COMPO.SITION OF SOIL AS AFFECTING SORGHUM. 



181 



For example, the soils, C, D, F, are very much alike, and jet their 

 Te:?pective yields per acre iu tons of stalks were 7^, 8, and 17. It is 

 obvious that much of this might have been due to difference in culti- 

 vation, but it does not appear that there was practically any differ- 

 ence in this respect. 



Chemical Composition of the Soils. 

 The following table shows the results of the chemical analysis of 

 the several soils. The absence of other than mere traces of chlorine 

 in the Rio Grande soils is remarkable, in view of the fact that these 

 fields were lying within a few hundred yards of the ocean. It is pos- 

 sible that the heavy fall rains had leached such compounds below the 

 surface, from which alone tlie samples were taken for analysis. It was 

 intended to make still further examination of the subsoils of these 

 several fields; for it may be that sorghum, being, through its root 

 system, a deep feeder, will account for good crops of cane upon land 

 Avhich failed to grow good crops of other kinds : 



