Before proceeding to consider the chemical needs of the Assam Tea soils, the equally important matter of their physical con dition — their stifi'ness, the fineness of their particles, their relation to water, to heat, &c.-must be dealt with. This is a matter which has in the past largely been neglected. Even to this day there are practical and experienced men holding diametrically opposite views as to the character of the soil best suited to tea, and the means of keeping that soil in the best condition. It should however be at once recognised that a soil may be rich in all the elements of plant food, and yet be quite infertile. If 'roots are to develop in a healthy and vigorous manner, there must be a suitable soil climate. The conditions as to air, moisture, and temperature within the soil are quite as essential for Vigorous plant growth as are the corresponding conditions in the atmosphere above. It It is, in fact, becoming more and more abund antly clear that one cannot judge entirely the value of a soil from a chemical analysis — its physical properties will possibly do more to determine, in the first instance at any rate, its fertility than its chemical composition.