Nov. 1, 1902,] THE TKOPICAL 
believe it is of great value iu helping them to 
resist diseases of a fungoid nature. Tlie manure, 
which is most commonly used by those who are 
not well up in n.anuring, is cantor cake and 
bones, which is an incomplete manure as containing 
a negUgable quantity of potash. A wall-balanced 
manure such as your Agricultural Chemist supplies 
you with, has its constituents so arranged that 
each element cjmes into action gradually and 
simultaneously and the more this point has been 
considered the greater the value of the manure in 
tea cultivation. And ill-balanced manure will stimu- 
late the bush at first and then leave it in-sufficiently 
supplied with nouiishment and a ready prey for 
diesase. You want to manure your tea, say, every 
three yeais, therefore, the manure must lo.st for 
three years in its elTect, The difference between 
a forcing and a sustaining manure lies in the 
amount of nitrogen contained in it, and the form 
in which it is supplied. Take the typical forcing 
manure now so cenerally used : — 
Castor Cake 400 lbs. j 
Fish 400 „ f 
Nitrate of Potash 100 ,, ( P^^r acre 
Sulphate of Ammonia 100 ,, ) 
and compare it with the manure generally sup- 
plied by the Agricultural Chemists. The mi-Yture 
I have quoted contains 8ilbs of Nitrogen as 
against about 25— .30 lbs in most of the manures 
supplied by Messrs freudenberg and ("o., Baur 
and Hughes. As to the effect of forcing manures 
which, of course, form part of a regular system of 
working for large yield, such as low pruning, &c. 
You are all capable of estimating the effect just as 
well as I am. The great increase in crop is 
undoubted and the great falling-off in prices equally 
evident. I have for instance in my eye an estate 
in my own neighbourhood where the nornial yield 
would be abo ut 550 lbs per acre and which has 
been worked up to about 850 lbs per acre, the 
prices for the teas at the same time having 
dropped about 3d per lb. 
That it is quite possible to manure and yet 
maintain quality I am well assured. Over the 
only field which I have manured twice on Holm- 
wood for instance, I have been able to detect a 
distinct improvement in the cup. The manure 
applied was low in Nitrogen and rich in 
Potash and phosphoric acid, Basic slag 
providing part of the Phosphoric acid. On another 
estate, which I visit where Mr Bamber's mixture 
on espcial analj'sis was applied, the Su|)erintendent 
reports that the quality is returning as the 
result of the manuring and higher pruning and 
the prices bear out his statement. At any rate I 
would ask you before you commit your estates 
to the system of working for large quantity to 
weigii well the evidence for and against. In 
my strong objection to forcing manures, I am, at 
any rale in good company; for you have only to 
read Mr Bartber's reporr, on tea soils to see that 
he condemns them. From what I hear I am 
inclined to think that our leading authority on 
manuring is of much the same opinion also. 
Before concluding I would like to touch upon 
the subject of green manuring as I think it pro- 
mises to economise greatly the future manuring 
of tea. As you know there are certain p'ants 
and trees which have the property of collecting 
the nitrogen of the air and storing it in their 
roots to be given up afterwards to the soil 
such as the Leguminosa the Peas, Beans, 
Lupins &c,, and among our best-kno>Yn trees 
AGRICULTUEIST. sgfl 
the Albizzias, Dadap and so on, Mr Bamber 
recommends the trial of Crotolaria striata which 
has been used to some extent, I believe, on a 
Matale estate though with what result I cannot 
say, It is veiy evideut however that if all the 
necessary nitrogen can be supplied by the atmos- 
phere by means of green manuring, Iialf the 
expense would be saved as only the Phosiilioric acid 
and Potash would have to be supplied to the 
soil. I have tried a small experiment myself 
with gram on Holmwood which made a proht of 
Rl5 per acre ; but when I tried the same on An- 
coombra in Matale the growth of the gram was a 
failure, owing no doubt to the soil having been 
l)reviously exhausted of its Potash and Phc sphoiic 
acid by the heavy ciops of coffee which 
had been taken off that land. To get the 
full benefit of green manuring Phosphoric acid 
and Potash should be supplied to the soil before 
the Leguminous plant is sown. In the low- 
country I have noticed that Albizzias improved 
the tea under them iu a most marked degree. 
I hope I have not wearied you with my address. 
It is not scientific and is open to any amount 
of criticism and is only to be taken as presenting 
some of the conclusions drawn from practical 
experience by one who has always taken an 
interest in Manuring problems and who has the 
iuterests of thisDistrict more especially at heart. 
The address was received with rounds of applauge 
and Mr Wilson Smith proposed that a vote of 
thanks be recorded to the Chairman for hi 
interesting discourse on Manuring. Mr. G D 
Jamieson seconded. W. D. BosANQUET. 
. » ... , 
TEA MARKETS IN SOUTH INDIA. 
A CENTRAL TRAVANCORE SCHEME. 
An extraordinary General Meeting of the Cen- 
tral Travancore Planters Association, called for 
the purpose of discussing the "Tea Exploitation 
Scheme for S India," was held at Pambanar Bun- 
galow on the 20tli September. 
Mr H M Knight was after some preliminary 
business was transacted asked by the Chairman 
to explain the above scheme. He began by read- 
ins the scheme, and explained the paras, not 
clearly understood by this and other Associations. 
The maximum price of 4 annas per lb., he said, 
did not mean that this was the maximum price 
at which the teas were to be sold, but the maxi- 
mum price to be returned to the contributors 
before any remuneration accrues to the exploiters. 
The remuneration to exploiters is contingent 
upon the account sales showing a better nett 
result than 4 annas per lb. , after returning which, 
the exploiters and contributors divide the balance. 
For instance, if a lb. of tea, after bein? suit- 
ably packed, is sold for 8 annas per lb. the 
account would be as follows;— 
Dr. As. 
To paid Contributor 4 
To expenses (say) •..2 
Balance to be equally divided between 
contributor and exploiter ... 2 
Total As. 8 
Cr. As. 
By sale of 1 lb. Packet Tea .. 8 
The nett result therefore to the contributor 
would be 5 annas yjer lb. if sold at 8 annas. He 
then went on to say that bethought it absolutely 
necessary to pack the teas in lead. He produced a 
