214 



THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 



[Sept. i, 1886. 



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Analytical r.iilxiratDiy, 7'.). M.avlv liano, Lomloii, I^.C 



lltli August 188fi. 



A. i'hilip, Esq., Kaudy. Dear Sir, — Mr. Shaud as 

 the representative of your Association called upou 

 me this week to express his thanks for the aualyaea 

 of the ten soils which I had sent him, and copies 

 of which were forwarded you hv last week's mails. 



Mr. Shand is having these analyses printed in large 

 type, so that when hung up in the Ceylon Court next 

 week, they can be readily scon and read by visitors. 

 He further informed me that hv iJiouj^ht a few gen- 

 eral remarks, by way of iuLoi-prctiiig the analytical 

 results, would be acceptable, and J have therefore 

 much pleasure in contributing the following :- 



Of course it will be iniderstood that these remarks 

 are made entirely upon the analyses themselves, and 

 without reference to the respective elevation, rainfall, 

 exposure (more or less) to wind and wash, the gen- 

 eral physical character of the laud, whether steep 

 or flat, together with its situation, aspect and other 

 matters which are naturally of great importance and 

 demand careful consideration when reporting on the 

 relative fertility of different soils. 



1. For general convenience of future reference, as 

 well as in order to arrive at the respective retentive 

 properties of the ten soils, similar weighed quantites 

 of each soil in an equally pure state of division 

 were exposed for a fortnight to the air in a room, 

 when the temperature varied from 60'' F. to 7.5' F. 

 The proportion of water still retained after being 

 thus air-dried was then carefully determined by 

 di-ying in the usual way at 212'' F. and the whole 

 of the different analytical results were accordingly 

 calculated for the soils in this air-dried condition. 

 By glancing therefore along the line of figures arranged 

 under the lieadingof water it will be noticed tiiat 

 there are great variations : thusDryburgh 4,244 stands 

 highest ; next comes Kagalla with 4.0M; then Damba- 

 temie 8,7(i.'i; and so on down to Pallekele which has 

 only 1,218. 



'2. Next as regards the proportions of organic 

 matter- and wate/ of combination it will be noticed 

 that there arc great variations also under this head- 

 ing, sometimes, as in the case of Kagalla, Dambatenue, 

 llookwood No. if, Dryburgh and Liddesdale ; the 

 high results are largely caused by the presence of 

 an unusal amount of nitrogenous organic i-nattor, as 

 will be seen on referring to the column marked nitro- 

 gen which is an important clement in the composi- 

 tion of such valuable fertilizing matter. 



if. The variations ot the oxiili- of iron and aluuiiua 

 in each soil are not very great, but there are notable 

 instances, llookwood No. 1 containiug the most and 

 J'allekello the least. (.leuerHJly high proportions of 

 iron aud alumina are associateil with a more or l(\ss 

 stitfncss of soil. 



1. The lime v.-iries a good deal, Liddesdale having 

 as much as •? !;'■ while No. 3 Rookwood has only 

 •119, and as -100 per cent is usually taken to represent 

 one ton i>er acre of soil to the depth of six inches, it 

 wiil be undersleod that these differences although only 

 ai)pcaring in <ii'cinials really eoine to a <|uestion of 

 tons when considered per acre. In soils originally 

 formed from granitic rocks like those of Oeylon the 

 relative amouurs of lime found iu each generally may 

 be considered as indicative of its degree of fertility, 

 and therefore its careful estimation is a matter of 

 considerable importauce iu an aualy.sis. 



5. Passing over the items under magnesia whirli 

 do not call for any remarks, as this constituent is 

 not usufilly supposed to have .any «;reat effect upon 

 the soil, we come to the proporlions of potash wlilrli 

 arc vfry higli in both the cacao soils, also in Dryburgh, 

 and Dambatomie, and fairly high in most ef the others, 

 DuiH^din in the Kil;ini Valley being the lowe.vt OSl, 

 but Itookwood No. 2 and ',<• are only very slightly 

 higher. 



(J. The proportions of suda, sulphuric acid, carbonic 

 acid vary, but do not call for any special remark. 



7. Chlorine is also somewhat various, but in Damba- 



teune the propoition is far above the average, though 



I what the reason for siicli being the case is 1 cannot 



