often used by the American and English tobacconists and planters, to colour and flavor their tobacco; and this would be decomposed by the potass of the tobacco, and sulphate of potass and carbonate of iron is formed.  Carbonate of iron is of an ochre-yellow color.  Mr. Piddington says he took care to ascertain that this process had not been performed with the tobacco used for this experiment; and adds that Bengal cheroot makers do not know of this method.  Mr. Laidley, of Gonitea, dissents from the idea suggested by Mr. Piddington that ferruginous matter in the soil is essential to the successful growth of tobacco.  He observes that if we attend only to the iron contained, why every plant will be found to require a ferruginous soil; but tobacco contains a notable quantity of nitrate of potass and muriate of ammonia (the latter a most rare ingredient in plants), and these two salts are infinitely more likely to affect the flavor of the leaf than a small portion of oxide of iron, an inert body.  Now as neither of these can be supplied by the atmosphere, we must search for them in the soil, and accordingly he imagined that a compost similar to the saltpetre beds which Napoleon employed so extensively in France, would be a good manure for tobacco lands; namely, calcareous matter, such as old mortar, dung, and the ashes of weeds or wood.  He was aware that good tobacco might be grown in Beerbhoom, having raised some himself several years ago from American seed.  The plants grew most vigorously, and he further observed, in confirmation of his opinion about the proper manure, that in other districts in which he had resided the natives always grew the tobacco (each for his own use) upon the heap of rubbish at his door, consisting of ashes, cow-dung, and offal of all kinds.  While the soil of the Gangetic diluvium almost always contains carbonate of lime, the Beerbhoom soil does not, as far at least as Mr. Laidley had examined it.

The following is the mode of culture pursued about the city of Coimbetore.  Between the middle of August and the same time in September, a plot of ground is hoed and embanked into small squares; in these the seed is sown, and covered by hand three times at intervals of ten days.  To secure a succession of seedlings water is then given, and the sun’s rays moderated by a covering of bushes.  Watering is repeated every day for a month, and then only every fifth day.  The field in which the seedlings are transplanted, is manured and ploughed at the end of August.  Cattle are also folded upon the ground.  Four or five ploughings are given between mid September and the middle of October, when the field is divided as above into small squares.  These are watered until the soil is rendered a mud.  Plants of the first sowing are then inserted at the end of September, about a cubit apart, the transplanting being done in the afternoon.  At intervals of ten days the seedlings of the other two sowings are removed.  A month after being transplanted the field is hoed,