea-ionallv loft fallow to provide pasturage tor ca'tle, 
thuir droppings p -ep inn*' \\-> Ian I for future cultiva- 
tion! Unless ground i« manured or fallowed, wo 
fancy irrigation will not prevent exhaustion after a 
time — Kr>. 
n 
AGRICULTURIST. 4«* 
ments from British India (chiefly Bombay), between 
the vears 18S5 and 1887. increased by 6G 2-8th per cent., 
those from Pondieberry fell nearly 48} per cent. The 
crop in Southern India for the current year has been 
a bad one, but at tho same time it is said to have 
been I f low tho average in the sister Presidency, so 
that the vagaries attributed to the season have had 
little to do with the rise and fall in the quantities 
of kernels exported from the two rival portr. Taking 
the actual number of bags shipped during the Unci 
completed quarters of the present year, ami assuming 
the ratio of increase for the remaining three months 
to be at the same rate, the total for Bombay will 
approximate to half-»-million of bagr> for the twelve 
months, and it is estimated that this quantity will be 
doubled for the season of 1888. Already Marseilles 
merchants are discussing the situation iu regard to 
next year's prices, aud the opening market rate is ex- 
pected to rule unprecrxleuf ly low. So far, the crop 
prospects for earth-nuts are unusually good in both Pre- 
sidencies, and the amount available for export 
from the whole of India is likely to reach two millions 
of bags. The sudden development — approximating to 
a rise of about 100 per ceut. in two years, — of this 
trade must materially affect both buyers and sellers. 
Tho Bombay kernel is greatly superior to that usually 
produced in South Arcot, and it is, as a rule shipped 
iu much better condition. It also weighs more, and 
consequently occupies less space, and is more economi- 
cally manipulated, while the facilities for shipping, the 
rates of freight, are all iu favour of the Western port ; 
and there is a much more direct relation with between 
the exporter and the cultivator than exists generally 
in this part of India. Unlike cereals, or at least food 
grains, the demand for earth-nuts is confined within 
rather narrow limits, and it remains to bo seen whether 
manufacturers will pay a price for comparatively 
surplus stocks that will yield a margin sufficient for 
the producer to work upon. The tillage of the nut 
costs very little, and land well nigh useless for other 
crops can be utilised for its growth. In ordinary favour- 
able seasons the cultivator has but to sow the seed aud 
reap the harvest. — Madras Mail, Dec. 5. 
PROCEEDINGS OF THE AGRICULTURAL AND 
HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY OF INDIA 
FOR NOVEMBER 1887. 
Lemons at.IIu/h Elevations, — Mr. Angus Campbell, 
writing from Mussoorio, referred to a statement of 
Dr. Bonavia's, that " Orange and Lemon trees can 
be successfully grown wherever tea and eoffeo cau 
be grown." Mr. Campbell remarks as follow-: — 
" Iu tho Doon, at 2,000 foet elevation, tea grows 
well, but coffee does not, as the frost destroys tho 
trees, but lemons aud oranges grow well ; here, at 
6,500 feet Tea grows well, and I have seen it growing 
at higher elevatious, but I cannot find that lemons 
or oranges grow here, though limes grow in tho 
valleys at about 1,000 feet below this. I have beard 
that some 500 fett below this, lemons have been 
planted, but the growth is slow, and the bushes 
have not fruited yet. X have some young lime trees 
that I intend to plant out next spring, but 1 am 
a 1 raid that they will not prosper. Do you know of 
any of this family of trees being growu so high up- 
on the Himalayas? According to the Flora of 
British India, Vol. I, pages 514-515, Citrus medica 
Linn, ascends to 4,000 feet, and C. Hystrix J>. 0. 
to 5,000 foet. Mr. Campbell's remarks will, how- 
ever, it is hoped, lead other members to record 
their experiences of growing any of the Citrm> 
group at high elevations. 
Erythroxylon-] Cora. — The following further 
letters havo been received on this subject with 
samples of leaf: — 
From Messrs. Orcsswell li Co. we heve received 
tho following report regarding tbe Oocine from 
Mr. W. B. Onsswell in reply n th« questions 
the Soniety desired answered : — 
1. District, Doors. 
2. Elevation. 2,200, rainfall 180 to 200 iuches. 
3. Soil, virgin foreit, chocolate colored loaf mould. 
