Page:Illustrations of Indian Botany, Vol. 1.djvu/202

92 . The following extract from Mr. McClelland's report descriptive of the first tea colony the deputation visited near Cuju will explain both the appearance of the spot and the character of the soil. On entering the forest in which the plants were growing he observes p. 19.

"The first remarkable thing that presented itself here, was the peculiar irregularity of the surface; which in places was excavated into natural trenches, and in other situations raised into rounded accumulations at the roots, and trunks of trees, and clumps of bamboos, as in the annexed figure. The excavations seemed as if they had been formed artificially, and were from two, to three, and even four feet deep, of very irregular shapes, and seldom communicating with each other. After many conjectures, I found the size of the excavations bear exact proportion to the size and height of the nearest adjoining trees, and that they never appeared immediately under the shade of large branches. The cause then appeared to be the collection of rain on the foliage of lofty trees ; from which the water so collected is precipitated in heavy volumes on the loose - and light soil, excavating it in the manner described.

The trenches are from one yard to ten in length, and generally a yard; or two yards wide; and their general figures correspond to the form of the interstices bet ween the branches above. The tea plants are most numerous along the margins of these natural excavations, as well on the accumulations of dry soil raised around the roots of bamboos. The soil is perfectly loose, and sinks under the feet with a certain degree of elasticity, derived from dense meshes of succulent fibres, prolonged in every direction from various roots. Its colour is light grey, perfectly dry and dusty, although the surrounding country was still wet, from the effects of rain that had fallen for several days immediately prior to our visit.

Even the trenches were dry, and from their not communicating with each other, it seemed quite evident, that the soil and substratum must be highly porous, and different in this respect from the structure of the surrounding surface of the country,

Extending examinations farther, I found the peculiar character of the soil in regard to colour, consistency, and inequality of surface disappear, with the tea plant itself, beyond the extent of a circular space of about 300 yards in diameter."

Again he says (p. 22.) of another colony at Nigroo, "surrounded by tea plants we ascended the mound, the soil of which is light, fine, and of a yellow colour, having no sandy character" " We then traced the plants along the summit of the mound for about 50 yards when they disappeared where the soil became dark. Now descending to the foot of the mound I found the tea plant disappear where the soil instead of being' sandy or clayey became rich, and stiff." Again (p. 23.) at Noadwar. " Having entered the skirts of a forest which though not under water, was wet and slippery, and in some cases deeply covered with mud; we suddenly ascended from the dry bed of an occasional water course, and at first sight discovered a total change of soil and vegetation. From floundering in mud we now stood on a light, red, dry, and dusty soil, notwithstanding the rain to which it was exposed in common with- every part of the country at the time." Still speaking of the soil at Noadwar, he continues " the colour of the surface is dark yellowish brown, but on being opened it appears much brighter, and on sinking to the depth of three- feet, it changes progressively to a deep, pure, orange coloured sand, quite distinct from any of the other soils, or subsoils in this part of the district; and in this remarkable situation the tea plants are so numerous that they constitute a third part, probably, of the entire vegetation of the spot. The red soil disappears gradually within the limit occupied by the tea plants. I observed the level of the waters in the wells in this neighbourhood, to be about ten feet below the surface of the ground:

From these examples it will be observed that a light, porous, yellow or redish soil, is the kind which this plant naturally prefers, but situated in the midst of water and inundation on slightly elevated mounds, supposed by Mr. McClelland to be themselves sometimes inundated. It will further be observed that the sites, always of small extent, occupied by the tea plant were invariably in forests under the shade of trees, both of which circumstances ought to be well attended to in any attempts made to extend its cultivation.

Under this head I find it most difficult to elicit precise information from the authorities before me, owing to the contradictory nature of the details, originating, not in the want of care on the part of the writers for they have examined the subject with much attention, but owing to the vast extent of surface over which the tea plant is produced, and the remote situations of the countries in which