340 The hish Naturalist* November, 



REVIEWS. 



THE SOILS OF IRELAND. 



A Description of the Soli ecology of Ireland, based upon 

 Geological Survey maps and records, with notes on climate, by J. R. 

 Kilroe. Dublin, 1907. Published by the Department of Agriculture 

 and Technical Instruction for Ireland. (Official). Alex. Thorn and 

 Co. Pp. 300. Price 6s. 



This interesting volume contains a great fund of information on a topic 

 of deeply absorbing interest — the soil. 



In the opening chapter, the general methods of formation of soils and 

 their classification are dealt with, and then follows a discussion of the 

 stratified and crystalline rocks, their economic uses, and the agricultural 

 value of the soils they give rise to. The third chapter of Section I. in- 

 troduces us to drift soils. These are shown to be of great advantage to 

 the agricultural interest (i.) by spreading fertilizing materials over a 

 much greater area than would otherwise be the case; and (ii.) by mixing 

 materials from different sources. In respect of the first point large tracts 

 of Dublin, Wicklow, Wexford, Carlow, Kilkenny, Tipperary, Cork, King's 

 and Queen's Counties, Monaghan, and Meath, amounting to 750,000 acres, 

 are shown to have their value highl}' enhanced by a small admixture of 

 carbonate of lime. So beneficial is this admixture that in Wexford these 

 drifts are known as " manure gravels/' In support of the second point 

 Dr. Fream has shown that the richest tracts in England follow the junc- 

 tion of the different formations, and in Ireland we know that the 

 proverbial wealth of the Golden Vale and of the valleys generally in the 

 south of Ireland, is due to the mixture of soils derived from the Silurian, 

 Old Red Sandstone, and limestone rocks, while in the north, the remark- 

 able fertility of the Lagan valley is due to the commingling of materials 

 derived from the breaking up of the Silurian, white limestone, and 

 Triassic sandstone rocks, together with those from the igneous rock, 

 basalt, which caps the limestone from Moira to Belfast. 



In Section II. the bearing of the different geological formations on 

 agriculture is introduced, and the question of irrigation is discussed. 

 " The regular and curving profiles" of the Silurian areas are shown to 

 lend themselves very suitably to improvement in this way. A difference 

 is pointed out between the Old Red Sandstone tracts in the south and 

 those of Tyrone, the former having calcareous bands known as " corn- 

 stones," whilst the latter are destitute of these. Consequently the waters 

 of these areas in the south bear away more valuable fertilizers than those 

 in the north. Soils formed from Carboniferous limestone of course lose 

 heavily, not only in actual carbonate of lime, but in phosphate of lime, 

 which in small quantity (•i2°/ m Moira white limestone) is present 

 presumably in all limestones. 



