554 
THE  TROPICAL  AGRICULTURIST. 
[Feb.  I,  1897, 
t)lished  successfullj'  or  profitably  until  it  be  ascer- 
tained what  elements  are  lacking  for  quality  in  dif- 
ferent soils.  In  this  direction,  as  far  as  I am  aware, 
no  progress  whatever  has  yet  been  made.  It  is  the 
province  of  the  agricultural  chemist  to  investigat* 
this,  and  place  practical  planters  in  a position  to 
supply  the  elements  wanting  for  quality  in  each  case. 
Nothing  can  be  of  more  vital  importance  to  the  tea 
industry  generally  than  such  discoveries.  Nitrogen 
may  mainly  be  supplied  by  “green  manuring,”  but 
the  mineral  elements  (which  I believe  will  be  found 
essential  for  quality)  •must  I fear  be  provided  or  re- 
plenished, piincipailv  by  means  of  artificial  manures. 
Nitrogen  supplied  by  “green  manuring”  will  doubtless 
also  render  some  of  the  dormant  mineral  constituents  in 
the  soil  available  for  plant  food.  lam  not,  however, 
hopeful  of  artificial  manures  ever  being  profitably 
applied  to  the  tea  plant  unless  for  the  production 
of  quality. 
“ GUEEN  MANUIilNG.” 
“ Green  manuring  ” has  very  much  to  recommend 
it.  I have  practised  this  to  great  advantage,  without 
the  aid  of  leguminous  plants  specially  cultivated  for 
the  purpose,  and  most  extensively  (prior  to  1S77)  before 
the  extensive  introduction  of  machinery,  when  a large 
force  of  strong  coolies  were  freed  from  manufacture, 
and  otherwise  available  in  the  Darjeeling  district, 
during  October  and  November.  As  in  much  else,  1 
need  hardly  say,  results  mainly  depend  upon  the 
time  and  manner  in  which  the  operations  are  per- 
formed. 
LEGUMINOUS  PLANTS. 
The  fertilising  properties  of  the  leguminous  plants 
have  long  (even  from  the  time  of  the  Romans)  been 
well  known  in  agriculture.  F rom  what  source  this 
class  of  plants  derived  these  properties  has  also  long 
been  the  subject  of  much  scientific  investigation 
and  controversy.  But  some  seven  or  eight  years  ago 
it  was  demonstrated  beyond  doubt  (what  was  long 
disputed)  that  the  le{ptminos(t;  have,  under  certain 
conditions,  the  power  of  assimilating  thenitrogenof  Ihe 
atmosphere.  It  must  doubtless  be  wise  therefore  to 
have  the  attention  of  planters  generally  directed  to 
the  benefits  to  be  derived  from  this  class  of  plants. 
But  so  far  as  the  application  of  the  Icfiuminosce  by 
“ green  manuring  ” to  tea  is  concerned,  I look  upon 
it  as  a purely  practical  and  economic  question.  The 
tea  industry,  apart  entirely  from  any  export  of  its 
own,  may  have  the  full  benefit  of  the  results  of 
those  scientific  investigations,  as  well  as  others  still 
being  carried  out  in  Germany  and  elsewhere,  in  the 
inoculation  of  soil  to  secure  the  conditions  favour- 
able to  the  fullest  development  of  the  fertilising 
properties  of  the  leijimiinosie  being  always  present. 
The  leguminous  plants  commonly  cultivated  in  this 
country,  such  as  lucerne,  vetches,  lupin,  sainfoin, 
peas,  and  beans,  grow  too  high  to  bo  used  to  the 
desired  advantage  with  tea,  unless  the  proposal  be  to 
go  in  for  a regular  “rotation  of  crops”  in  the 
proper  sense  of  the  term,  by  allowing  a portion  of 
the  garden  to  remain  “fallow”  and  uncropped 
in  rotation  every  three,  five,  seven,  or  other  in- 
terval of  years.  But  this  would  seem  to  me  an 
extreme  measure  (to  bo  contemplated  with  satisfac- 
tion by  few),  which  is  to  be  avoided,  and  I believe, 
c.vn  be  avoided  by  the  judicious,  skilful  treatment 
of  a garden.  No  doubt,  ill-conditioned  plots  would 
lend  themselves  with  great  advantage  to  fallowing  and 
special  treatment.  The  clovers,  however,  are  a low- 
growing  plant,  and  on  that  account  more  suitable 
lor  a tea  field  being  cropped,  but  land  under  them 
(at  least  red  clover  for  a length  of  time  is  found 
subject  to  “ clover  sickness,”  and  as  fertilisers  the 
clovers,  as  a rule,  I ilo  not  esteem  so  liigbly  as 
some  of  other  leguminous  plants.  There  is  this  to 
be  said,  however,  that  leguminous  trees,  shrubs, 
plants,  and  even  weeds  are  much  more  abundant 
iu  the  Fast  than  in  this  country,  and  some  of  the 
indigenous  varieties  may  form  a low  sward  and  bo 
most  advantageou.sly  used  for  “green  manuring,” 
without  having  recourse  to  putting  the  tea  under 
fallow.  It  of  course  remains  a question  to  be  deter- 
mined only  by  trial  and  experience,  how  far  the 
cultivation  of  the  (ci/aHu'wscii— certainly  any  that  are 
exotic — for  tea  will  pay,  unaccompanied  by  anything 
like  the  profitable  feeding  of  cattle  for  the  market, 
which  in  most  cases  is  out  of  the  question.  I be- 
lieve the  low  grow’ing  indigenous  kind  will  be 
found  the  most  suitable  and  effective. 
Land  impoverished  by  native  cultivation,  and 
doubtless  much  other  land,  would  benefit  immensely 
by  being  put  under  leguminous  plant  and  allow'ed 
to  lie  fallow  some  years  before  being  planted  with 
tea.  I can  again  testify  as  to  the  wonderfully  good 
results  from  fallowing  for  three  years  under  such 
vegetation  as  chanced  to  grow.  But  how  many  will 
have  the  patience  or  incur  the  expense  of  such  a 
delay,  however  urgent  under  certain  conditions  ? 
Exhaustion,  or  a poor  condition  of  plants,  may  in 
some  instances  render  desirable  or  even  force 
the  following  of  bearing  gardens,  by  section  iu 
rotation  on  a seven,  five,  or  three  years  “shift”; 
and  over-production  may  soon  render  such  a course 
the  less  unpalatable ; when  the  best  fertilisers 
among  the  lepuminosce  may  be  used  with  less  res- 
triction and  to  full  advantage. 
CULTIVATION. 
To  most  it  will  indeed  be  something  novel  to  heir 
of  tea  gardens  actually  suffering  from  being  kept 
over  clear  of  weeds!  We  have  heard  of  gardens  in 
Goylon  being  kept  perfectly  clear  at  all  times  by 
hand-weeding,  but  I am  confident  that  in  India  such 
supererogation  must  be  extremely  rare.  The 
extreme  of  cultivation  with  us  may  be  takeu  to 
amount  to  eight  or  nine  forkings  or  hoeings  during 
the  year — that  is  once  in  winter,  and  once  a month 
daring  spring,  summer,  and  autumn,  in  this  way, 
I should  say,  there  wdll  be  more  vegetation  turned 
into  the  soil  than  by  only  turning  it  in  once,  twice, 
or  thrice  a year.  In  the  former  case  the  harm  is 
more  likely  to  be  done  by  turning  over  and  “ poach- 
ing ” the  soil  in  i^ery  wet  weather.  Wet  cultivation 
is  sure  to  aggravate  and  may  even  induce  blight. 
When  high  cultivation  is  aimed  at,  a great  draw- 
back is,  the  hoeing  must  be  done  not  always  in 
the  weather  most  favourable  for  it,  but  when  labour 
is  available.  It  would  be  safer  and  preferable  as  a 
rule,  therefore,  to  cultivate  a sward  of  the  low-grow- 
ing leguminous  plants  to  fertilise  the  soil,  and  at 
all  times  eschew  hoeing  or  forking  in  really  wet  weather. 
SCIENTIFIC  OFPICEli. 
As  I have  for  thirty-five  years  followed  the  pro- 
gress of  agricultural  scientific  research  to  the  best 
of  my  opportunities,  and,  since  it  has  been  mooted, 
taken  a keen  interest  in  the  proposed  appointment 
of  a scientific  officer  for  the  tea  industry,  I may  be  per- 
mitted to  makeafewremarks  on  so  important  a subject. 
From  all  I have  learned  previously,  the  proposed  ex- 
pert was  to  beappointed  mainly  to  make  a scientific  in- 
vestigation into  the  processes  of  manufacture  and 
ascertain  the  deficiencies  or  otherwise  of  various  soils 
and  their  needs  in  the  form  of  manure.  This  has 
always  been  held  out  as  the  pressing  necessity, 
and  I believe  wisely  so.  For  such  investigations  a 
thorough  knowledege  of  analytical  chemistry,  and  as 
far  as  possible  also  of  bacteriology,  is  indispen- 
sable and  some  experience  of  practical  agri- 
culture and  plant  life  w'ould,  of  course,  likewise 
be  advantageous.  The  great  tea  industry  ought  un- 
doubtedly to  employ  such  a scientific  officer,  and 
permanent  I >j.  These  qualifications  (or  almost  similar), 
and  also  “ a knowledge  of  the  chemistry  of  plant 
life,”  have  been  recommended  by  Dr.  Watt  formerly. 
If  a second  expert  be  really  in  contemplation  for  blights 
specially,  then  one  with  “a  thorough  training  in  agri- 
culture ” (but  better  a horticulturist,  I should  say) 
“who  has  examined  into  the  diseases  of  plants” 
might  be  suitable,  no  doubt.  Such  a man  as  the 
late  Mr.  Thomson,  viticulturist,  of  Clovenforks,  or 
of  the  Scottish  head  gardener  type  (such  as  I had 
the  privilege  of  consnlliug  about  red  spider  blight  in 
1877-78),  men  of  valuable  practical  experience  and 
groat  iutolligcnco  and  sag.icity  would  bo  of  vast 
benefit  for  blights  if  the  industry  could  secure  their 
services  for  a few  years.  Or  from  such  in  conjunc- 
tion with  a competent  agricultural  chemist  the  best 
results  might  bo  expected, 
