Deo. 1, 19G0. ] Supplemeni to the 'Tropical AgricuUurisl." 
441 
tioiiQtely too much uitrogeu and not enough 
l)hosplioric acid and potash to be considered a 
"complete fertiliser." 
By a proper rotation of cropland by " green 
manuring," stable manure can, in fact, be dispens-ed 
with, and in tome cases sucli a course is even 
preferuble. The old snying that stable manuie is 
indispensable to successful farming is not now 
regarded as an axiom. A manuie containing an 
e.xcess of nitrogen will unduly increase the growth 
of leaf and jtraw at the expense of fruit or grain. 
To avoid such a result, stable manure should 
nlwaj's be supplemented with artificial fertilisers 
contiiinitig phosphoric acid and potash. 
Wood ashes are a valuable source of potash, but 
the amount contained in them is small and 
variable. Muriate of potash (potassium chloride) 
is the cheapest form of potash and the best form, 
except in special cases where chlorine affects the 
quality of the crop, as with tobacco and oranges. 
For these latter sulphate of potash should be used. 
Kaiuit. is another form of potash salt, containing 
the chloride, and is specially valuable on sandy 
soils. It is valued not only for its fertilising 
properties but for its beneticial effects as a 
destroyer of insect pests and a remedy in certain 
forms of plant disease. 
The amount of kainit which should be added 
to fresh stable manure to prevent loss of ammonia 
through heating is 1 lb. per day lor each cow or 
horse or for eight head of sheep. The kaiuit will 
save more than its cost in the value of the 
nitrogen which it retains, and will possess its 
original value as potash food. 
Swampy and peaty soils, which consist largely 
of humus, and which, as a rule, are rich in 
nitrogen, derive only slight benefit from stable 
manure. Such soils need lime, potash, and often 
phosphoric acid. The application of these forms 
of fertiliser is followed by largely increased crops. 
Phosphoric acid and potash will prove of slight 
value when apijlied as "top dressing" during the 
growing season. When so applied, these ferti- 
lisers will stay on the surface and out of the 
reach of the roots, of the plants. Phosphoric acid 
and potash are "fixed" or retained by the soil. 
They are not volatile, nor do they leach through 
the soil. It is quite different with nitrogen. 
When organic matter, exposed to the air, decom- 
poses, a portion of the nitrogen present volatilises 
and is lost in the atmosphere. The remainder, 
unless absorbed by vegetation, is finally washed 
away. Nitrogen in the form of nitrates readily 
leaches through the soil. Nitrate of soda may, 
therefore, well be applied as a top dressing 
during the growing season. 
The commercial fertilicers now in the market 
are the most desirable supplements and substi- 
tutes for stable manure th'it can be obtained by 
the farmer. In complete fertilsers the nitrogen, 
phosphoric acid, and jpotush are skillfully com- 
pounded in various proportions. They are in a 
finely ground and thoroughly commingled con- 
dition, can lie applied by drilling, and can bo 
easily mixed with the soil. Their value has been 
accurately determined by the various agricultural 
associations, and the interests of the farmer 
^arefully protected, 
THE CULTIVATION AND CUEING OF 
TOBACCO. 
I. Soil a?id Climate. 
A light soil or sandy loam, well drained and 
containing an average amount of organic matter and 
rich in mineral matters is considered to be best 
suited for tobicco cultivation. To'ji.cco grown on 
clay soils is too coarse and inferior in quality, bub 
clay soils usually give heavy yields. Soils rich in 
organic matter or humus produce a better sorr, of 
toliacco of the kind fit for making cigars than clay 
soils. The principal tobacco-growing districts of 
Bengal are Rungpur, Cooch Behar, Jalpaiguri, 
Furnea, Darbliangn, Mymensingh, Nadia, Muzaff- 
urpur, Jessore and Manbhum Murshidabd, Dinaj- 
pur, Chittagoiig, Dacca, Tippera, Bhagalpur, Pabna, 
Monghyr, Ciittuck, etc., named in order of im- 
portance. The Cliittagong tobacco'- command? 
the highest price in the market, viz., as much as 
E22 per maund, tne Rangpur tobacco selling from 
R6 to R12 per maund. The tobacco oi other 
districts enumerated above is sold at E3 to R7 per 
maund. Ignorance of the method of cultivation 
and of curing causes in many places inferiority in 
the quality of leaves, but the difference in flavour 
is, no doubt, also due to influences of the soils and 
climate. t 
'J. Chemical Composition. 
Tobacco requires particularly good soil and 
heavy manuring, as it is richer in nitrogen and in 
mineral constituents tiuiii almost any other crop, 
The composition of the leaves vary very much in 
both nitrogenous and asli constituents according 
to the richness of the soil or the amount of soluble 
plant food contained in it. The amount of nitrates 
in leaves may be as much as 10 per cent of the dry 
matter. The ash of Indian tobaccos varies between 
16 and 28 per cent, the greater part of which 
consists of carbonate of lime. The soluble portion 
of the ash chiefly consists of potash salts, the 
proportion varying from 5 to 85 percent. 
Tiie following table taken from Johnson's " How 
Cro^s Grow," page 378, gives the average con- 
stituents of tobacco ash : — 
Percentage of ash ... 
24-08 
Composition of the Ash, 
Potash ... 
27-4 
Soda 
3-7 
Magnesia 
10-5 
Lime 
37-0 
Phosphoric acid 
3 -a 
Sulphuric acid 
8-8 
Silica 
9-5 
Chlorine... 
, 4-5 
100-00 
* The Chittagong Hill Tracts produce the beat 
tobacco in Bengal. This is generally used for 
making cigars by the i urmese. There are three 
varieties ; (1) Khao Doung ; (2) Mri Kheoung, and 
(3) Kigri Ivheoung. The excellence of these varieties 
of tobacco, it; is said, is due to the speciality of the 
soil rather than to any peculiar mode of cultivation 
or of curing. The leaves are cured in the way in 
vogue in Rangpur and Jalpaiguri. 
i Cow-sheds are commonly used by the rayats for 
drying tobacco ; this gives a bad flavour to the 
tobacco. 
