132 EXPERIMENTAL FARMS 



2-3 EDWARD VII., A. 1903 



SOIL INVESTIGATIONS. 



BRITISH COLUMBIA. 



PeaMand, Ohanagan Valley. — Much of the soil of this district appears to be of an 

 extremely light and sandy nature, though under irrigation yielding fair crops. A cor- 

 respondent, in sending samples of new (surface) soils from that district, states that clover 

 usually grows well and furnishes two or three cuttings in a season, but that garden crops 

 (vegetables) and fruit trees have not been very successfully grown, save with the aid of 

 manure. The soils were of a grayish-yellow colour and would be termed sandy loams of 

 poor quality. The quantity sent did not allow us to make a complete analysis, but cer- 

 tain important data were obtained. 



Organic Matter and Nitrogen in (water-free) Soil. 



Organic Matter. Nitrogen. 



No. 1 3-66 -048 



2 4-02 -068 



3 3-30 -064 



Qualitative analysis showed that all the soils possessed a fair amount of lime. 



For arable lands these soils are exceedingly poor in nitrogen. It is evident also 

 that they stand in need of humus or semi-decomposed vegetable matter. For these 

 important constituents organic manures must be supplied and the stock of stable manure 

 supplemented from time to time by clover turned under. 



A very important matter for such soils as these is that there should be a sufficiency 

 of water, for, poor as they may be in plant food, their crops frequently suffer more from 

 drought than from lack of nourishment. Increasing the soil's store of organic matter 

 not only enriches it in the elements of fertility, but vastly improves its moisture-holding 

 capacity. 



As a fertilizer for garden stuff, the following formula may be suggested, the quantity 

 being for one acre : — 



Lbs. 



Superphosphate , 150 



Bone meal 150 



Muriate of potash 100-150 



Nitrate of soda* 100-200 



*Applied in two or more applications as a top dressing. 



Enderhy. — A dark-gray, heavy clay soil, which when received at the laboratory 

 had dried into a hard, refractory mass, indicating a poor or unfavourable condition. 

 A partial analysis afforded the following data : — 



Moisture 7-18 



Organic and volatile matter 10-59 



Oxide of iron and alumina 24-68 



Lime 1-21 



Nitrogen, in organic matter - 301 



Lime, soluble in 1 per cent solution of citric acid - 075 



This soil, as regards nitrogen, must be considered above the average, and tliis fact 

 no doubt accounts in a large measure for the high productiveness of this land and its 

 suitaljility for wheat growing. It is also well supplied with organic matter. 



The percentage of lime obtained by using hot, strong hydrochloric acid as a solvent 

 is by no means insignificant, but that a very small "proportion exists in an available con- 

 dition is evident from the amount soluble in dilute citric acid, viz., -075 per cent 



