Nov. 1, 1901] 
THE TROPICAL 
AGEICULTurJST. 
303 
amount of humus in the soil. The function performed 
by humus was long misunderstood, but it is now known 
to be the soil's storehouse of nitrogen, and although 
not directly available to crops, it is rendered so by 
nitrificiation. Farmyard manure introduces into the soil 
these nitrifying organisms in large qcantities, a 
quality not possessed by chemical fertilisers ; a point 
of great importance, but which is sometimes over- 
looked. 
The author goes on to show that the largest crof s 
are to be obtained by a proper combination of farm- 
yard manure and artificial fertilisers. 
The end of the 19ih century was marked by several 
great discoveries in agricuUural chemistry. In 1876 
Messrs. Schloesing and Muntz showed that the foima- 
tion of nitrates in the soil is the v/ork of special fer- 
ments. In 1S85 M. Berthelot proved that the fixing of 
nitrogen in the soil takes place by means of micro- 
organisms ; and in 18S6 Messrs. Hellriegel and Wil- 
farth proved that Leguminous plants only make use 
of the free nitrogen cf the atmosphere when they form 
on their roots nodules containing bacteria or mic- 
robes. 
In order to promote nitrification, warmth, moisture 
and air must be present in suitable quantities and pro- 
portions. One of the objects of ploughing and digg- 
ing should be to briug about the best conditions for 
nitrificstion, for if they are faulty this action may be 
feeble, or entirely arrested. 
Nitrification is promoted either by long or short 
fallows (bare soil) conducted during the warmer months 
of the year, but if a super-abundance of rainfalls 
upon the land before growing crops have made use cf 
the nitrogen rendered available by tillage, serious 
loss may accrue by drainage. This fact leads to the 
conclusion that fallow lands, and those which have 
received frequent tillage while producing a summer 
inter-tilled crop, should be fully occupied by plants 
before the autnmu or winter rains occur. 
Moderate rains may seive to carry the available 
nitrogen downward, but it tends to rise to or near the 
surface as soon as capillary action is restored. But 
if water drains through or passes over the surface of 
the land rich in soluble nitiogenous compounds, great 
loss of plant-food may take place. Nitrification is 
checked by the drying effect of growing crops; this 
can be obviated by the application of a dressing of 
nitrate of foda. 
The author concludes his work by stating that much 
of the land of France is irrigated for market garden 
purposes. This practice is specially suited to lands 
broken up into small holdings. By presevering toil the 
gardeners of these districts are enabled to produce 
their early vegetables, cut flowers, and fruits, which 
are di-tributed all over Europe. 
In these irrigated soils, enriched by copious manur- 
ings, micro-organisms and ferments multiply exceed- 
ingly, and push production to its maximum, because 
Water is the first condition of fertility. 
We can confidently recommend this valuable treatise 
to our readers, who will be fully repaid by a careful 
study of its contents.— G'a/Y?ene)-s' Chronicle, Oct. 4, 
FUTURE OF RHEA IN INDIA. 
By J. Kakpeles. 
(Specially translated for Pla)iting Opinion 
from the -Journal d' Agriculture 
Tropic ale) 
\ wish to attact your attention to a new industry of 
British India, which I think is bound to play in a few 
years a very important part in the French textile 
markets especially against flex and hemp. 
Tills ia '• rhea," whose cultivation has been so far in 
the experimental states in British India: the othir 
countries in which rhea has been tried as a commer- 
cial enterprise are, however, not better oS thna 
British ludia. All the expeiiuieuts made so far iu 
Algeria and the Far East have, after the firsb period o£ 
cultivation, come to an abrupt end through the impos- 
sibility of properly decorticating the fibre, no machine 
having been known to give any industrial results. The 
f mployment of chemicals to remove the skin from the 
fibre after decortication, i.e., after the wood is removed 
caiinot be considered as solving the problem of the 
iridustrial production of a fibre ready to be put on 
the spindles. The acids which we are bound to use 
affect the fibre, taking away part of its strength and 
consequently of its value. The decortication of the 
stems when dry, which I will not discuss on the 
point of the value of the fibre, cannot be carried out 
in countries where the rainfall and consequently the 
production of the plant, is enormous, like India, Indo- 
china, and Java : where the air is so saturated with 
humidity during 6 months of the year that it is 
impossible to dry the stems. These would surely 
ferment and become valueless, and it is precisely 
during the six months in question that the production 
is the greatest. 
The decortication of the dry stems being put aside 
as impracticable and the chemical process as dangerous 
there only remains the deccrtication of the green 
stems. I have succeeded in getting hold of a machine 
of French production, which gives perfect results, i.e., 
a beautiful fibie, entirely decorticated and without 
the least trace of skin or wood. Established in 
British India, at Calcutta and Madras, for thirty years 
I had occupied myself so far nearly exclusively with 
indigo. The rivalry of the synthetic produce has had 
the results of lowering the price- of the natural indigo 
to such an extent, that it does not any longer pay 
many planters to continue their industry The Gov- 
ernment have been touched by the situation of the 
planters and have encouraged them, both privately 
and openly, to go in for new products. The cultiva- 
tion of fire-bearirg plants and of sugarcane were put 
forward at once. Since 1898 I have teen pursuaded 
that indigo planters, who, only in Bengal, represent 
Ist-class hands to the extent of loO,f 00 hectares, were 
ready lo go in in for rhea, provided it was possible to 
put before them some good and unquestionable results. 
Since 1839 1 have had some small experiments made 
at three indigo plantations: at Dalsing Serai, (Dur- 
bungah), at Bungaon (Mcnghve), and at Pakabaree 
(Mocrshedabad), The plant grew splendidly and 
after one year, one root becoming 15 or 20 roots, we 
could extend the cultivation srfEciently to order 
several machines and find out the production per 
acre and per machine, i.e., the nett cost of the fibre. 
In the meantime the 3 plantations above mentioned 
were regularly giving 4 to 5 crops (cuttings) per annum 
and produce per acre, which had been at the start 
85,0I;(D stems per acre is today bttween 80 and 
100,000 stems per acre, This is the number of stems 
which grow generally in China, and I remember 
reading in the "Journal of the Jamaica Agricultural 
Society " that the crop t;ave even up to 200,000 stems 
per acre. 
In I'jQl, the experiments with the decortication 
could be commenced, the rhea being 2 years old 
and giving regularly stems 2 m. to 2'50 m. of length. 
I had imported from one maker 4 different types 
of machines, of which I sent one each to Bungaon 
and Patkabaree and two to Dnlsing Serai, The 
former two plantations were unable to show any 
industrial result, but their produce was identical and 
absolutely pure, barring the gum, which was found 
in proportions varying between 25 (S 28 % as in the 
China grass of commerce. 
The fibre obtained was found to to bo about 3i "^o 
of the nett weight of the stems, i. e, with their 
leaves stripped off. At Dalsing Serai, the machiney 
being perfect we oould treat 4 ciop?, which gave us 
the following results ; — 
Number of stems per acre , . SO,0(X) 
^Veight of stems per acre . . 5,500 kilos. 
Produce of absolutely dry fibre 190 ,, 
Produce of 2 machines per hour 9 ,i of dry fibret 
