REPORT OF TEE CEEMIST 133 



SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 



It seems therefore, from our examination that this might be considered a rich soil, 

 but one that might be improved by thorough di'ainage, careful working and the judicious 

 use of lime. An application of this ' amendment, ' say at the rate of 40 bushels per 

 mire, harrowed under would, we believe, increase the soil's productiveness, and in con- 

 i unction with drainage, weathering and ' dry ' working of the land, materially ameliorate 

 its physical condition. 



The continued use of lime makes it desirable that organic manures should also be 

 employed from time to time, and to this end, if there be not a sufficiency of stable 

 manure, it is advisable to occasionally turn under a green crop, such as clover. 



NORTH-WEST TERRITORIES. 



Alberta. — At our request, two samples of soil, representative of the first and second 

 foot, respectively, of the land about LethL)i'idge, Alta., were kindly collected by Mr. W. 

 H. Fairfield, of the Canadian North-west Irrigation Co., Lethbridge* and forwarded to 

 the farm laboratories. In this district the soil is extremely uniform in character, being 

 of the nature of a true prairie and very fertile, provided there is a sufficiency of moisture. 

 There are no woods save in the river bottoms. 



In a letter accompanying the samples, Mr. Fairfield writes : ' The soil samples were 

 taken October 20, 1901, from the north-western portion of the Canadian North-west 

 Irrigation Experiment Farm. The spot from which they were taken was typical of the 

 farm, and for that matter of the surrounding country, as far as surface indications 

 (e.g. grass, (fee.) are concerned. The land at this point has never been irrigated.' After 

 describing the manner in which the samples wei'e taken, he says : ' No. 1 is therefore, 

 representative of the first foot, and No. 2 of the second foot of soil. The soil changes 

 to a lighter colour at a depth varying from twenty inches to two feet and over.' 



The surface soil as received was a dark gray inclining to black, loam, light and fri- 

 able, free from stones and containing an abundance of root fibres. From appearance, 

 one would judge it of more than average fertility. The soil from the second foot only 

 differs from the surface sample in being slightly lighter in colour and containing less fibre. 

 The soils freed from all fibre were submitted to analysis, with the following results : — 



Analysis of (air-dried) Soils. 



No 1. No. 2. 



1st Foot. 2nd Foot. 



Moisture 2-53 2-78 



Organic and volatile matter 5 • 74 5*55 



Clay and sand (insoluble in acid) 80 • 74 80 " 00 



Oxide of iron and alumina 8 • 00 8 • 01 



Lime 1-01 2-07 



Magnesia 0-39 0-82 



Potash 0-45 0-50 



Phosphoric acid 0-12 0-11 



Carbonic acid, &c. (undetermined) 1*02 0-16 



100-00 100 00 



Nitrogen, in organic matter 0' 210 0" 145 



Available constituents in Surface Soil. 



Potash 028 



Phosphoric acid • 008 



No. 1. In organic matter (humus) and nitrogen, the results are exceedingly satis- 

 factory, indicating a high degree of fertility. 



