109 



SOILS FROM THE NORTH-WEST TERRITORIES. 



The districts from which these soils were taken enjoy but a very limited rainfall, 

 and hence have yielded poor crops. It was thought desirous that the composi- 

 tion of these soils should be ascertained to find out if the diminished growth in these 

 areas was due in part to the lack of any important fertilizing constituent or to the 

 excess of alkali or other matter deleterious to plant growth. From these analyses 

 it is conclusively proven that the soils contain a sufficient quantity of plant food for 

 good crops, while there is in every case a total absence of free alkali. 



Numbers 1 and 2 are clay loams ; in numbers 3, 4, 5 and 6 sand predominates, 

 which in 5 and 6 consists largely of undeconiposed rock matter. 



The mechanical condition was not of the best, especially in samples 1 and 2. 

 This may be due to lack of working, and would doubtless improve by thorough 

 cultivation. 



The analyses were made on the air-dried samples. 



Water. 



The percentage of water is rather low throughout, but especially so in the sandy 

 specimens, showing that they are apt to "dry out." The small amount of water 

 may, however, be partly due to the fact that the samples had had a long exposure 

 to the air before analysing. 



Organic matter and Nitrogen. 



In organic matter, Nos. 1, 2, 3 and 6 are comparatively close, ranging from 4'42 

 to 5-28 per cent. "We accordingly find the nitrogen in these samples corres- 

 pondingly close, the percentages lying between 'IBS and -179. Nos. 4 and 5 possess 

 about twice as mitch organic matter as the foregoing, and their nitrogen is found to 

 have increased in the same ratio. All these soils may be regarded as comparatively 

 rich in nitrogen — the amounts being quite sufficient for paying yields of farm crop>. 



Potash. 



In the clay loams there is a very fair percentage of this element, but, as might 

 be expected, in some of the more sandy soils it drops below the average quantity. 

 Nos, 5 and b would certainly be benefited by an application of wood ashes or potash 

 in some form. 



Phosphoric Acid. 



The percentage of phosphoric acid is very constant throughout all the samples, 

 being somewhat lower than what we might expect to find in rich soils. 



Lime. 



The small quantity of lime in all these soils is particularly noticeable. I am of 

 the opinion that a libei-al dressing of lime in some form would materially improve 

 them both mechanically and chemically. The amount of available potash would 

 certainly be increased and the nitrogen be converted into more assimilable com- 

 pounds. 



SOILS PROM NEW BRUNSWICK. 



Samples Nos. 7 and 8 are from the Sackville Marsh. They are both clay loams. 

 They ditt'er chiefly from Nos. 1 and 2 in containing more water and less sand. In 

 lime they are equally low with the specimens from the North-West Territories — 

 a plentiful application of lime or marl would benefit them. The potash in 

 No. 8 is low — wood ashes are to be recommended for it as a lucrative fertilizer. 

 The amounts of phosphoric acid are similar to those found in the North- West 

 samples. In nitrogen they are moderately rich, though only equalling in this res- 

 pect the poorest of the North-. West soils examined. The soils are friable and porous, 

 and though they would not be considered as rich, they contain sufficient plant food 

 to make them productive of good crops. 



