. This is a highly important
discovery, and, when developed, ought to be the means of furnishing the
planter with cheap supplies of the mineral phosphate of lime. I may
mention that as one find of coprolites has been made in the province, it
is highly probable that further discoveries of this valuable manure may be
made. A discovery of phosphatic nodules has also been made near
Trichinopoly, in the Madras Presidency, and though not of quality
sufficiently good for export to England, has been reported on by Dr.
Voelcker as being good enough for use amongst the plantations of Southern
India. A deposit has also been discovered in the Cuddapah district.

We have now glanced at all the local manurial resources at the command of
the planters, and also the manures which may be purchased at a distance
from the plantations, and as to the latter the question now naturally
arises as to how the planter can best lay out his money when manuring his
coffee. Now I know of no planter in India who has knowledge enough to
decide as to how he should lay out his money. The planter knows in a
general way that he wants nitrogen, phosphoric acid, lime, and perhaps
some potash, but as to the most desirable and economical sources from
which to obtain them he is unable to decide, and it is not a question,
even if he called in an agricultural chemist, to be decided once for all,
for the prices of the various manures are constantly liable to change.
Here, then, is a matter that should be taken up by the Government, which
in this respect should follow the example of the Sussex Agricultural
Association, the chemist of which publishes every spring the most
economical manurial mixture which the farmer can use for his various
purposes. In this thinly populated country the well-to-do planters are too
few, and the humble native planters too poor, to do what is done by the
rich agricultural societies of Great Britain in the way of aiding the
farmer. The societies at home are mainly composed of landlords and the
richer tenants. The Government in India is the one great landlord over
two-thirds of British India, and should perform the duties of one.

In concluding my remarks on manures, I need hardly say that it is of the
greatest importance to keep a careful record of all the manures put down,
and a special manure book should be kept for this purpose, in which notes
should be kept of the effects observed. But for ready reference I have
found it most convenie