Abstract

Bapatla, in Guntur district, is a small town on the East Coast, situated on the North-East line of the Southern Railway, five miles away from the sea. A strip of land about six miles in width along the coast is sandy in nature. The soils under continuous cultiva- tion, adjoining the villages, have accumulated some organic matter. The water table is high, being four to six feet deep and in the rainy season it is very near the surface at two feet depth. In summer it may go down to eight to ten feet. The water is slightly brackish, but not injurious to crops. The soils are not fertile, but under irriga- tion respond well to manuring, organic and inorganic. The high water table is taken advantage of for the cultivation of crops in a large-scale sand culture. Temporary wells called "doruvus" are dug and water is taken from the "doruvus" with earthen pots for splash watering. (Vide plate 1). Cattle manure is the chief bulky manure in use, but it is always inadequate. Penning cattle and sheep is supplementary. These manures are applied only for paying crops in small areas to increase the yield. Sulphate of ammonia is used liberally for all crops, followed by profuse water- ings. This is a tract where this fertiliser has been in extensive use since a long time and is locally termed as "super".

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