SOILS — FEETILIZERS. 117 



;aul the cultivated soils are more acid tliau the vir,i;in soils. With one exception 

 the muck soils examined are extremely acid." 



The average lime requirement of the acid soils as determined by the Veitch 

 method was approximately 500 parts per million, equivalent to 1,500 lbs., per 

 acre to a depth of 9 in. There was found to be about three times as much nitrogen 

 in the soils as in the subsoils, slightly more than three times as much in the 

 subsoils as in the second subsoils, and nearly one and one-half times as much in 

 cultivated soils as in virgin soils. 



" Experiments by the wire-basket method showed a gain in baskets where 

 lime was used, over baskets where no lime was used. Of 17.3 per cent green 

 weight, and of nearly 20 per cent dry weight. With a muclc soil which was 

 very acid, the gain in baskets where finely ground limestone was used, over 

 baskets where no limestone was used, was nearly 100 per cent green weight and 

 120 per cent dry weight." 



It is pointed out that Florida soils are composed very largely of sand which 

 has been derived from disintegrated rock, the process of formation being such 

 as to remove to a large extent the basic constituents such as potash, lime, and 

 magnesia. The soils are therefore fundamentally acidic. The acidity is, how- 

 ever, increased by the decomposition of organic matter. 



Som.e notes on soil acidity, F. W. Morse and B. E. Curry {Abs. in Scloice, 

 n. scr., 27 (1908), No. 6S6, p. 298). — This is an abstract of a paper presented at 

 the Chicago meeting of the American Chemical Society. " The authors report 

 the reactions taking place between a number of clays and some common salts. 

 Also some reactions between the organic matter in soils and some common 

 salts." 



A natural model for the formation of dunes,' S. Gijnther (Sitzber. K. 

 Bayer. Akad. Wiss., Math. Phijs. KL, 1901, No. 2, pp. 139-153, figs. 3).— This is 

 a discussion of typical forms of seacoast and inland dunes. 



Washington soils, li. W. Thatcher {Washington Sta. Bui. 85, pp. 3-56, figs. 

 2). — This is the final report on a soil survey of the State begun in 1S93 (E. S. R., 

 7, p. 375; 15, p. 65S) embodying 89 new analyses and summarizing the results 

 of all of the analyses (188) made since the beginning of the survey. The bul- 

 letin also contains a statement regarding the objects and methods of the soil 

 survey, and brief discussions of origin and composition of soils and the relation 

 of soil composition to fertility, and the soils of the different districts of the State 

 are fully described. The samples of which analyses are reported represent 

 soils from every county except one and include probably every typical soil of 

 the State. " Practically every type known to soil students is represented some- 

 where in this State. We have every variation from almost pure sand to pure 

 clay on the one hand and to pure peat on the other. In other localities special 

 types, such as marls, glacial drift of several kinds, etc., are found. These varia- 

 tions in type are accompanied by almost the widest conceivable variations in 

 chemical composition." The extreme variations in the percentages of the sev- 

 eral constituents which have l>een found in the samples of soils analyzed are 

 given as follows : 



Per cent. 



Insoluble silica 3.014-90.716 



Hydrated silica . 157-18. 524 



Soluble silica .002- .938 



Potash .000- .829 



Soda .027-1.632 



Lime .005-36.009 



Magnesia .000-4.830 



Iron oxid .181-16.368 



