814 



EXPEEIMENT STATION EECORD. 



.second horizon or at the border Ix'tMccn th<» latter and the parent 

 roek. 



The soils of this group oceup}^ not h'ss than two-tifths of the area 

 of European Russia, the greater part of Poland being inehided. At 

 the north they extend as far as Archangel and penetrate in strips and 

 circumscribed areas into the borderland of the tundra soils. At the 

 south they comprise parts of the governments of Perm, Kazan, Nijni 

 Novgorod, Vladimir, Riazan, Kaluga, Oryol, Chernigov, Volyn, and 

 Lublin, where they intermix with the forest sulx-lays and the cher- 

 nozem. Typical podzols are found especially in the governments 

 of Mogilyov, Smolensk, Vitebsk, Tver. Novgorod. Pskov, and St. 

 Petersburg. 



In podzol soils which wore once covered with woods and are now 

 cultivated the content of humus is not large, varying from a few 

 tenths of 1 per cent to 2 or 3 per cent, rarely more.' In the lower 

 horizon the amount of humus rapidly falls to 0.1 to ().?> per cent. The 

 nitrogen fluctuates between 0.1 and 0.1.5 per cent in the upper horizon. 

 The solubility of the humus is remarkably high. From soil of the 

 upper horizon water extracts from one forty-eighth to one-twentieth 

 of the total hunms and of the lower horizon from one twenty-seventh 

 to one-tenth. Nitric acid is often found in these extracts. 



The soils contain on an average 95 to 07 per cent of mineral matter, 

 of which 80 per cent and more is silica. The amount of zeolites 

 usually does not exceed 10 to 12 per cent, frequently falling much 

 lower (T to 5 per cent); the amount of substances soluble in 1 per cent 

 cold hydrochloric acid is i-arely more than 2 per cent. The total 

 quantity of phosphoric acid varies from 0.05 to 0.08 per cent, but is 

 larger in soils containing a large amount of organic matter. The 

 investigations of Kostichev have proved that in this case it is present 

 mainly in combination with the humus. The absorptiAe capacity does 

 not in general exceed 12 to 13 per cent. 



The podzol soils vary widely, according to the nature of the parent 

 rock. The composition of samples of three different horizons of a 

 podzol soil from the Novgorod Government is given in the following- 

 table: 



CotiipusKio)! of a podzol from ihe Xorgorod (rorcnuiient. 



Litue. 



Mag- 

 nesia. 



Alumina. 



Iron Phosphor- „.,. 

 oxld. ic acid. ^uica. 



Per cent. 



Upper horizon 2. 8 



Lower horizon (podzol proper) . .3 

 Subsoil 



Per cent. 



1.172 



.790 



1.030 



Per cent. 



0.378 



.2-40 



.340 



Per cent. 

 7.032 

 4. 790 

 7. 210 



Per cent. 



1.84 



.67 



1.G2 



Per cent. I 

 0.08.5 

 .050 

 Undeter- 

 mined. 



Per cent. 

 81.02 

 90.70 

 84.50 



' If the upper horizon is turf-hke it contains sometimes up to 15 per cent and more 

 of partly decayed organic matter. 



