STATE AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. 191 



pected. The Novate soil shows by its high percentage of alkalies and 

 of sulphuric acid (chlorine was not determined), the presence of the 

 ingredients of sea water. Its potash percentage is extraordinarily 

 high. Lime is in full supply, but phosphoric acid is only in moder- 

 ate proportions, as in most California soils. Humus is, of course, in 

 abundant supply, but is in an acid condition, requiring aeration, and 

 would doubtless also be benefited by the use of some lime or marl. 

 The high absorption of moisture is "largely due to the presence of so 

 much vegetable matter. 



The Roberts Island soil, being thoroughly leached by fresh water, 

 has less of potash as well as of soda, but still a full supply of the 

 former. In lime it falls below the soils of the valley at large, much 

 of it having, doubtless, been washed away in solution; and an addi- 

 tion of lime to the soil would doubtless be effective in moderating 

 the "running-to-weed" whicli is noticeable in these lands, and is 

 explained by the heavy supply of active humus, and, therefore, of 

 nitrogen. But the phosphates are, again, only in somewhat scanty 

 supply, and will doubtless be the first want felt in cultivation. For 

 the present these lands are understood to be profusely fertile, sonie- 

 tiines embarrassing the farmer by the heavy stalks of the grain, in 

 regard to the coarseness of his hay. 



No. 787. — Marsh soil from Grizzly Island, Sacramento County; sent 

 by Mr. Warren Dutton, for examination as to its being sufficiently 

 substantial to become a soil when cultivated. The soil resembles 

 that from Novate meadows, but contains a much larger proportion of 

 vegetable matter, and is very spongy. After drying at 100°, it lost 

 29.7 per cent on ignition, showing that the surface to the depth to 

 wdiich the plow can reach is composed, to the extent of nearly one 

 third of its weight, and quite half of its bulk, of undecomposed vege- 

 table substance. It is, tlierefore, almost too much of a "muck" to be 

 directly available for cultivation in its present condition. 



Alkali salts from the "wire-grass land" near Visalia, Tulare County. 

 Leached from a sample taken in the wooded flats, two miles west of 

 Visalia (soil No. 585; see Report of College of Agriculture for 1882, 

 page 26). This soil is a very productive one, and the analysis shows 

 unusually high percentages of potash, lime, and phosphoric acid. It 

 being quite light in texture, the alkali does not interfere with its 

 tillage, although the black rings it leaves upon evaporation of puddles 

 of water standing on the soil show that it contains a large amount of 

 carbonate of soda. The soil was extracted with water, which dissolved 

 1.20 per cent of its weight. On ignition it lost about two fifths, or .50 

 of organic matter (dissolved humus); and of the remaining .76 per 

 cent, .51 was again soluble in water, leaving .25 of insoluble residue, 

 consisting mainly of carbonate of lime, with a little magnesia, as well 

 as some iron and alumina (perhaps simply a little clay). 



The soluble part, the "alkali" proper, was composed as follows: 



Alkali Salts from Near Visalia. 



Carbonate of soda '^5-3 



Carbonate of potash l-^-S 



Chloride of sodium (common salt) 4.4 



Sulphate of magnesia (Epsom salt) 8.1 



Tri-phosphate of foda 1"'4 



Sulphate of soda (Glauber's salt) 13.4 



100.4 



