Mahch 1, 1904.] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
G39 
From a long series of analyses published by the 
author, and from the discussion of these, ;ioine 
general conclusions can be drawn — provisional 
perhaps, but which are worth theplanter'a atttniioi!. 
1st. The chemical ci.nstitation of the soil, es- 
pecially in regard to the quantity of substances 
assimilable by ihe tea plane, has a very evident 
effect on the chemical constitution of the leaf. 
2ad. This influence is especially marked in the 
case of marjganese (and of tlie consiituents of 
the leaf which cannot be considered iiuiritive 
elements) of which the percentage in the leaf is 
more coasidprable when ihe soil contains a large 
proportion of this metal. Tiie .-anie fact is equally 
noticeable in ihe leaf in tlie case of pliosjjhoric acid, 
lime and mawnej'ia. 
3rd. In general, a ?oil poor in these last three 
elements produces leaf containing a small average 
of these three -simple bodies, without however ex- 
ceeding a certain maximum. 
4ih. Chemical analysis of the soil, such as is 
made by a decoction in a weak solution of 5 per 
cent hydrochloric acid, cannot give a correct 
idea of the quantity of nutritive miterial free 
in the soil and able to be assimilated liy the plant. 
This is truer for soils rich in humus and very 
permeable and sandy than for less perjiieablj 
clays. 
5th, Kjeldahl's method for the determination 
ct azote matter in the soil cannot uniformly give 
an exaci idea of the quantity of mateiial assimil- 
able by the plant. For soils containing little f.z>ie 
matter sometimes produce a tea very rich in azot<^, 
while one rich in azite sometimes produces leaf 
less rich. This is due to the fact that these nzite 
materials are found in combinatious not assimil- 
able by the plant. 
5th. As far as can be ascertained from experi. 
nients up to the present, the potash e mtained in the 
soil is always suttcient, and it would be appear h;;| 
potash manure cannot be successfully u ed in tea 
cultivation Revue des Cultures Coloniales- 
TROUT FOR OOTAOAMUND. 
CRYLON SUGGESTION FOR AN EXPERT : VERY 
PRACTICALLY SUPPORTED, 
A few days ago Messrs C M Mullay, G Oakes <Sr H P 
Hodgson went up to the Hatchery at Siiowdon nnd 
watched the removal ot the first batch of rainbow 
t! out consisting of 200 fry. These had to ler enio\ed 
to the stream in Parson's Valley 6 miles away. 
The removal requited great care, and was most 
satisfactorily performed and they were turned 
into the stream. Other batches will be removed 
shoitly. As there aie several very keen fishermen 
always on the Nilgiiis, if they can get good 
fishing, it will add auot her attraction to a very 
sportinar District. A nieetingof the Nilgiri Game 
ana Fish Association was held at the Collector's 
Office on the 27th instant, A suggestion was lead 
from the Cey on Fishing Club and met with 
cordial approval to the effect that an expert in 
pisciculture shoukl be imported i^o that a Trouc 
Hatchery should be started in Oeylon. The 
Association decided to support the scheme by 
getting its trout ova from Ceylon instead of, as 
now, from England, — M Mail, 
CULTIVATION OF RUBBER IN MYSORE. 
Mr Suickland, the local agent of Messrs Arbtith- 
not & Co., h us applied tio'Governmeiit on behalf of 
thai firm tor land in he Shimoga District to be 
utilised in the cultiva'.iou of rubber.— il/. Mail. 
CLOSE SEASONT FOR TROUT. 
It is hereby declared, in accordance with the 
provision of section 3 of Ordinance No. 6 of 1S93, 
that until further notice the period hereinafter 
specified .shall be deemed close season for trout in 
the Biiihuloya and all streams upon the Horton 
HIaiiis within the boundaries of the Province of 
Snhnrag;! mu wa, viz., the period from October 1, 
1904, to February 28. 190 j. 
The notice dated Maich 5, 1903, published in 
the Ceylon Government Gazette No. 5,910 of March 
13,1903, is hereby cancelled. — (3f(,?e«e, Feb. 26. 
PLANTING AND OTHER NOTES. 
The Influence op Soil on Tea,— An im- 
portant article on tliis subject, specially 
translated ff>v us from the French, appears 
on i)'<se C38. Dr. Naninga's conclusions 
from his experiments will doubtless be read 
with interest. 
Lt.-Col Mackenzie Foss— is the subject 
of an interesting; interview elsewhere. Con* 
sider.ihlft importance must be attached to 
the enterprise of this gentleman, for we 
believe he is the first to go in for the arti 
ficial cultivation of pearl oysters ; and if 
successful it is probable that similar fisheries 
will be started in other tropical seas. The 
indigenous Mergui oyster produces a splendid 
pearl, and it is quite possible that the Ceylon 
species in the same waters will produce a 
pearl greatly superior to that produced in 
the M anaar waters. Little as yet is known 
of the pear) microbe; the Nicobar microbe 
may differ from that here and consequently 
produce a much larger pearl. Colonel Foss's 
prospecting in Burma has resulted in consi- 
derable mineral deposits being found, and 
his company is interested in tin, gold, 
plumbago (probably), gems, and coal. He 
attaches great importance to the need in 
Civil Servants of some knowledge of minera- 
logy and geology. He believes that if Civil 
Seiv.-.r.ts had this krow'edge many parts 
of the British colonies and possessions would 
be announced as offering splendid openings 
for n.ining, their resources being discovered 
by these ofHcials. It was merely by accident 
that he himself discovered plumbago in 
Burma. Col. Foss has great belief in the 
future of mining in Ceylon. At present only 
the surface has been scratched, and since 
minerals have bf^en found in alluvial soil here 
it is pretty certain that rich deposits exist 
lower down. Hints are given that the Gov- 
ernment might object to mining enterprise 
in Ceylon owing to the labour "problem on 
the estates. We should like to see the 
Colonel transferring some of his enterprise 
to Ceylon and showing us what reallv does 
exist here. We fear, however, that "he is 
too content with Burma to turn away from it 
