422 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



sandy soils also used for the culture of tea; 1 and 5 samples of Poona 

 (Manjri) farm soils, 3 (with subsoils) of Nagpur farm soils, 11 of Cawn- 

 pur farm soils, and 8 (with subsoils) of Dumraou farm soils. 



Analyses are also reported of miscellaneous soils sent to the author 

 for examination, as follows: Three samples of tobacco and onion soils 

 near hot springs (with samples of the water), 3 of soil from the Dhol- 

 kot forests, 35 of Meerut soils, and 6 of "chos" (sandy) sods. 



In the type soils the proportion of insoluble silicates was very variable. 



"In the soils of the great alluvial plains, their amount is much about the same as 

 one is accustomed to rind in English loams ami clays. In the black cotton soil (reyur) 

 their amount is uniformly low, due principally to the high proportions of ferric oxid 

 and alumina and the water combined with them, and to a lesser degree to the presence 

 of larger amounts of lime and magnesia than many English loams contain. In the 

 red soils of Madras the proportion of silicates is low in two cases, due to the presence 

 of large amounts of iron and alumina; the other samples contain high amounts. 

 The laterite soils yielded very varying amounts of insoluble silicates, which was due 

 almost entirely to the great variations in the amount of iron and alumina which is 

 a chief characteristic of these soils. In the brown alluvial soils from Madras Presi- 

 dency, the proportion of silicates is low in the loams, chiefly owing to the high pro- 

 portions of iron and alumina which these soils contain. In the coffee soils from the 

 Sheveroys the silicates are very small in amount, due in part to high proportions of 

 iron and alumina, but in part also to high proportions of organic matter. In the 

 Assam soiis the proportion varies very much, according to the proportion of organic 

 matter present." 



The iron and aluminum content was usually high. In the Indo- 

 Gaugetic alluvium the iron oxid varied from 2 to 7 per cent, the alumina 

 from 3 to 10 per cent; in the regur soils the iron oxid varied from 4 

 to 11.5 per cent, the alumina from 6 to 14 per cent; in the red Madras 

 soil the iron oxid varied from 3.5 to 10 per cent, the alumina from 1.5 

 to 15.8; and in the laterite soils the iron oxid varied from 6 to 48 per 

 cent, the alumina from 7 to 14 per cent. 



The soils are, as a rule, poor in lime, the alluvium containing from 

 0.3 to 2 per cent, the regur soils from 1 to 7.7 per cent, the red soils, 

 laterites, and Madras alluvium usually less than 1 per cent. The coffee 

 soils had about 0.3 per cent and many of the Assam soils even less. 

 The amount of lime usually present is considered sufficient, especially 

 in view of the fact that the humus content of these soils is, as a rule, 

 quite low. 



Magnesia is generally abundant and potash appears to be ample in 

 all classes of soils. 



"[Phosphoric acid is usually low]. Of the Gangetic alluvial soils, 6 contained 0.08 

 or less, 4 contained from 0.09 to 0.13, and only 2, namely, the Changa Manga soil and 

 the calcareous one, both of which had been placed for long periods under influences 

 of accumulation of plant food, contained more than 0.13 per cent. Of the 18 regur 

 soils, 16 contained 0.08 or less of this plant food, the other 2 containing about 0.2 

 per cent. Of the 6 red soils. I contained 0.08 per cent or less, the remaining 2, 0.09 



'The data regarding tea soils are quoted from K. liamber's book "On the Chemis- 

 try and Agriculture of Tea." 



