REPORT OF THE CHEMIST. 151 



physical properties and chemical composition. Of all, wheat is the most 

 susceptible to its environment, both chemically and physically; oats is 

 extremely liable to deteriorate physically,bnt is not so changeable in its 

 composition ; corn is much influenced in size and yield by climate, but 

 hardly in quality, while rye is about the same thing wherever it is 

 raised, and barley is produced in such a limited field that the effect of 

 environment is not marked. 



The Pacific coast and Colorado have a decided effect on all cereals. 

 Oregon and Washington Territory produce them all, with lack of an 

 average amount of nitrogen, while the California grain varies in other 

 respects also, and is much drier than Eastern crops. All our grain, and 

 in fact all our agricultural field products, are much drier, owing to our 

 climate, than those of Europe, and this is an imj)ortant factor in the 

 matter of bargain and sale. The Colorado cereals are Jill distinguished 

 for their remarkable size and excellent development. They illustrate 

 what can be done on a rich soil and with careful cultivation in the pro- 

 duction of cereals. 



DATA. 



The data from which the preceding conclusions are drawn are too 

 large in number to be given in the present report. They will probably 

 be arranged and publisbed as a special bulletin of the chemical di- 

 vision. The abstract, however, which has been given, contains the 

 general conclusions which can be derived from them. 



SOIL ANALYSES. 



The numerous inquiries received at this office relating to the methods 

 and object, of soil analysis have led me to believe that an abstract of the 

 present knowledge possessed by scientists on this subject would x^rovo 

 of interest to those engaged in scientific agriculture. 



It is true that a knowledge of the chemical composition of the soil is 

 not by any means all that is necessary to judge of the proper method of 

 its tillage or the extent of its fertility. Yet it must be admitted that 

 such a knowledge is a most valuable guide to the agriculturist in respect 

 of the kind of crop which is to be produced and the character of fertilizer 

 to be employed. The chemical composition of the soil, when taken in 

 connection with its physical state and the climatic conditions of the 

 locality, is a guide to scientific agriculture which cannot be neglected. 



Quite a number of samples of soil from different parts of the country 

 having accumulated in the laboratory, I requested Mr. Edgar Ilichards 

 to conduct the analyses and to collect the information which is hereby 

 submitted. The analyst who desires infonnntion concerning the com- 

 position of soils will find something of value in this work, while the 

 reader who is not a chemist will discover in it a fund of information 

 about soils and their proper treatment. 



ON THE DERIVATION AND FORMATION OF SOIL. 



All soils are the results of the natural disintegration of the rocks by 

 atmospheric agencies, mingled with decayed vegetable and animal mat- 

 ter in greater or less proportion, If natural agencies, such as glaciers, 

 rain, frost, wind, &c., did not come into play and wash and transport 

 the materials of soil to a greater or less distance from their sources, the 

 soil of every locality would be simply the decayed upper surface of the 



