14 
THE TROPICAL A.GRICULTURIST. 
[July 1, 1902. 
It is difficult to nnderstand the deficiency of potash 
in the -Ith sample. The nitrogen and phosphoric 
acid are pi-obably about average for thia kind of 
rnannie. Samples No- 1 and 2 were OL-iginally of 
similar claw to sample No. 4. They were, 1 imagine- 
superor in quality orginally to No. 1. No. 1 sample 
(taken iu handfuls from many trees) is by no means 
exhausted 14 months after application, and it may 
be inferred from this that the gardeners' methods 
of application and of protecting the manure from 
surface wash and heavy rainfall by a covering of 
branoh-wood and leaves are successful in practice. 
From personal observation, I can say that the 
branch-wood, a full year after being first put on, 
is sufficient to break the force of heavy downpours 
of raiu, and when flcat put on or afterwards allows 
the rainfall to percolate through the manure to 
feed the plants. It is suggested iu the papers by 
one ofiicer that the gardeners should nse the leaf- 
sheaths of the SHpari palm (Arcca Catechu, Ltnii.,} 
leaves as a protection for the manure instead of 
the branch-wood now used. The leaf-sheaths are 
all required for another purpose in the garden 
(conomy,and in any case the manure does not 
as Mr. Davidson points out) need a water-proof. It 
needs protection and needs also to soak up the 
lainfall. as it falls in a fair and reasonable way. 
9. Nc, C! s-ample was taken in the same way as No- 
1 iu handfnls from above the roots of many trees. 
The samples were taken two mouths after applica- 
tion. No. 2 contains less sand than No. 1 for ob- 
vious reasons, and probably its original manuria] 
elements had been fiince application utilized to con- 
siderable extent, as the trees and plants were iu 
active growth. The garden soil and the manure 
were quite moist, and there had Ijeen rather abnormal 
heavy rainfall some little time before the samples 
were taken. These are conditions which vvould help 
the Dlants to utilize the manurial ingredients quickly. 
The sample No. 3 from dry leaven used as litter 
under cattle is quite as good as might be expected 
Tt has about half the manunal value of good cattle 
dung manure. The owner considered it was poor 
staff 'I he high percentage of sand is noticeable. 
10 There is no doubt that the present system 
of manuring in the Kanara Gardens is successful 
in rraotice. provided the gardeners are allovyed to 
nae in sufficient quantity the kinds of forest pro- 
duce which they prefer. The system of manuring 
is expcn-ive, even though the materials are got 
free and the destrnction caused to forest grovylh 
, enormous. Under the circumstances, it would, I 
think be most advisable to test by experiment 
whether available concentrated manures, such as 
cag'or cake or safllower cake, could take the place 
of a portion of the manure now used. These cakes 
can be imported from Dharwar at reasonable rates 
inlo the district. Castor cake is less valuable manu- 
rially than Fafflower cake, and is dearer In the 
Gardens of Un-sein, with heavy rainfMl in light 
gon castor cake is successfully used It is obnoxious 
to In-^ect life, and if u-ed in the Kanara gardens 
theio' would probably be less damage done by grubs 
and borers, w-hich certainly do considoruble damage 
tn the Kardon plants and trees now. 
11 1 append hereto analyses by Ur. Leather of 
Hamplcs of four descriptions of soils which are 
iafl-.ciontly described in the appended tabular 
atfttoment ;— 
cS 'o fl 
c3 CD _ -U 
(0 
u <u te IS ^ 
§ =s ^ S 'a 
5 "IS"? 
■ 
S o 3 
0; ■ 
CD 
•19 
■Oi -073 -074 
•0017 -0005 -0015 
■20 09 -18 
Lime (CaO) total -11 "09 -15 
Magnesia (MgO) total '30 -30 -29 •38 
Alkalies total 1^07 -31 
Potash total -loi -071 -110 -27 
Potash (K2O) available '003 '008 'OOl •OOS 
Phosphoric acid 
(F2O5) total _ -086 
Phosphoric acid 
available 'OOi 
Nitrogen total -014 
Nitric acid (as 
Nitrates) -0009 Ml, Nil. -003 
12. Dr. Leather says the samples are all defi- 
cient in lime phosphoric acid and more or less so 
in available potash. I should, as a matter of fact, 
class them as agriculturally poor, but in my extended 
notes regarding the garden cultivation I remarked 
that it does not matter much whether the garden 
soil is naturally fertile or not, because the yield 
of the crops is mostly affected by the quality and 
quantity of manure given. As regards the soil it 
must be of such consistence that it withstands the 
denuding effect of flood water and be so retentive 
of moisture that little or no irrigation is required 
in the fair season; All the samples submitted to 
Dr. Leather possessed these desirable qualities. It 
has already been shown that the leaves and twigs 
used by the cultivators are rich in potash and also 
in nitrogen, in which the soils are decidedly deficient. 
It has also been shown that the trampling of the 
leaves under cattle and the absorption of the ex- 
creta particularly, if the cattle are partially fed on 
cake, improves the resultant manure in phosphates. 
Dr. Leather has not separately estimated the amount 
of lime in the mannres, but he shows that the aoila 
are dificient in this important ingredient. I haye 
already stated that the matti tree when burnt leaves 
and ash rich in lime, or, according to local opinion, 
it yields chunam. The cultivators are specially 
anxious to be allowed to take the leaves and twigs 
of this tree. If the manure applied to the trees in 
the Kanara gardens was mixed, as in common Agri- 
cultural practice, freely with the soil, then the soil in 
old-established gardens would probably be -richer in 
manuiial ingredients than new soil. 
IH. I conclude from a study of Dr. Leather's 
analysis that the system of manuring, as practised 
in the gardens of Kanara, is as right in theory und 
praf.tice as it well can be, provided tho manure as 
it accumulates in the pits is subjected iu ihe least 
possible degree to the wasteful wash of the heavy 
Kanara rainfall, — Agricultural Ledr/er. 
PLANT BREEDING. 
We learn from tho March number of the Journal 
of the Hoard of Ar/rictillttre that tho ITiiited States 
Deparliiient of Agriculture have recently issued a 
Bulletin, by Professor W- M. liays, on plant-breed- 
ing, whihh contains a good account of the tcclinu/iic, 
of the subject, and somo stimulating sui;gest)otis. 
" Many look to tho production of imptoved varieties 
% 
