6 



SOIL FERTILITY. 



reported in some analyses of soils from different parts of 

 the world. 



Soil of 



Potash (K2O) 



Phosphoric Acid 

 (P2O5) % 



Lime (CaO) 

 0/ 



Queensland 

 Gieat Britain 

 and Ireland 

 United States 

 France 



Germany 



Trace to 1.34 



0.03 to 1.58 

 Trace to 11.37 

 0.02 to 1..30 



0.003 to 3.23 



0.004 to 1.39 



0.034 to 1.24 

 Trace to 2.(51 

 0.01 to 7.14 



0.003 to 0.81 



Trace to 10.76 



/CaCOA 



0.002 to I, 61.4 / 



Trace to 36.0 

 / CaCO, \ 

 1,0.003 to 94.7/ 



0.003 to 47.0 



The figures in connection with Queensland soils are 

 compiled from analyses published in the reports of the 

 Agricultural Chemist appearing in the Annual Reports of 

 the Department of Agriculture and Stock, Queensland, 

 since the year 1907. Of the 857 analyses of surface soils 

 presented in these reports a large number were made upon 

 samples of soil forwarded by farmers, who desired inform- 

 ation in cdnnection with the particular type of soil of their 

 farm. It is therefore possible that higher amounts of the 

 substances will he found when all the different types of 

 Queensland soils have been analysed. 



The figures referring to the other countries mentioned 

 are taken from a paper by Whitney* ; in this paper a list 

 of 4,142 analyses of soils from the different countries is 

 given. 



It will be seen from this table that, with the exception 

 of the maximum lime content, the extreme amounts of 

 substances reported in the analyses of Queensland soils 

 are somewhat similar to those reported in the analyses of 

 soils from the other countries. 



The great variation in the lime content of the soils 

 of all the countries is particularly noticeable, and lime is 

 one of the most important soil ingredients owing to the 

 influence it has on so many of the factors which are necessary 

 to good soil condition. 



*A Study of Crop Yields and Soil C omposition in Relation to Soil Pro- 

 ductivity, Milton Whitney, U.S. Dept of Agriculture, Bur. of Soils. BuU 

 No. 57, 1909. 



