subjoined statement of the 
some of the Indian soils. 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST [May 2, 1898, 
average composition of 
>a 
a 
3 
Source of soil 
Reference numbers. 
Fine earthy and organic 
Calcutta. 
O ^ Town. Suburbs. 
matter 
92.82 
85.42 
62.16 
84.26 
and and silicates 
4.95 
13.62 
37.61 
15.43 
oluble saline matter 
2.23 
0.96 
0 20 
0.3i 
)0 parts of this fine earthy 
and organic matter 
cou- 
tained 
Alumina 
5.97 
5 32 
8.87 
5.01 
Ammonia 
0.14 
0.09 
0.06 
trace. 
Carbonic acid 
4.62 
3.92 
0.12 
2.21 
Chlorine 
2.01 
1.99 
0.11 
0.23 
Iron oxide 
5.94 
4.84 
6.26 
3.08 
Lime 
6.12 
5.24 
10.62 
4.21 
Magnesia 
0.92 
0.87 
0.14 
0.52 
Manganese oxide 
0.16 
0.28 
Nil. 
Nil. 
Organic matter 
10.46 
9.04 
4,00 
6.14 
Phosphoric acid 
0,68 
0,45 
Nil. 
0.17 
Potash 
0..S2 
0.31 
0.04 
0.12 
Silica 
53.53 
60.81 
69.56 
76.02 
Soda 
0,81 
0.42 
0.09 
0.24 
Sulphuric acid 
0 24 
0.21 
trace 
0.07 
Water and loss 
8.08 
5.47 
0 09 
1.98 
No. 1 is an exceedingly rich soil that would easily 
give three successive bean-crops without requiring 
to be manured. No. 2 is also a fertile soil needing 
however a little toning. No. 3 has too much lime 
and is deficient in soluble salts and organic matter 
while No. 4 which would be a capital soil for flori- 
culture requires to be brought up to standard in its 
lime and the soluble alkalies before it can be suc- 
cessfully used for vegetables. 
Here then comes the necessity for the reciprocity 
of labour between the cultivator and the chemist ; 
for without the assistance of the latter is merely 
impossible for the former to judge with any degree 
of certainty as to what is really in excess or deficit, 
and in nine oases out of ten a heap of good money 
is thrown away in purchasing a manure that does 
not happen to be what was really needed. 
Damp land being generally unproductive, efficient 
draining is necessary and is greatly helped by plough- 
ing, but after the land has been drained there is 
nothing to equal deep-ploughing to bring new mineral 
manure to the surfase and in very many cases this 
alone works marvels with supposed fallow-land. 
If, however, manuring is necessary, the farmer 
must consider the sort of crop he intends to sow 
and regulate the manure accordingly from : — 
(1) Animal manures such as blood, muscle, bones, 
horn, hair, wool, stable droppings and farm ordure, 
pigeons, dung guano, urine, sewage and night soil ; 
but though the last is the most valuable it is not 
approved of bv the Indian cultivator. 
(2) Mineral manares as marl, lime, shell-sand, gyp- 
sum, salt, kelp, sulphate of magnesia, glauber’s, salts, 
chloride of potassium, nitres, gas liquors, mixtures 
of saline manures with each other or with animal 
manures, and a number of patents. 
(3) Vegetable manures which may be applied green 
or dry. Among tbes are sea weeds, mill-siftings and 
sweepings, saw-dust, straw, husks, charcoal powder, 
tanner’s waste, barks, Ao. 
Animal niaiiurcs are the most energetic on account 
of the nitrogeon and amrnoniacal salts they contain, 
and green vegetable matter yields a speedy supply 
of food to the growing plants, by under going rapid 
decay; but drg vegetable manures act more perma- 
nently on the ground and mineral manures, if applied 
with special reference to the constitution of the soil 
they are required to improve or renovate, tend to 
early harvests with a plentiful yield and perfect fruit 
and seeds. 
But though the farmer has a large variety of 
materials to choose from, he is perfectly helpless 
and runs the risk not only of spoiling his land and 
uRTiiRgiDg his crops but also losing a large amount 
of money by studying the false economy of ‘dod- 
ging the Chemist’ out of his Rs. 6 to 10 as. analy- 
tical fee, aud spending R40 to RlOO in buying the 
wrong sort of manure, to thus depreciate his crop 
by perhaps three or four thousand rupees. 
There is a bugue volume of truth in the adage 
“ Each to his own trade or profession : but no poa- 
ching on others’ provinces” and if the cultivators 
would only combine to pay Rs. 6 per annum per 
capita, they could maintain a first class agricultural 
chemical laboratory that would save them from the 
loss of thousands of rupees on the purchate of u e- 
less materials and on futile experiments. 
The following table gives the cost, composition 
aud relative value for hundred-weight of the most 
reliable ‘quick’ manures, and they are available in 
very large quantities in India 
Constitution of : — 
I 
w ® 
1.94 
2.29 
7.42 
1.21 
0.07 
1.98 
6.27 
0.59 
0.16 
28.33 
22.49 
2.14 
1.49 
8.53 
2.66 
0.96 
1.26 
42.28 
P3 
1.33 
2.67 
4.95 
0.22 
0.48 
1.19 
25.17 
1.04 
0.45 
22.07 
0.84 
41.08 
0.15 
2.21 
0.76 
0.64 
0.35 
8.50 
5: 
73 
0.98 
7.37 
6.08 
6.84 
nil 
2.44 
0.95 
0.59 
0.09 
56.85 
1.32 
1;93 
2.96 
2.25 
4.06 
6.62 
0.79 
9.98 
2.58 
6.24 
5.48 
0.54 
0.79 
10.07 
20.68 
1.51 
0.64 
22.81 
1.09 
20.74 
1.77 
10.90 
1.16 
2.92 
Nil 
1.14 
28.79 22.91 25.22 27.09 
12.46 
4 
8 
73.80 
3 ^ 
74.99 
3| U 
12 Ilf 
12 
80.85 
6 
6 
are suggested (a) direct 
Alumina 
Ammonia 
Carbonic acid 
Chlorine 
Fluorine 
Iron Salts 
Lime 
Magnesia 
Manganese 
Organic matter 
Other salts 
Phosphoric acid 
Potash 
Siliceous matter 
Soda 
Sulphuric acid 
Undetermined Solids 
Water or moisture 
Easily soluble and ready 
for immediate avail 
Slowly dissolved and for 
permanent effect 
Cost per cent. Rs. 
Relative quantity wanted 
in cwt. 
Therefore actual costs on 
equal conditions Rs. 
Sowing : — Two methods 
sowing by casting the prepared seed into furrows 2 
to 3 inches deep and (b) transplanting after the 
plumule has grown to nearly two inches high aud 
the cotyledon leaves have dropped off or are about 
to fall off ; but while in the fii st case it is wisest 
to ‘ cast ’ through a cocoanut-shell or wooden ladle 
drilled with an inferior hole just large enough to 
let the seeds run through in a very thin stream in 
the latter form the plants should not be placed closer 
than six inches apart. 
Preparing the seed : — If a rough examination show the 
presence of weevils, a thin sheet of vapour of bisulphide 
of carbon passed through the seed-boxes will soon get 
rid of these pests ; but the seed will have to be air- 
ed for at least three hours in a moderately warm 
place to drive off the solphicle vapours before sub- 
inis.'^ion to the next process which consists in throw- 
ing them into cisterns carrying water containing cor- 
rosive sublimate in the proportion of one grain to 
the gallon of water. Here thov remain for 24 hours 
so as to give the good seeds germinating impetus and 
float off the unsound ones, as well as to protect them 
from mould and ground laivse. 
The seeds for direct planting are shovelled into the 
aprons of the ‘sowers’ for ‘casting’ while those intended 
for transplanting are transferred to nursery beds and 
lightly covered oyer with sand containing a small per- 
centage of the soil in which they are to be afterwards 
placed. Here they are watered twice a day till the 
