679 
Aprjl  I,  1896.]  THE  TROPICAL  AGRICULTURIST. 
would  necessitate  his  amending  the  review  of 
the  literature  on  the  subject  in  Europe.  The  dis- 
covery is  briefly  this: — Some  years  ago  on  certain 
tea  gardens  in  Assam  the  “ Sa  ” tree  (Albizzia  sti- 
pulata)  belonging  to  the  sub-order  Mimosece  of  the 
group  of  leguminosae,  was  planted  for  shade  purposes 
among  the  tea  bushes.  This  sub-order  was  not  known 
to  produce  the  root  tubercles,  which  contain  nitrogen- 
feeding bacilli,  and  which  make  several  other  sub- 
orders of  the  leguminosae  so  valuable  in  enriching  soil 
with  nitrogen,  by  their  means.  It  was  demonstrated 
to  Dr.  Watt  that  the  effect  of  the  shade  was  to 
lower  the  quality  of  the  tea,  while  it  increased  the 
out-turn.  To  account  for  this  increase,  a young  “ Sa  ” 
tree  was  dug  up,  and  examined  by  Dr.  Watt,  who 
observed  that  the  roots  were  covered  with  multitudes 
of  the  tubercles,  and  further,  that  under  the  micro- 
scope these  were  actually  found  to  contain  the  nitrogen- 
feeding bacilli.  From  this  discovery  he  was  led  to 
the  practical  consideration,  which  he  now  regards  as 
almost  of  supreme  moment  to  the  tea  industry,  that 
the  cultivation  of  a herbaceous  leguminous  plant  to 
be  hoed  in  as  green  manure,  would  secure  the  strength 
to  resist  many  blights,  without  entailing  the  disad- 
vantage of  the  shade  given  by  the  “ Sa."  Dr.  Watt 
accordingly  recommended  the  Assam  planters  to  sow 
in  October  arid  hoe  in  about  February,  a crop  of 
matti  kalai,  or  some  other  of  the  numerous  pulse 
crops  common  to  the  neighbourhood. 
If  you  wiil  kindly  allow  me  I should  like  to  draw 
attention  to  the  fact  that  the  discovery  in  question 
was  made  by  me  in  18‘.)2  in  support  of  which  I subjoin 
a few  extracts  from  my  book  on  the  Chemistry  and 
Agriculture  of  Tea  published  in  1893  by  the  Indian 
Tea  Association.  I may  mention  that  while  conduct- 
ing my  experiments  in  Assam  (as  Chemist  to  the  Indian 
Tea  Association),  on  a garden  almost  adjoining  the 
one  on  which  Dr.  Watt  made  the  discovery  I had 
frequently  pointed  out  to  planters  the  effect  of  the  “Sa" 
as  a nitrogen  producer  for  tea,  the  beneficial  effect 
being  at  once  apparent  from  the  dark  green  colour  of 
the  leaves  and  the  healthy  growth  of  the  tea 
plants  beneath  them.  When  visiting  one  of  the 
gardens  near  Jorhat,  the  question  of  the  “ Sa ’’ 
tree  arose,  and  I obtained  one  of  the  trees,  on  which 
were  the  tubercles  as  described  by  Dr.  Watt.  On  mi- 
croscopical examination  these  contained  certain  bacilli, 
but  as  I had  no  means  of  obtaining  pure  cultivation 
of  them,  it  was  impossible  on  mere  microscopical  ob- 
servation, to  state  absolutely  that  the  bacilli  in  ques- 
tion were  identical  with  the  nitrogen  feeding  bacilli 
observed  in  Europe,  although  from  the  effect  of  the 
plant  I have  no  doubt  they  were  so. 
The  following  extracts  from  the  book  above  men- 
tioned, will  show  that  the  subject  has  been  previously 
brought  to  the  notice  of  planters  and  others  con- 
cerned in  tea  (page  142  lines  1-10): — “Numerous  ex- 
periments and  investigations  have  been  made  to 
determine  whether  plants  had  the  power  of  utilising 
the  free  nitrogen  of  the  air,  and  it  has  been  found 
that  certain  orders  of  plants  have  that  power  of 
utilising  the  free  nitrogen  of  the  air,  and  it  has 
been  found  that  certain  orders  of  plants  have  that 
power,  free  nitrogen  being  fixed  by  the  agency  of 
certain  bacteroids  which  occur  in  nodules  on  the 
roots  of  plants.  This  discovery  explained  why  cer- 
tain plants  enriched  the  soil  by  their  growth  even 
when  the  crop  was  removed,  the  roots  containing  a 
large  portion  of  the  nitrogen  stored  up  in  the  above 
manner,  which  was  liberated  again  as  ammonia  on 
their  decomposition  ; this  ammonia  could  then  be  uti- 
lised by  other  plants,  which  had  not  the  power  of  fix- 
ing free  nitrogen.”  Again  on  pages  147-148,  when 
treating  of  the  sources  from  which  the  nitrogenous 
compounds  of  plants  derive  their  nitrogen  “ In 
some  cases  it  (nitrogen)  is  also  derived  from  the  free 
nitrogen  of  the  atmosphere,  which  .•  certain  plants 
have  the  power  of  fixing  and  utilising  by  means  of 
bacteroids  in  nodules  on  their  roots.”  (Page  178, 
lines  12-25): — “It  is  a curious  fact  that  tea  garden 
jungle  in  any  district  rarely  contains  plants  of  the 
Natural  Order  “ Leguminosas  ” as  the  clover  or  gram, 
perhaps  partially  due  to  all  tea  soils  containing  such 
a small  proportion  of  lime.  Trees  of  this  order  as 
the  “ Sau  ” (Sa)  have  bee.n  planted  among  tea  in 
pome  gardens,  as  it  wap  originally  noticed  that  its 
presence  appeared  to  have  a beneficial  effect  on  the 
bushes,  but  it  is  now  being  generally  removed,  as  its 
shade  has  been  found  detrimental  to  outturn  to  a 
great  extent,  and  counterbalances  any  other  benefit 
derived  from  its  use.  A great  advantage  would,  I 
think,  be  gained  if  the  jungle  growth  could  be  gra- 
dually and  economically  changed  to  the  above  natural 
order,  as  its  powers  of  enriching  soils  with  nitrogen 
which  it  derives  indirectly  from  the  atmosphere  would 
make  it  the  cheapest  means  of  supplying  that  use- 
ful and  necessary  constituent  to  the  tea.”  (Page 
181,  7 lines  from  bottom): — “ The  growth  of 
other  classes  of  weeds  of  a different  natural  order 
to  the  gramiuaceoc  or  grasses  is  an  advantage 
during  the  co  d weather,  as  they  are  gradually  accu- 
mulating from  the  atmosphere,  at  a time  when  the 
tea  plant  is  practically  dormant,  large  quantities  of 
carbonic  acid  and  some  nitrogen,  wliich,  when  the 
weeds  are  buried  and  decomposed,  are  again  liberated 
for  the  use  of  the  tea.” 
I should  have  laid  more  stress  on  the  subject  of 
“ Sa  trees  in  the  above  book,  but  for  the  fact  that 
on  nearly  every  garden  I visited,  on  which  the 
tree  had  been  originally  planted  for  shade  purpose, 
it  was  being  cut  down  and  removed  owing  to  the 
detrimental  effect  of  its  shade  on  the  quality  of  th 
tea  produced  beneath  it.  (Page  210.)  As  regards  Dr. 
Watt’s  suggestion  to  planters  to  grow  mattikalai  or 
some  other  of  the  numerous  pulse  crops  common  to 
the  neighbourhood  in  my  first  report  published 
in  1891,  after  a short  tour  in  Cachar  and 
Assam,  I recommended  the  use  of  four  leguminous 
plants  for  experimental  green  manuring  viz: — 
Ground-nut  (Arachis  hypogoea),  gram  (Cicer  arictimun), 
field  pea  (Pisum  arvense)  and  lentel  (Ervum  lens) 
also  to  certain  planters,  during  my  tour  in  Cachar 
the  growth  of  “ matikalai,”  which,  I was  informed, 
yielded  the  largest  amount  of  green  leafy  material 
(for  manurial  purposes)  of  the  pulse  crops  grown  in 
the  districts. 
M.  Kelway  Bambeb. 
Muktesar,  Kumaon,  Jan.  27. 
— Indian  Agriculturist,  March  2. 
DRUG  REPORT. 
(From  the  Chemist  and  Druggist.) 
42  Cannon  Street,  E.C.,  Fob.  20. 
CAEFEiNr,  is  very  quiet  at  18s  per  lb.  The  market,  es- 
pecially in  America,  seems  to  be  a little  over-supplied. 
CALiMiiA  remiins  quite  dull.  About  55  bales  ordinary 
dark  sold  at  8s  6d  per  cwt.  subject  to  approval. 
Coca-leaves.  Five  cases  common  dark  and  damaired 
leaye.s  .sold  without  reserve  today  at  the  comparatively 
high  figure  of  7id  per  lb,  ■’ 
CocccLi  s IxmcLS -Tending  lower  ; 30  bags  were  boiurht 
in  today  at  8s  (id  per  lb.  » v « nougnt 
Nux  V0.MICA  remaims  very  low  in  price.  Thirty-eight 
bag.s  fair  small  to  medium  pale  seed  realised  (is  per  cwt 
while  a parcel  of  547  bags  from  Madras  and  Calcutta 
was  bought  in  at  4s  6d  per  cwt. 
Oils  (E.s.SEXri  vL)-Two  cases,  described  as  Cinnamon 
bark  oil  of  first  quality,  sold  today  at  7dperoz.,  an  ex- 
ceptionally low  figure,  if  the  statement  in  the  catalogue 
be  true,.  Another  parcel  of  two  cases  fair  cinnamon  oil 
was  priced  at  8d  per  oz.  Citronella  oil  2s  per  lb.  on  the 
spot,  or  is  9d  per  lb.  c i.f.  for  .June  .shipniLt.  LeVom 
grass  oil  tending  a little  firmer  : spot  2?d  per  oz  arked  • 
forshipment  2Sd  c.i.f.  per  oz.  for  near-at-hamr,  and  l^d 
peroz.  c.i.f.  for  distant  shipment. 
Amsteudam  Cinchona  TELEdR.vM.-Our  Amsterdam  cor 
respondent,  telegraphing  on  Thursday  night,  states,  tLt  at 
thfe  cinchona  auctions  lield  in  his  city  today,  6,251  pko-s 
of  Java  cinchona  (out  of  8,840  packages  offered)  sold  at  an 
average  unit  of  2;82c.  per  half-kilo?  for  the  inlnufactur 
iiig  balk,  a decline  of  0 18c.,  or,  say,  6 per  cent  upon 
the  .January  auctions,  chiefly  to  the  excessive  quantises 
of  b.ark  placed  on  sale.  The  principal  buyers  were  • n 
Briegleb  (American  and  English  m.iLrs),  who  bought  the 
equivalent  of  .^223  kilos,  of  sulphate  of  quinine,  the  Auer- 
^ Brunswick  factory  3,495  kilos 
the  Mannhenii  and  Amsterdam  works  8,261  kilos  the 
firankfort-on-Main  and  Stuttgart  work.s,  1 727  kilos’  amt 
varmus  buyers  2,708  kilos.  The  range  of  prices  was  ■ Drm. 
P®"  Ib-)'CAeinf(,2  and, 
